Emerge
Reclaim your life
Six trauma-informed apps that help survivors protect proof, rebuild independence, and find a way forward.
Let's Trade · Life File · Path · Her Circle · Her Vault · Her Advocate
Leaving is dangerous
so is staying
Abusers frequently sabotage their victims' lives to maintain control. They often use well-honed abuse tactics, such as DARVO and reactive behaviors, to undermine the victim's credibility and hide the patterns of abuse. Many victims are isolated by abusers and abandoned by professionals with no real experts in their corner. Evidence is destroyed, money is stolen, and communications are compromised.
Money & independence
Financial abuse leaves people with skills but no cash, and no safe way to trade them.
Documents & identity
IDs, custody papers, and leases are often withheld or destroyed.
Being believed
Coercive control is a pattern over time — hard to prove, easy to dismiss.
Reactive abuse & DARVO
A survivor's reaction gets turned around as "proof" they're the abuser.
Safety & surveillance
Phones and accounts are monitored; a single visible app can mean danger.
Knowing where to turn
Under stress, the system is a maze — and there's no clear first step.
Millions in need
Emerge: a quiet way to get help
Domestic violence, financial abuse, coercion, and human trafficking share a common architecture of control. Legal systems often fail isolated victims and survivors. The research shaped every design decision.
of domestic violence cases include financial abuse
Abusers control or destroy access to money, credit, and employment — making leaving feel economically impossible. Financial control is the most common form of intimate partner abuse, and the least visible. Survivors often have skills but no safe way to exchange them for what they need.
Let's Trade: trade skills for resources — no bank account needed National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)people in forced labor worldwide — the largest category of modern slavery
Traffickers and domestic abusers use identical tactics: confiscated identity documents, financial restriction, and isolation. Without an ID, a passport, or a lease, survivors can't open accounts, access benefits, or prove what was taken from them. Document confiscation is a documented primary control mechanism in both trafficking and intimate partner violence cases.
Life File: encrypted digital copies of ID, evidence & legal documents — timestamped and sealed International Labour Organization, 2022 · Polaris Projectwomen experience severe intimate partner violence in their lifetime
10 million people in the US experience domestic violence each year — more than are diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer combined. Coercive control is present in nearly every case, often long before physical violence, and is the hardest pattern to document and prove in court.
Path: reads the Life File to surface a dated timeline — and one clear next step CDC NISVS · NNEDVof DV programs have worked with survivors whose abuser used technology to monitor or harass them
Phones, shared accounts, and location features become surveillance tools. A single visible app — or an unexpected notification on the lock screen — can mean danger. The device that could save someone is the same device that may be watched. This is true for trafficking survivors too: digital control and location tracking are standard tactics.
Disguise screen · quick exit · duress PIN · silenced notifications — built into all six apps NNEDV Safety Net Technology Safetyof employed survivors are harassed by their abuser at work
Abusers call the workplace, show up, damage uniforms, disable transport, or sabotage childcare on purpose. Employment sabotage is a documented control tactic — designed to sever income, independence, and credibility. 96% of employed DV victims experience some form of work disruption. 78% report that their abuser directly tried to prevent them from finding or keeping a job.
Her Vault: documents control patterns as timestamped evidence — Her Circle: employment advocacy Family Violence Prevention Fund · American Institute on Domestic Violence · NNEDVof DV survivors lose at least one job because of the abuse
8 million paid work days are lost in the US to intimate partner violence every year — the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs vanishing annually. Survivors who stay employed work 10% fewer hours, earn 88¢ less per hour, and miss an average of 10.8 days per year. 18% are directly passed over for a promotion or raise as a result of abuse-related absence.
Let's Trade: trade skills for what you need — no job, no bank account required IWPR, 2020 · CDC / American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2018of DV victims become homeless at some point — and leaving is the most dangerous moment
Domestic violence is the third leading cause of family homelessness in the US. 75% of DV-related homicides happen after the survivor leaves. Between 22–57% of homeless women say domestic violence was the immediate cause of their homelessness. In 2022, 84.5% of housing requests from DV survivors through The Hotline went unmet.
