forbes: “how mercedes molloy went from rape survivor to starting safe squad and making safety accessible to all”

4/20/22

“After a traumatic life event, Molloy has made it a personal mission to be a voice and provide a solution to alert mechanisms while in danger. Her goal is that the app will be a resource of armor among Generation Z, Millennials and individuals desiring peace of mind for dear family and friends. The young activist engages in conversations to bring about positive change from a place of service and progressing culture.”

forbes: “how mercedes molloy went from rape survivor to starting safe squad and making safety accessible to all”

1/25/21

“After years of going through this [trauma], I realized I had a choice: I could either let what happened define me and my self-worth, or I could help others who were unable to speak by telling my story, unashamed and encouraging others to remain persistent by recognizing that there should be no time frame or stipulations upon one’s healing journey.” - Mercedes Molloy.

INSTYLE: “Young People Aren’t Turning Out to Vote — but It’s Not Because They Don’t Care”

3/5/20

“Mercedes Molloy, 19, a student at The New School, had her mother mail her the absentee ballot after it was sent to her parents’ house. After informally polling her peers at school, she found a lot of her college classmates were registered, but they didn’t vote because their ballot wasn’t sent to their college address — it was sent home. The lack of guidance around absentee voting proves to be a “challenge for out of state students, specifically first-generation college students and first-time voters,” she said.”

elite daily: “12 Young Women Reflect On Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Legacy & How To Keep Fighting”

9/30/20

“I came to the realization I had the power to change my narrative and be empowered by helping others who were unable to speak out. For me, that was the best part of healing. I am proud to be a part of survivor-based advocacy, and I’m proud to contribute a solution for a better and safer world to honor her legacy. I created a mobile application called Safe Squad to help others. The app uses an automatic SOS messaging system to alert the user’s chosen emergency contacts with their location, so the next girl out there doesn’t have to say ‘me, too’.”

MISSION MAGAZINE: HOW IS TECHNOLOGY MAKING WOMEN SAFER?

“Like many advocates for the eradication of sexual violence, Molloy has endured a fair share of her own. Raped at 13 years old, at a time in which resources for survivors and more nuanced stories like those that came from the #MeToo movement in 2017 were harder to come by, she set her sights on creating a space for others like her. In her pursuit for peace of mind, Molloy did her research on other apps and online communities that purported to aid Gen Z and Millennial sexual abuse survivors. Many of them charged fees and weren’t intersectional in their approach. “

THE CRAMM: “Interview with Mercedes, the founder of Safe Squad!”

4/2020

“My advice to fellow young people who are looking to make an impact would be to pursue your goals with everything you have, show your passion to the public, and work towards spurring a positive chain reaction. March to the beat of your own drum, and forge your own path. You know who you are and what you're capable of, so don't let people stifle you or hold you back. Also, I acknowledge that creating change is no easy feat, so always be prepared. That means be proactive, do your homework, and clearly establish the message you wish to promote. Because you can't just talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk.”

YR MEDIA: “MEET MERCEDES MOLLOY, FOUNDER OF SAFE SQUAD MOBILE APP”

2/12/21

“Mercedes Molloy believes safety is a fundamental right and one that should be free. In the years after surviving a sexual assault when she was just 13, Molloy went looking for an app that could help her family and friends check her whereabouts and alert them if she was in danger. Instead, she was shocked to find most safety apps cost money to download or required paid subscriptions. At the age of 18, she dug into her own college savings to build Safe Squad, a free app that would be more inclusive.”

TEEN VOGUE: “Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 2021: The Young People Shaping Tomorrow”

12/14/21

“As a Mexican-American female, I have encountered many naysayers—those who told me there were things I was incapable of doing due to my gender and ethnicity,” Mercedes, now 21, tells Teen Vogue. “I created an… inclusive app for all demographics. My method was simple: Ignore these negative perceptions and fully pursue my passion for accessible safety.”

It’s the same advice she gives to fellow young people: “Follow your passion and spur a positive chain reaction.”” - Mercedes Molloy.

POPSUGAR: “A 19-Year-Old Survivor Created an App to Help People Who Have Experienced Trauma Feel Safe”

8/27/20

“She explained that coming forward with her story and developing the app was her way of taking back her life and changing her own narrative from one of anger and hurt to one of advocacy for survivors. So she delved into working on the app in 2018, after connecting with a mentor from her native Silicon Valley, and officially launched Safe Squad in the summer of 2019, with the help of her mentor and just a few high school and college interns.”

yahoo: “12 Women in Tech to Know in 2021”

12/18/20

“As a survivor of assault, Mercedes developed a solution that could empower others. ‘By creating a mobile application that provides user safety and peace of mind for their loved ones, the next girl out there does not have to say 'me too.' Because frankly, it's a club that no one should be a part of’.”

channel kindness: “Sexual Assault Survivor Creates App To Help Others”

10/2/20

“I am proud to be a part of survivor-based advocacy and contribute to a solution for a better and safer world both by sharing my story and creating a mobile application called Safe Squad. With no formal background in tech and survivor role models to look up to, I started out with a legal pad and a sharpie to achieve my goal prior to the Women’s March or #MeToo Movement. I sought to ensure that my app would address the personal safety of users and provide peace of mind for their loved ones via an automatic SOS messaging system that will alert the user’s chosen emergency contacts with their location. Through my app, I want to ensure that the next person out there does not have to say #metoo and join the club that no one wants to be a part of. For me, that was the best part of healing. In turn, I became the role model that I’d always hoped to see.”

POPSUGAR: “How to Seek Justice and Share Toyin Salau's Story on What Would Have Been Her 20th Birthday”

8/27/20

“Assaults like the one Salau experienced are, unfortunately, not uncommon. In fact, about 20 percent of Black women experience sexual violence in their lifetimes, according to the Institute For Women's Policy Research. In response, Mercedes Molloy — a 19-year-old sexual assault survivor — designed an app called Safe Squad that brings together a community of fellow survivors to look out for one another and prevent others from becoming a statistic. "Toyin's story serves as a greater call for action," Molloy told POPSUGAR. "There is a disproportionate effect [of sexual assault] on women of color, and we as a community need to work together to implement protective systems and resources, including Safe Squad, to fight these wrongdoings that Black women face on a daily basis."

THE TEMPEST: “Meet the woman who is creating safe spaces for everyone with her safety app”

7/7/20

“Molloy saw a chance for the potential for an app like Safe Squad to be developed after seeing more progressive changes in the tech industry in 2018. ‘I never realized the intersection of social justice and STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] before,’ Molloy said. ‘I learned how to code self-taught, really, through YouTube.’ Molloy cites having a mentor and a team of interns to help her push out a secure product.”

IGNITE: “Mercedes Molloy is an IGNITE Leader on Fire”

3/31/21

“I looked for support online for my own personal use and I came across some apps that were great in theory but not mutually inclusive. There was always a cost associated with them and I’m a college student so I really couldn’t see that as a sustainable model. I’m all about mutual inclusivity regardless of gender, identity, sexual orientation and socioeconomic background. I wanted to bring about a solution but I wasn’t sure how. 

So I started the creation process at the age of 13 and developed  the app during college. I would have never imagined it would have transformed into what it is now. It’s about the potential of even helping one person. Going from pen and paper to being available in over 20 countries is unbelievable. “