In this episode, Hemma and Ellen visit Jennifer Gibson and Rebecca Petras, two of Psst.org's three co-founders, to discuss Creating Space to Speak Up and the organization's story. 

Together, they discuss revolutionizing whistleblowing by collectivizing information and providing support for insiders in high-risk environments. They also share insights into building trust, the importance of clear reporting channels, and the crucial role of leadership in fostering a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up. This episode explores the challenges faced by whistleblowers, the importance of transparency and accountability within organizations, and the living legacy of Psst.org. 

Highlights include:

Resources:

https://psst.org/ 

Biographies

Jennifer Gibson

Co-Founder and Legal Director, Psst.org

Jennifer most recently ran the Whistleblower Protection Program at The Signals Network. She is a US lawyer with over fifteen years of experience investigating, litigating, and advocating for human rights. Previously, Jennifer worked for Reprieve, where she led the organization’s work on extrajudicial killings carried out under the guise of national security. She worked closely with civilian victims of drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, and elsewhere, investigating their cases to secure accountability. Her work involved litigation before both domestic and international courts and public and political advocacy aimed at holding powerful governments and corporations accountable for their abuses. Jennifer has a JD from Stanford University and is barred from California.

Rebecca Petras

Co-founder and Principal Officer, Psst.org

Rebecca has a long career in building start-up non-profits from the ground up. Before Psst, she was the Director of Operations of The Signals Network, handling strategy, development and communications. She previously served as director of the Geneva-based H2H Network, overseeing the network's inception, strategy, and sustainability and its fund for small humanitarian technical agencies. From 2010 to 2019, she served as deputy director of Translators without Borders (TWB), overseeing global operations of the international NGO, of which she was a founding board member. Before her humanitarian work, Rebecca was a journalist and a marketing executive. She holds an MS from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a BA in Philosophy and German from the University of Michigan.