Over Zero was founded in response to the global need to counteract and prevent identity-based violence and other forms of group-targeted harm.
We emerged as an outgrowth of Sisi ni Amani International, an organization founded to strengthen local violence prevention efforts through leveraging communication-based tools. Our interdisciplinary and cross-sector approach contributes to the broader field of identity-based violence prevention. Over Zero’s programming is focused on the United States, Central Europe, and East Africa, as well as engagement with the wider atrocity prevention field
Our Values
Over Zero believes that it must embody the following values to be a positive contributor to society.
CO-CREATION
We embrace the diverse expertise, experiences, and perspectives of the individuals and organizations with whom we partner.
DISCOVERY
We are a learning organization. We aspire to take bold risks in the service of learning and achieving impact.
DO NO HARM
We operate under the core principle of ‘do no harm,’ meaning that we prioritize avoiding harm in all of its potential forms.
IMPACT
In the service of driving true change, we remain critical and objective when evaluating the impact of our interventions.
WHOLENESS
In all of our interactions, both internal and external, we are determined to embody a culture of respect, kindness, and an openness to one another’s whole selves.
Our Team
Our team brings a wide set of skills, experiences, and perspectives to our work, from grassroots peacebuilding to behavioral science.
Betsy Boggia
State Director, Arizona
Betsy is a valued leader with extensive experience organizing issue-based grassroots campaigns, and activating volunteers for legislative advocacy, GOTV efforts, and media engagement. A champion for children, women, peace and equity, Betsy relocated to Tucson in 2021 and has worked locally on campaigns to protect voting rights and public school funding, and as an advocate for election reform. In Massachusetts she co-founded the Million Mom March for Gun Control chapter, worked in the MA state legislature, and served as a town meeting member for six years. Betsy has a BA in History and certifications in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Renew U.S. Campaign Manager Training and the Southern Arizona Civic and Political Leadership Academy.
Rachel Brown
FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
For the past decade, Rachel's work has focused on using communication to prevent violent conflict. She is the author of Defusing Hate: A Strategic Communication Guide to Counteract Dangerous Speech and was a 2014 Fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide. Rachel previously founded and ran Sisi ni Amani-Kenya (SNA-K), a Kenyan NGO that pioneered new strategies to build local capacity for peacebuilding and civic engagement
Dr. Stephen Capobianco
Director of Operations
Stephen brings a over decade of experience in advancing high-performing teams, policy analysis, social science research, and strategic partnership development to his role. Prior to joining Over Zero, he served on the leadership team for the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention. Stephen earned a PhD in Community and Public Affairs and a Master of Public Administration from Binghamton University.
Julia Chin
Program Associate
Julia's skill set is rooted in administrative, operational, and marketing expertise. She has a background in non-profit communication, events, and development, having supported work to empower women leaders in human rights advocacy and as well as community organizing alongside those facing the challenges of the incarceration system. She holds a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Feminist Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she studied the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, and mental health.
Breanna Datesman
Associate Director of Programs
Breanna specializes in program management and stakeholder engagement, with more than a decade of experience in public service. Prior to joining Over Zero, she served as the Deputy Director of Elections and Notaries for the Pennsylvania Department of State, focusing on voter education, election administration, and technological stewardship. Breanna additionally studied and served in reproductive access both in the United States and South Africa. She acquired a Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in Healthcare Administration from Rutgers University-Newark in 2016.
Laura Livingston
Director of Field Support
Laura’s background is in the relationship between governance, conflict, and peacebuilding. A lawyer by training, she has worked on transitional justice initiatives around the world, including in the Balkans, East Africa, and the MENA region. Laura received her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Dr. Satia Marotta
Director of Knowledge and Learning
Satia's background is in stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. A social psychologist by training, her research has broadly focused on understanding identity and group-based bias in education, healthcare, journalism, and public policy and examining how this bias can be countered. Satia earned a PhD in Experimential Psychology from Tufts University.
Joanna Oko
Executive Assistant
Joanna’s personal and professional work is focused on the prevention of identity-based violence and atrocities through education and the development of support frameworks for our educators. She earned a BA in Genocide Studies, MA in Learning Sciences and MS in Sociology. Her experience continues to grow toward supporting non-profit organizations in building resilient communities through partnerships and programming for leaders and community members.
Samantha Owens
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
Samantha has extensive experience leveraging strategic communication for social change. Her experience includes developing trainings and strategic communication campaigns to prevent extremism among youth in Bosnia, art-based initiatives for conflict transformation and human rights, and communication campaigns to prevent youth homelessness in the U.S. She holds an MA in Human Rights from University College London.
Ann Toews
STATE DIRECTOR, OHIO
Ann Toews is experienced in launching and leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives and building teams. She has worked on the Atrocities Prevention Board, the global Ebola response, and the security transition in Afghanistan, and has written about communities grappling with conflict for a number of publications. Most recently, Ann led an operations team for a technology startup in Columbus and developed nonprofit programming for youth aging out of foster care across Ohio. She is a veteran of the U.S. Army and a Tillman Scholar. Ann holds an MPA from Princeton University.
Marissa Wong
Manager, Training and Field Support
Marissa has 15 years of experience leveraging experiential learning tools for conflict prevention and peacebuilding. She got her start as a peer trainer in a youth leadership program, and has since led training for some of the world's largest nonprofits, children's hospitals, labor unions, school systems, and professional associations, as well as activists around the globe. Marissa’s work has played a role in strengthening democratic citizenship education in Armenia, promoting social cohesion in Iraq and Palestine, and expanding social-emotional learning across the United States. Marissa holds an MA in Peace and Human Rights Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and is a proud member of the SGI Buddhist community, where she supports grassroots, dialogue-based peace initiatives in her neighborhood of Harlem, NY.