Path + Her Circle: one clear next step, verified shelters, advocates, and legal aid — right here NNEDV · National Domestic Violence Hotline, 2022 · National Coalition Against Domestic Violencelifetime economic burden of intimate partner violence across all US adult victims
That's $103,767 per female survivor and $23,414 per male survivor over a lifetime — $2.1 trillion in medical costs, $1.3 trillion in lost productivity, and $73 billion in criminal justice spending. The US government spends an additional $55 billion every year managing the consequences of children's exposure to domestic violence alone.
Emerge addresses the root causes — financial, legal, evidentiary, and social — that make the cycle so expensive to break CDC / American Journal of Preventive Medicine (Peterson et al.), 2018 · Case Western Reserve University (Holmes et al.), 2018Safety, dignity
Evidence-backed
Personalized support to help victims from all backgrounds regain autonomy.
Decoy home screens and one-tap exits.
User controls how data is shared.
Actionable, realistic safety plans and information.
No jargon, just support.
Accessibility-first designs.
Online skill trading and secure meetups.
Grounded in guidance from NNEDV Safety Net, Cornell's Clinic to End Tech Abuse, WomensLaw, and trauma-informed design research. See the project's research brief for citations.
Six quiet tools,
one clear direction
Connect to life-sustaining assistance, identify abuse patterns, collect evidence, and navigate with clarity.
Let's Trade
Skills for services rendered.Stability — no bank account needed.
Life File
Automated, secure document management.The evidence hub. Everything else connects here.
Path
Personalized justice system support.Reads Life File. One calm action at a time.
Her Circle
Safe, vetted community support systems.Official community resources. No cold calls.
Her Vault
Financial tools for victims of abuse.Spots patterns. Insurance education. Sends to Life File.
Her Advocate
AI mediator trained to amplify her voice.Reads all Emerge data. Interviews officers on her behalf.
Disguise screen · quick exit · duress PIN · no live location · honest by design
App one
Let's Trade
Trade skills, not cash, for services rendered.
Skills are valuable
Connect with lawyers, cyber experts, and other professionals willing to assist for a fair trade.
- Cash-free skill bartering answers financial controlSource: economic-abuse & barter-model research
- Disguised weather home screen + duress PINSource: NNEDV / Aspire disguise pattern
- Verified helpers & private contact until you choose to meet
- Crisis hotlines one tap away, tucked behind Quick exit
- No name required to start; you control visibility
- SNAP-eligible goods accepted; sliding scale by experience for uneven trades
Financial abuse affects 99% of DV cases and is a primary control tactic in labor trafficking. Debt bondage keeps people trapped without money to leave. Let's Trade gives survivors an alternative economy: skills exchanged peer-to-peer, no abuser-controlled account required. NNEDV · Polaris Project
Welcome back.
You decide what to share, and with whom.
Wants: childcareVerified
Wants: meals
Wants: cookingVerified
"Your skills have real value. Share what you'd like to trade."Offer screen — affirming, never charitable
"Nothing is sent until you tap Send. You can undo any time."Propose-a-trade — agency & reversibility
"Your contact details stay hidden until you both agree to meet."Privacy stated plainly, up front
"We can't hide this app from a monitored device."Honesty over false reassurance
App two
Life File
Automated, secure document management.
Your files
Everything in one safe place. Only you hold the key.
Found in "Custody order.pdf."
Proof with AI assist
Scan documents once. Automate organization. Deadlines and tasks become appointment reminders and to-do lists.
- Auto-scans for key dates — court dates, bills, appointmentsLowers cognitive load under stress
- Dated, sealed evidence log builds a patternSource: coercive-control documentation guidance
- Strips hidden location data before sharing; keeps it sealed for courtSource: EXIF/chain-of-custody research
- Topic folders for identity, legal, bills, housing, health
- Encrypted, local-first; cloud backup is opt-in
- Email or text documents directly to Life File — private address and number; auto-sorted and auto-converted to PDFZero-friction intake; sender info never stored
Document confiscation is a documented primary control tactic in both domestic violence and human trafficking. Coercive control cases depend on a pattern of evidence over time, not a single incident. Life File's dated, sealed evidence log is designed specifically for how courts evaluate these cases. Polaris Project · Cornell Clinic to End Tech Abuse
"We read it once, on your device, to find the dates that matter."Doc detail — transparent about scanning
"Patterns are easier to see — and harder to dismiss — when they're in order."Evidence log — names the 'why' gently
"Voice notes can be read aloud later, so you never have to re-read a hard moment."Add screen — trauma-aware
"Nothing leaves your device. You can delete it any time."Save — control & reversibility
"Get a private address — forward anything, and we’ll sort and file it for you."Add screen — email & text intake, zero friction
App three
Path
Personalized justice system support.
