Smita Sharma Keynote Presentation (Extended Version) | Foundry 2026
Smita Sharma Keynote Presentation (Extended Version) | Foundry 2026
in partnership with Photoville
- Inspiration and how it evolved.
- how she researched & planned her strategy
- how she gained access, worked with, and earned trust with victims, traffickers, non-profits, lawyers, police +
- ethical concerns re how she photographed victims, helped keep them anonymous within their communities
- stayed alive when surrounded by 200 mad people at one point & resulting ptsd & how she deals with it
- getting it out into the world including TED Talks including main stage (she was also a TED Fellow), speeches worldwide, and 37' banner Photoville Exhibit (which we made happen)
- get her project into a book and zine, done creatively with illustrations for what she couldn't photograph, explained simply re how victimization happens, how to report traffickers, etc
- and how she was able to impact the people affected working with social workers, police, taxi drivers, etc
- advice for students
- how she researched & planned her strategy
- how she gained access, worked with, and earned trust with victims, traffickers, non-profits, lawyers, police +
- ethical concerns re how she photographed victims, helped keep them anonymous within their communities
- stayed alive when surrounded by 200 mad people at one point & resulting ptsd & how she deals with it
- getting it out into the world including TED Talks including main stage (she was also a TED Fellow), speeches worldwide, and 37' banner Photoville Exhibit (which we made happen)
- get her project into a book and zine, done creatively with illustrations for what she couldn't photograph, explained simply re how victimization happens, how to report traffickers, etc
- and how she was able to impact the people affected working with social workers, police, taxi drivers, etc
- advice for students
Concepts
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