Hosting Hard Conversations

Anika is a writer and digital product manager based in Washington DC. Her first book, "How to Handle a Crowd," follows several online moderators throughout their days, focusing on how they curate their communities, resolve disagreements, and create camaraderie. Most recently, she was Head of Product at Informa Markets Fashion, where she ran a lean team that focused on building new digital experiences for the B2B fashion community.

Aaron has been a senior Communications, Public Policy, and People executive at some of the world's most revolutionary technology companies and venture-backed startups. As the Head of Communications & Policy at Square, Aaron directed communications strategy for Square’s foundational corporate milestones over his 9 years at the company, from flagship product introductions, to the company’s IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in November 2015. In addition to his communications and policy responsibilities, Aaron became the Head of Square's People organization (comprising HR, Talent, Compensation, Benefits, Inclusion & Diversity, and Engagement) in 2018. Prior to Square, he spent several years at Google and YouTube in various communications roles, with a focus on business, litigation, and public affairs. Aaron is currently the Founder of Background Partners, a boutique technology consulting firm, and a lecturer at Berkeley School of Law. Aaron holds a J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of Law, and a B.A. in Art History from Yale University.

Colina Elizabeth Cole is the President and Founder of CEC Global. She is a Ph.D. student in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at Nova Southeastern University. She is interested in intergroup violence, structural violence, systemic oppression, and the role of memories in disputes. Colina writes about forgiveness, reconciliation, collective and historical memories, group identities, trauma and healing, truth commissions, democracy, institutional reform, and psychospiritual approaches to conflict.

Colina earned her master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston in Conflict Resolution, where she undertook classes in negotiation, mediation, and other relevant topics. Her master’s thesis is titled: Burundi: The Role of Collective Memories in the Hutu-Tutsi Conflict. She is also a linguaphile, fluent in French, and conversant in Icelandic.

Laura Nestler is the VP of Community at Reddit where she leads the Community Operations team and is responsible for driving Reddit’s international community strategy and development, and growing the team into a global organization. Laura is a global leader with a 15-year track record of building strategic, high-impact teams and scalable community systems at growth-stage startups. Nestler joined Reddit from Duolingo, where she served as Global Head of Community, working across product, marketing, and strategy to develop vibrant and authentic community products and programs. Prior to Duolingo, Nestler spent nine years at Yelp, where she was instrumental in crafting the original community growth playbook before moving to London (UK) and Sydney (AUS) for seven years to drive Yelp’s international expansion.