One step at a time
Short, calm checklists that help connect victims to verified advocates, resources, shelters, and legal aid.
- Reads the Life File with consent to tailor stepsChoice & control, always reversible
- One clear next step instead of an overwhelming listReduces cognitive load under trauma
- Surfaces the dated timeline to counter DARVOSource: reactive-abuse / DARVO research
- Verified advocates, shelters, legal aid & funds
- Sealed sharing to a lawyer or advocate, location data removed
10 million people in the US experience domestic violence each year. DARVO means a survivor's own documented reaction can be weaponized against them without a clear, dated timeline. Path surfaces that timeline from the Life File and offers one clear next step — matched to verified local advocates, shelters, legal aid, and emergency funds. NNEDV · CDC NISVS
Where you are today
There's no wrong place to start.
Found in Life File
Before June 8
Via Let's Trade
"You don't have to know the whole way. Just the next step."Decoy quote — sets the tone
"There's no wrong place to start. Path meets you here."Home — removes pressure
"Path gives information, not legal advice. You're always in charge."Plan — honest scope, agency
"Before anything is sent, Path shows you exactly what they'll see."Share — no surprises
App four
Her Circle
Safe, vetted community support systems.
Build real connections
Connect to resources vetted by official DV organizations, legal aid, and verified national programs.
- Official-only network — resources must be recommended by a certified partner to appearSource: NNEDV trust & safety criteria
- Local, state & federal tiers — filters to the right jurisdiction automatically
- Safe warm handoffs — no cold contact info until she chooses; appointments set through the app
- Anonymous browsing — no name or account required to search
- Check-in reminders — confirms she arrived safely; notifies her advocate if missed
- Saves to Life File — intake documents, referral notes, and contact logs stored automatically
Survivors seeking help are uniquely vulnerable to predatory actors who present as helpers. A single bad referral can endanger her. Her Circle's official-partner-only model closes that gap — every resource traces to a certified organization. NNEDV · Futures Without Violence
Support near you
Every resource here is officially vetted.
0.8 mi · Vetted by DV Coalition
FreeEmergency housingVirtual · Vetted by State Bar
Protective ordersImmigration"You don't have to call anyone cold. Every contact here came through an official partner."Home — establishes safety before she browses
"She can see your request before she calls. You choose what to share."Appointment screen — consent in the warm handoff
App five
Her Vault
Financial tools for victims of abuse.
Financial safety
Patterns don't lie. Let's look at yours.
5 types that may protect you
CyberIdentityPersonal propertyRecognize financial abuse
Identify financial abuse in receipts and account restrictions over time. Everything is evidence.
- Abuse-pattern detection — flags repeat purchases, device replacements, unexplained lossesSource: NNEDV economic abuse research
- Insurance education — explains 5 types: renters/homeowners, cyber, identity protection, personal property, equipment breakdownPolicies survivors routinely miss
- Claim documentation wizard — photographs receipts, logs damage, routes records to Life File
- Safe account setup — no-fee banking options and DV address-protection programs (Varo, Chime)
- Sends findings to Life File & Path — financial abuse becomes legal evidence
Financial abuse is present in 99% of DV cases. Debt bondage, forced insurance fraud, and controlled accounts strip survivors of the resources to leave. Her Vault names the pattern, documents it for court, and surfaces the financial protections often already available. NNEDV · Allstate Foundation
"Replacing a phone once is a necessity. Three times in two months is a pattern. We'll help you see it — and document it."Trend alert — names abuse without accusation
"You may be covered and not even know it. Five minutes with your policy could change what you're owed."Insurance education — empowers, doesn't overwhelm
App six
Her Advocate
AI mediator trained to amplify her voice.
Her story
On the record
Select, merge, and share Emerge app files. The personalized AI assistant is trained to speak to law enforcement, abuse advocates, and legal services on victims' behalf.
