Trisha Prabhu is a 26-year-old global responsible technology advocate who is widely recognized as one of the first young, Gen Z voices to rethink our digital status quo–and demand a safer, kinder internet. She is the inventor of ReThink™, a patented anti-cyberbullying technology, and the Founder and CEO of ReThink Citizens, a youth-led nonprofit empowering today’s young people to create the digital world that they deserve.
In the fall of 2013, Trisha, then just 13 years old, read a shocking news story about a 12-year-old girl who had died by suicide after being cyberbullied for over a year-and-a-half. Trisha was heartbroken and outraged. Immediately, she knew she could not be a bystander to what had become a silent pandemic of online hate–she had to be an Upstander.
In response, Trisha invented the concept for ReThink™, a technology that aims to detect potentially harmful words online and give users a chance to rethink posting them (“Are you sure you want to say that?”). ReThink started as an idea, but very quickly became a global rallying cry to tackle cyberbullying and redefine internet culture to be kinder and more inclusive. Trisha brought this movement to “ReThink hate” to youth worldwide, from the UK to Lebanon to India. For her efforts, Trisha and ReThink received worldwide acclaim. The ReThink app was named one of Google Play’s Most Innovative Apps in 2016. Trisha was invited to present ReThink everywhere from Google headquarters to President Obama’s White House to even ABC’s hit T.V. show, Shark Tank. ReThink was also an inaugural winner of the Elevate Prize; part of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Adrian Cheng Fellowship; and named a CTIA Wireless Foundation “Catalyst” winner.
Today, Trisha leads ReThink’s nonprofit spin-out, ReThink Citizens, which is empowering a new generation of bold, imaginative leaders to realize a better internet. By equipping young people with the education to live digitally healthy lives, giving young digital innovators the resources and community to pursue their ideas to make the internet better, and enabling intergenerational conversations about online safety, ReThink Citizens is building a healthier digital world in real time. To date, the organization has impacted tens of thousands of youth across the country and been recognized/celebrated by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Trisha is a passionate public speaker and has delivered 120+ talks in cities around the world about reclaiming our humanity in the digital age. She is also the author of ReThink the Internet, a first of its kind "by youth, for youth" guide to responsible digital citizenship.
Trisha serves on the Issue One Council for Responsible Social Media, the Sustainable Media Center’s Gen Z Board, and as a Board Advisor to the Carson J. Bride Effect. She previously served on the Steering Committee of the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund.