Our mission was inspired by the many stories …
“I reported it. Michigan State University, the school I loved and trusted, had the audacity to tell me that I did not understand the difference between sexual assault and a medical procedure.”
Amanda Thomashow, Michigan State student
Our mission is to transform organizational culture to create a safe environment where misconduct is addressed constructively, compassionately and collaboratively
Our Story
My name is Lea Wolf, and I’m the co-founder of ICIARA. I’m a social entrepreneur who’s taken on a wide range of projects all aimed at human empowerment and social justice.
My inspiration for ICIARA was sparked during the infamous trial of Larry Nassar, in 2017. I couldn’t stop reading articles and watching the progress of the trial as the story unfolded. I couldn’t comprehend how victims were silenced even though they reported the offensive behavior to their parents, universities, police, and the FBI among other agencies. The pattern was clear. Victims who spoke out were attacked, discredited, ignored, and dismissed. I was perplexed.
Exploring the injustices on a local level brought my attention to these issues in all industries on a national scale. Allegations against Harvey Weinstein broke news headlines, with Jeffery Epstein and many more to follow.
It is happening everywhere, every day!
I was outraged. How could the entire system fail to protect children?
And then I wondred, Why are offenders being protected while victims are silenced?
And then I wondred, Why are offenders being protected while victims are silenced?
The Urge to Protect and Empower Victims
In 2018, Let’s Speak Up was born. Our team was focused on educating, empowering and advocating for victims’ rights and their well-being. We developed a web application where victims could anonymously report any misconduct or wrongdoing they had experienced. We became a strong voice for victims, receiving hundreds of complaints from across the country.
Understanding Offenders Impact
I realized that victims are not the only ones hurt by cover-up practices: offenders are equally harmed. While victims suffer from trauma, anxiety, and depression, offenders are denied a path to a behavioral corrective action plan. Cover-ups legitimize the offender’s behavior to repeat their misconduct; this jeopardizes their emotional, mental, and physical freedom. Offenders live in shame, anxiety, and silence because the institution holds secrets surrounding their crime. Their situation is exacerbated when the irrefutable pattern is presented in court: the outcomes are devastating as offenders are subjected to a life rotting behind bars.
I then wondered:
What if offenders were held accountable from the onset?
What if Michigan State University had held Larry Nassar accountable when the first abuse was reported?
An Indepth Research
We began exploring recidivism rates in our juvenile and criminal justice system. We discovered that rehabilitation significantly reduces rates of recidivism, notably in Scandinavian countries and the United States. We concluded that offenders are likely to stop perpetrating if they are held responsible from the onset. Engaging offenders in compassionate therapy and relevant projects would enable them to understand the impact of their behavior: this constructive method would abate their abusive conduct.
And then I wondered again:
What is the impact of cover ups on institutions?
What if organizations stopped misconduct before it become abusive?
Further research revealed that cover-ups are actually detrimental to the institutions themselves. Hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements result in financial demise, sometimes to the extent of bankruptcy. With this in mind, we realized that inspiring a culture that holds everyone accountable from the onset would benefit and protect all stakeholders. If everyone fulfilled their responsibility when the misconduct occurred, we could remedy misconduct cases in the short term and prevent abuse in the long term. Breaking this cycle of abuse and coverups would restore trust and confidence in each affected party–with leaders and organizations included. Administrations are guaranteed protection only when they act in accordance with their fiduciary responsibility to their stakeholders. Adhering to policies and guidelines, they can avoid years of secrecy, legal chaos, and financial crisis.
And then we concluded: If everyone fulfilled their responsibility, then everyone will be protected!
Our team resolved that the solution needs to be holistic. Technology without a change in culture is not enough. We pivoted our focus toward protecting people, organizations, and society rather than advocating solely for victims.
Our new vision became ICIARA, with a mission to educate all stakeholders of their responsibility to address misconduct constructively, compassionately and collaboratively. We created an AI algorithm that immediately links incidents with their severity to address complaints before they worsen and mitigate liability. We can only learn, work, and live when our world is safe and protected.
We are seeking people, resources, support and expertise to help advance our socially responsible mission.
Join us to positively change organizational culture to prevent abuse and misconduct. Write to us at connect@iciara.com
