How Jen Kao and Adam Leibsohn found their path to protecting children with Thorn

Behind every member of Thorn’s community of donors lies a unique human story. For Jen Kao and Adam Leibsohn, their path to joining our mission wasn’t just about support—it was where human rights advocacy collided with cutting-edge technology expertise. 

Thorn’s CEO, Julie Cordua, recently sat down with these inspiring Thorn Defenders to talk about their philanthropic journey, what drew them to Thorn, and why they believe in leveraging technology for good.

When diverse perspectives converge

Jen, who ran a women’s wear label for over a decade, has been passionate about fundamental human rights since childhood. Adam, co-founder of Giphy, a search engine for animated GIFs, brings his extensive technology background to their philanthropic efforts. Their complementary perspectives create a well-rounded approach to addressing complex issues like child sexual abuse and exploitation.

“This was a pivotal moment for us because I’m completely analog,” Jen shared during her conversation with Thorn CEO Julie Cordua. “I’d spent years browbeating Adam over the evils of technology and not understanding why he wasn’t doing something different. And then when we came across Thorn, I was like, okay, you were right. There are good things that can be done with tech.”

Mobilizing a community to respond

Jen and Adam’s’ support for Thorn began in a unique way—through their wedding and their supportive community. Instead of traditional gifts, they asked guests to donate to organizations they were passionate about, including Thorn.

“I think that was the most gratifying moment  in that journey so far,” Jen shared. “So many people chose your charity to give to. And that was touching. I’m like, okay, maybe people are more ready to talk about it.”

What’s been particularly rewarding is seeing how this initial introduction has sparked ongoing interest. This reflects the growing momentum we’ve experienced surrounding our mission, as more people are taking responsibility for protecting children. This includes parents engaging in difficult conversations about digital safety, online platforms actively detecting child sexual abuse material and exploitation on a large scale, and policymakers drafting legislation to safeguard children.

Technology as both problem and solution

Adam’s perspective on technology has evolved significantly over the years. What once seemed like exciting, novel experiments in the early days of social media has become a more permanent part of our culture and society, often with unintended consequences that impact vulnerable groups like children. 

“Coming across Thorn was the right thing because this is powerful technology being used for good to try and turn the giant cruise ship… it’s hard to do to turn something that big,” said Adam.

His evolution in understanding technology as both a part of the problem and the solution aligns with Thorn’s mission and theory of change. As Julie Cordua noted during their conversation, “When we started 10 years ago, we said we’re going to work at the intersection of child sexual abuse and technology. And back then people were like, wait, what? But what’s there? And we were just starting to see this. And now it affects everyone with an internet connection and all of your children.”

The power of tech that protects

Adam was particularly drawn to Thorn’s innovative use of technology and the sophistication of its solutions.

“We shouldn’t just be building up these big commercial engines. We should also be alongside them building up things that keep people safe online. And if we don’t support that, it atrophies and then things are going to really get strange.” – Adam Leibsohn

This sentiment reflects the core of Thorn’s approach to technology: building a digital safety net that transforms how children are protected from child sexual abuse and exploitation. 

Why support Thorn?

For those considering supporting Thorn, Adam’s advice is simple: “Well, first off, do it. Don’t hesitate.”

“In a world that is increasingly reliant on technology, whether it’s artificial intelligence, social media, or various amounts of machine learning… Having safeguards in that world is critical. If we don’t have safeguards in that world, it will increasingly become a very dark place,” said Adam.

He compares today’s digital landscape to cultural changes many have experienced in our physical communities: “It used to be like I could go ride my bike in my neighborhood by myself and my parents would leave me alone and I was 10 years old and nothing would happen. Today, that would never happen. That’s about where we’re going with the internet.  You can’t let somebody go on there without supervision. If there are safeguards and there are safe things built to protect people online, that helps. And it’s paramount.”

“If you’re putting money to work, then this is where you should put it. If you’re really impact-focused… because Thorn is so based in technology, they have a wonderful method of reporting… they can show you exactly how they’re moving the needle and they are moving it in significant ways because technology compounds,” said Adam.

Creating Responsibility in Technology

Jen concluded their conversation with an important observation about the responsibility that comes with technological innovation:

“There are certain tools that we’ve created that we are not responsible enough to handle. Kudos to Thorn for helping create some responsibility, taking the responsibility because other people are not. And we need more,”said Jen.

Jen and Adam represent the intersection of human rights advocacy and technological expertise—exactly the combination needed to address the complex issue of child sexual exploitation in the digital age. Their story reminds us that when different perspectives come together with a shared purpose, powerful change can happen.

To learn more about how you can join our donor community and support this mission, visit thorn.org/donate.