Donor Spotlight: A Conversation with Lauren Bush Lauren on Protecting Children in the Digital Age
October 28, 2024
6 Minute Read
Why Lauren Gives to Thorn
In an increasingly interconnected and digital world, the safety of our children online has never been more critical. We recently had the privilege of sitting down with Thorn donor Lauren Bush Lauren, founder and CEO of FEED, to discuss her support for Thorn’s mission and her perspective on child safety in the digital age.
As a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, Lauren brings a unique viewpoint to this crucial issue. But it’s her role as a parent that truly drives her passion for our cause.
I think first and foremost, what motivated me to give to Thorn and my husband to give to Thorn is that we’re parents and you can’t help but worry about your kids and the future of their mental health and physical health… And it’s just unthinkable.
Lauren’s journey with Thorn began when she and her husband attended an information session in New York. The stories they heard about online child exploitation left a lasting impact, motivating them to get involved and support our work.
One aspect of Thorn’s approach that particularly resonates with Lauren is our innovative use of technology to combat child sexual abuse and exploitation at scale:
I really also love that Thorn has developed a technology that social media platforms have bought into. It’s a paid revenue model. So they’re using that platform and it’s really empowering them to find those perpetrators and make the internet safer… I think having that dual combination, to do philanthropy effectively and innovatively is really important.
Philanthropy Meets Tech for Good
Our dual funding model that includes both philanthropic support and earned revenue allows us to build specialized technology that transforms how children are protected from sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital age. The support of donors like Lauren keeps our technology on the cutting edge, funds groundbreaking research on the issue, and gets our solutions into the hands of investigators to find child victims faster.
The scale of the issue is something that Lauren, like most parents, finds both eye-opening and concerning:
I was struck by just how vast this issue is and how vulnerable our children really are in the internet. And yet, of course, we live in 2024, and our kids, there’s so much richness and connection to come from the internet and social media platforms.
This duality – the internet as both a source of enrichment and potential danger – is at the heart of why Thorn’s work is so crucial. Perpetrators’ means and methods have evolved with the digital world, as geographic proximity is no longer a barrier to finding victims. They’ve become highly skilled at exploiting young people’s desire for social connection and building communities online. This is why research to understand children’s online behaviors and experiences is essential.
Looking to the future, Lauren expresses hope for the continued development of technologies that can be harnessed for the good and safety of children online. She emphasizes the importance of Thorn’s role in this ecosystem, working to find victims faster and stop harm before it occurs.
We’re incredibly grateful for Lauren’s support and her willingness to share her thoughts on this critical issue. Her perspectives as a mother, entrepreneur, and philanthropist has not only affirmed our cause but strengthened our resolve in the fight against child sexual abuse and exploitation. It’s passionate supporters like Lauren that not only provide the resources we need to develop cutting-edge solutions but they also help raise awareness about the critical issue of online child safety. By sharing their stories and motivations, we hope to inspire others to join our cause and create a groundswell of support for protecting children in the digital age.
Join us in our mission to defend children from online exploitation. Learn more about how you can support Thorn’s work and be part of creating a safer internet for all children.
Conversation Transcript
Cindy: Hi, Lauren. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. I’m delighted that you could make the time to tell us a little bit more about your connection to Thorn and, how you found yourself, supporting this work.
Lauren: Sure. My name is Lauren Bush Lauren. I am the founder and CEO of FEED.
My husband and I were introduced to Thorn through some good friends, and we went to an information session here in New York a few years back, and we’re just blown away by what we learned in terms of, just the amount of kids that are being, violated and trolled on the internet and just hearing about Thorn’s innovative and really smart approach to countering that issue was motivation for us to get involved and make a donation.
Cindy: Do you see any similarities in terms of your work with FEED and focus on food insecurity and Thorn’s work?
Lauren: Given FEED, I was, always very motivated to help children live into their fullest human potential and obviously without something as basic as food, it’s very hard to do that.
And that was one of the very, basic driving forces of why I started FEED. And I think with Thorn, it’s a similar thread in the sense that if you’re a child and you’re not safe on the internet and you’re being exploited, you’re not living into your fullest human potential.
And, so I do see that common thread.
Cindy: That’s a great way to put it. And when you consider that 97 percent of kids are online, it really puts it in perspective, the harms that they’re being exposed to. Yeah.
So Lauren, given your background, what do you think sets Thorn apart? What stands out for you?
Lauren: Yeah, honestly, I don’t know a lot of other organizations doing what Thorn is doing and addressing this issue head on.
I really also love that Thorn has developed a technology that social media platforms have bought into. It’s a paid revenue model. So they’re using that platform and it’s really empowering them to find those perpetrators and make the internet safer. So that’s on one side, and then obviously the other is funded by philanthropists and individuals and foundations. So I think having that dual combination, to do philanthropy effectively and innovatively is, really important.
Cindy: Can you tell me about how your role as a woman and a mother influences your support of Thorn?
Lauren: Yes. I think first and foremost, what motivated me to give to Thorn and my husband to give to Thorn is that we’re parents and you can’t help but worry about your kids and the future of their mental health and physical health.
And you hear stories, horrific stories about how kids who could just, as easily been our kids, have been exploited in different ways. And it’s just unthinkable. So I would say first and foremost, our support of Thorn comes from a place as parents.
Cindy: And for your fellow parents and friends in your network, what would you share with them in terms of, a light bulb moment you had in engaging around this work.
Lauren: I was struck by just how vast this issue is and how vulnerable our children really are in the internet. And yet, of course, we live in 2024 and our kids, there’s so much richness and connection to come from the internet, from social media platforms.
And yet to really be able to empower and educate our children too for this world we live in today, and know that organizations like Thorn and like the technology y’all developed is out there working with these platforms to help protect them, makes me sleep better at night.
I personally look forward to continuing to track the organization and support the organization. Obviously, as a mother, and just a human, we want to see the Internet be a safe place for kids to go and enrich themselves and explore and find community.
And yet, obviously, there is such a threat to our kids and I just I hope that Thorn continues to do the amazing work it’s doing and that as the Internet, A.I. and all the amazing things that are happening and we’re on the verge of right now continue to come into existence, I really hope that can be harnessed as well for the good and safety of children online.
And that the ecosystem that is there to address these issues continues to be emboldened and empowered by Thorn’s work and by Thorn’s technology to really find victims faster and really stop the harm that is being caused and will inevitably be caused if organizations like Thorn don’t exist.
Cindy: We’re so grateful to have you in our corner. Always. Thank you for continuing to work together on this issue so much. Thank you, Lauren.
Lauren: Thank you, Cindy.