MISSION STATEMENT

Callisto's mission is to use technology to empower survivors of sexual violence.

VISION

We envision a world in which survivors of sexual violence are supported and empowered to find healing and justice on their own terms.

THE WHY

An estimated 1 in 4 female students, 1 in 15 male students, and 1 in 5 transgender, nonbinary, or genderqueer students are sexually assaulted during their college years. Over 90% of these assaults are committed by repeat perpetrators, who offend an average 6 times before they graduate. Despite the overwhelming statistics, less than 10% of student survivors report their assault. Repeat perpetrators go undetected and face virtually no deterrent.

More than any other crime, victims of sexual violence often face circumstances where they are blamed, taken less seriously than the crime warrants, or discouraged from coming forward. This is further exacerbated by the fact that only 0.25% of assaults result in an arrest, felony conviction and incarceration of the perpetrator. These statistics speak to the inadequacy of our current justice systems and highlights the need for the development of alternative pathways to help survivors navigate inequitable systems.

THE WHAT

Callisto started with a goal to build a system that empowers survivors, rebuilding their sense of agency, prioritizes privacy and facilitates coordinated action. Our solution, Callisto Vault, is an encrypted platform designed to empower survivors of sexual assault, provide a safe alternative to reporting, and increase the likelihood that serial perpetrators will be held accountable.

Within Callisto Vault, survivors can access two tools: the Matching System and the Incident Log. 

Our proprietary Matching System, is the first and only tool that utilizes cryptography to provide a secure alternative to a whisper network to determine if others were harmed by the same perpetrator. The Matching System allows a survivor to enter the unique identifiers (ex: social media handles) of the perpetrator and if another survivor enters the same unique identifier, a match occurs. Any serial perpetrator can be detected, regardless of their university affiliation. Once matched, each survivor is connected with a Legal Options Counselor, who will explain their options and can facilitate coordinated action, while protecting survivor privacy.

The Incident Log allows a survivor to document what happened as they decide what steps, if any, they might like to take next. Using this tool can assist survivors in processing their trauma and can serve as a reference to share what happened with an attorney, law enforcement, therapist, friend, or university (now or in the future).