Content warning: Sexual assault April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Join IGNITE as we shatter the silence by featuring individuals who are tirelessly working to end sexual assault and support survivors.
Meet IGNITE's April 2021 Leaders on Fire, people who are advocates, activists, and change makers working in the space of sexual assault prevention, survivor rights advocacy, empowerment through education, and so much more. All month long, we'll share their stories and resources from their organizations to shatter the silence around sexual assault and mobilize the IGNITE community to join an action orientated conversation.
Meet the April 2021 Leaders on Fire
Nora Gallo, Co-Executive Director, Every Voice Coalition
Nora is the co-Executive Director for The Every Voice Coalition and anti-sexual violence and trauma activist. Since joining the Every Voice Coalition, Nora has been able to seek personal justice as a survivor by using her voice to advocate for all survivors' justice. In honor of her work supporting survivors to find their voice, IGNITE has selected Nora as a Leader on Fire for Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2021. Read our interview with Nora.
Tani Ikeda, Founder, Survivor Love Letter
Tani Ikeda is a filmmaker and activist who launched Survivor Love Letter in 2012 on the anniversary of her rape. In honor of her work supporting survivors, IGNITE has selected Tani as a Leader on Fire for Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2021. Survivor Love Letter is a hashtag, a letter-writing campaign engaging thousands, and a viral social movement that immerses survivors of sexual assault with boundless support and Love. Read Mic's feature on Tani, republished by IGNITE.
Mercedes Molloy, Founder, Safe Squad App
Mercedes Molloy, a 20-year-old college student at the New School in New York and an activist for sexual assault survivors, is the founder of the app Safe Squad. Safe Squad is a gender-neutral mobile application that aims to provide users' personal safety and peace of mind for their loved ones. IGNITE has selected Mercedes as a Leader on Fire for Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2021 for her leadership of Safe Squad. Read our interview with Mercedes.
Amanda Nguyen, Founder of Rise
Amanda Nguyen is an entrepreneur, activist, CEO, policy author and advocate, and general BOSS. Nguyen turned a personal experience into a fight for the rights of sexual assault survivors across America. IGNITE has selected Nguyen as a Leader on Fire for Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2021 for her leadership of RISE and her work on the Sexual Assault Bill of Rights. Read our profile on Nguyen.
Kenyora Parham, Executive Director, End Rape on Campus
Kenyora Parham, MSW is the Executive Director of End Rape on Campus. Before joining EROC, she has worked for several organizations and higher-education institutions, including Brandeis University, Strong Women, Strong Girls, Simmons University. In 2020, she became the Founder and CEO of C-Suite In Living Color, a community space for BIPOC executives and those who aspire to be. Read our interview with Kenyora.
Founders of SafeBAE
SafeBAE - Safe Before Anyone Else - is a survivor-founded, student-led national organization whose mission is to end sexual assault among middle and high school students. They help promote culture change by giving teens the tools to become activists and shift school culture through raising awareness about dating violence, sexual harassment and assault, affirmative consent, safe bystander intervention, survivor care, and their rights under Title IX. Read our interview with Charlie Coleman, co-founder of SafeBAE.
Maya Siegel, Co-Founder of Space to Speak
Maya Siegel is a 20-year-old entrepreneur, strategist, and activist. IGNITE has selected Maya as a Leader on Fire for Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2021 for her leadership of Space to Speak. Space to Speak was founded in 2019 to create a space dedicated to connecting young survivors and amplifying their voices while also working to further the national conversation on consent. Space to Speak supports and empowers survivors by providing educational guides and an online platform for the community. Read our interview with Maya.
Resources
If you are in immediate need of support, call the National Sexual Assault Helpline.
They accept phone calls 24 hours a day at 1-800-656-4673.
A comprehensive list of services and resources is available at rainn.org.
Learn more and continue the conversation at our upcoming event.
