Art and Social Justice: Art as a Tool for Survivor Empowerment

The Growlery and ATHack! are pleased to present ATHack! co-founder Alia Whitney-Johnson's talk "Art As a Tool for Survivor Empowerment and Healing." We will also be showcasing the art of Cece Carpio whose focus is on empowerment, resistance, and resilience. Musical guests: Ehb Teng, John Krause, and special guest Mazin Jamal of Holistic Underground Reception at 6:00 PM Talk at 7:00 PM Refreshments will be served. ----- Alia is a social entrepreneur with 10+ years experience working with children who have endured trauma, sexual abuse, and exploitation. She is the Founder of Emerge Global, an award-winning non-profit social enterprise in Sri Lanka that equips girls who have survived sexual abuse with the business acumen, financial capital, and life skills to lead healthy, self-sufficient lives. In addition to her work with Emerge, Alia has worked for the World Bank, McKinsey & Company, and LeanIn.Org, with projects spanning mobile money operations to project managing #LeanInTogether, a public awareness campaign focused on men and their important role in reaching gender equality. Alia holds a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from MIT and an MPhil in Development Studies from Oxford University, where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. She currently sits on the MIT Corporation, MIT's Board of Trustees. www.athackit.org ----- From the islands of the Philippines and now back in the Bay Area, Cece Carpio paints people and places working towards a more dignified existence. Using acrylic, ink, aerosol, and installations, her work tells stories of immigration, ancestry, resistance, and resilience. She documents evolving traditions by combining folkloric forms, bold portraits, and natural elements with urban art techniques. www.cececarpio.com