We build technology to defend children from sexual abuse.

Thorn was born in 2012. Our co-founders Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore had learned about the issue of child sex trafficking from a documentary highlighting what was happening to children in Cambodia. They describe it as this moment where you learn something about the world that you can’t un-know. As they started learning more, they realized that it is just as prolific of a problem here in the United States as it is overseas.
 

Thorn CEO Julie Cordua joined soon after to begin to dig further into the issue of child sex trafficking. There was a common theme that emerged from those working in the field — technology was playing a role in extending the crime. However, technology had yet to play a significant part in its solution. Our team started out in this space focused on investing in the innovation phase of potential tech-led approaches to ending online child sexual abuse. Within the first two years, we realized that we needed to shift our model for scalable long-term change.
 

In 2014, after our team prototyped a product to aid in identifying child sex trafficking victims who were sold online, we made the decision to develop the product itself and provide it free to law enforcement. This approach broke open the new model for us — one that moved beyond innovation to include productization and rapid scale, bypassing existing bureaucratic structures that often hamper access, data sharing, and collaboration.
 

We now house the first engineering and data science team focused solely on developing new technologies to combat online child sexual abuse. We bring together a team with deep technical knowledge and subject matter expertise to innovate and deploy new technology solutions at a much faster rate. We are able to quickly assess whether new technologies can be repurposed to protect children from sexual exploitation through one of our three strategic pillars: 1) accelerating victim identification 2) equipping platforms, and 3) empowering the public.

 

Our mission of defending children from sexual exploitation and abuse is deeply embedded within our core—a shared code that drives us to do challenging work with resilience and determination.
 

As a technology company with the mission of a nonprofit, we offer the best of both worlds. Our culture of innovation will challenge you to continually develop your skills while building leading-edge solutions that allow us to achieve our mission.
 

We collaborate with the sharpest minds from tech, nonprofit, government and law enforcement, and influence decisions that impact children across the globe. You’ll witness the real-world impact of your work as you create solutions alongside colleagues with top skills and unique perspectives.
 

Join us and take your place among some of the best hearts and minds as we build a world where every child can be safe, curious, and happy.
 

The Employee Experience

Our values of trust, inclusion, and resilience form the foundation of our employee experience. These values are expressed in four unique ways.

• Critically Committed - Our dedicated mission of defending children from sexual exploitation and abuse is our top priority and the driving force behind everything we do.
• Whole-istically Human - There is humanity in our mission, in how we treat each other, in our lives, in our work, and in our culture of wellness, care, and compassion.
• Transformational Tech - We are an unstoppable force—resting but never quitting. Constantly improving, challenging, adapting, and solving problems with technology and programs that drive positive change in children’s lives.
• Purposeful Growth - Combining our organizational stability with teamwork and passion, we create a foundation for individuals to become better versions of themselves together.

Our Culture

We take immense pride and satisfaction in working on a mission that protects children. The work we do everyday drives tangible and meaningful results. Although this requires resilience, we add levity to our day-to-day by fostering a supportive work environment where every person is afforded the space to work hard and rest well.