Melissa Stroebel is Vice President of Research & Strategic Impact at Thorn, a nonprofit that builds technology and conducts original research to defend children from sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital age. She leads Thorn’s growth and impact efforts, connecting research, technology, and partnerships to strengthen how the world protects children from sexual exploitation. Her work equips platforms with tools to detect and report online child sexual exploitation, supports investigators in identifying victims more quickly, and advances research on emerging threats—ensuring Thorn’s programs and products reflect the realities facing children and their communities every day. With nearly two decades in child safety, her background spans victim identification analysis, product management, and research.
