When thinking about someone who could provide insight and challenge our thinking around our 2016 conference theme, Roles, Relationships, and Relevance in the Changing Landscape of Adolescent Health, Nancy Schwartzman’s name quickly rose to the top of the list. Nancy is an app developer, filmmaker, and catalyst for social change. She is a passionate advocate, and believes storytelling, mobile technology, gaming, and social media can foster healthy relationships and build communities of respect.

Get to know a little more about Nancy with these five facts:

1. Nancy developed an award-winning, innovative app to help prevent dating violence.
   In 2011, Vice President Joe Biden, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius launched the Apps Against Abuse technology challenge. The competition challenged software innovators to develop mobile technology to help prevent dating violence. Taking a public health approach, Nancy and her team developed an app, Circle of 6, and tested it with students, and learned from the experience of survivors, experts, and LGBTQ users, to design a tool that meet young people where they are. The app allows users to choose a “circle” of six people who they can quickly contact if they need help. The app is currently being used by more than 300,000 users in 36 countries.
2. She is an experienced film director and producer.
   She is the director and producer of the documentary films The Line and xoxosms. She has brought The Line and the award-winning The Line Campaign to over 65 Universities in person, and spoken to students and young people around the world. She is currently in production on a documentary feature on Steubenville, Ohio, examining rape culture in the 21st century.
3. Nancy’s work has been recognized in major ways.
   Nancy was recently named a Top 50 Global Leader Ending Violence Against Women and Girls and one of 10 Filmmakers to Watch by Independent Magazine.
4. She has spoken in some major places.
   Nancy is a speaker in high demand, and past talks and presentations have included speaking at the White House, United Nations, World Health Organization, Institute of Medicine, TEDxSheffield, DOCNYC, Media that Matters, Sheffield Doc Fest, Nordisk Panorama, and colleges and conferences around the world.
5. She knows how to reach people and make an impact.
   Through her work as an impact producer and new media consultant, Nancy has consulted on films like The Invisible War—which was nominated for an Oscar Award—and Girl Model. To maximize audience engagement and enact policy change, she matched the right new media platform, messaging, and ask for each of these two films.

To learn more about Nancy’s innovative and compelling ideas, register to see her deliver the opening keynote at Roles, Relationships, and Relevance. To read more in the meantime, visit NancySchwartzman.com.