- Consent-based & user-controlled — she activates it and can stop it at any time
- Reads the full Emerge suite — evidence, financial patterns, dated timeline, and Path's next steps
- Police interview mode — officers speak directly to the app; it responds using her verified factsSource: IACP DV response protocol
- Sealed transcript — always locked — recorded and sealed from the first word; never editable at any point, not even before saving; stays local until she chooses to share it
- Post-interaction record — case number, officer's stated next steps, follow-up reminders
- Emergency override — "I need help now" bypasses interview mode and calls 911 with consent-based location
DV survivors are frequently disbelieved, blamed for inconsistent testimony, or retraumatized during police contact. Her Advocate gives officers facts from verified sources — without making the survivor relive every detail aloud. The live transcript creates an immediate, immutable record for both sides. IACP · NNEDV Safety Net
Live Mode · Speaking with police
Active with your consent. Stop at any time.
"When did the most recent incident occur?"
"Per Life File, the June 4th incident began at 11:47 PM. A timestamped photo and audio note are sealed in evidence."
"You have the right to be understood. Her Advocate speaks to officers so you don't have to do it alone."Activation — establishes what the app is for
"After every interaction, you have a record: what was said, what comes next, and who's responsible for each step."Post-interaction — gives her control of the record
Partners we'd pursue
Working with the right people makes a big difference. Here's who we'd hope to bring to the table, and why.
These are illustrative partnership concepts — not current, promised, or requested relationships. Emerge is an independent project in development and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or integrated with any company or organization named below. Every integration described here is a proposal only. Third-party names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and appear here for identification and illustration.
Safety & Advocacy
Proton
Proton was started in 2014 by scientists who met at CERN and shared a vision of an internet that defends freedom and puts people first. Transparency, open-source software, and rigorous encryption have earned Proton millions of users — and the recommendation of the United Nations.
Cape
Cape was founded by privacy-first innovators with deep expertise in security, telecom, and technology. Their journey began with the idea that you can stay connected without ever compromising your privacy.
BOXX Cyber Insurance
BOXX provides personal cyber insurance that covers stalkerware, identity theft, and device compromise — risks that disproportionately affect survivors of abuse. A BOXX partnership brings insurance-backed digital safety into Her Vault's protection layer, turning documented incidents into supported claims.
LegalShield
LegalShield gives members on-demand access to licensed attorneys across all 50 states for a flat monthly fee. Integrated with Path and Her Advocate, it could remove cost as a barrier to legal consultation — connecting survivors to counsel without retainers or uncertainty.
IACP — International Association of Chiefs of Police
Their official DV-response guidelines could help shape Her Advocate's officer-interview protocol. A partnership could align the interaction model with recognized guidance — giving officers more confidence in the tool.
WomensLaw.org
Jurisdiction-specific legal information could power Path and Her Advocate. Their court-by-court DV resource database could anchor Her Circle's legal tier at state and local levels. Already trusted by millions of survivors.
Technology
Apple
App Store Health & Safety guidelines, Apple Safety Check (iOS 16+), and hardware-level Secure Enclave could support Life File encryption. Apple's existing DV-safety tooling could complement an app like Emerge.
Android Digital Safety features, Google One safekeeping, and Google.org nonprofit grant programs. The Google Maps SDK could power Her Circle's location-based resource finder.
Telecom
Verizon / AT&T / T-Mobile
Emergency data plans for survivors without service. Carrier-level blocking of location-sharing to abusers. Device-protection-plan documentation could route through Her Vault. All three carriers run their own DV survivor programs that a partnership could build on.
Transportation & Housing
Lyft / Uber
Discounted or sponsored safe rides to shelters and appointments could be bookable directly from Her Circle. Their existing safety features — Trusted Contacts, discreet pickups — align closely with Emerge's privacy model.
Airbnb Open Homes
Airbnb reports that 75,000+ DV families have used Open Homes for emergency shelter. Integrating this verified network into Her Circle's housing tier could remove the unsafe step of a cold web search.
Financial Services
State Farm / Lemonade / Allstate
Insurance education content and claim templates for Her Vault's five protection types. Claim documentation could route directly to Life File. The Allstate Foundation funds DV survivor economic-empowerment programs — work a partnership could help extend.
Experian / LifeLock / Aura
Identity-protection dashboard, one-tap credit freeze, and dark-web monitoring alerts could be built into Her Vault. Financial-abuse documentation could feed into identity-recovery workflows — turning evidence into action.
Varo / Chime
No-fee, no-minimum accounts for financial independence. DV address-confidentiality banking and direct deposit without a shared address. Her Vault's safe-account setup wizard walks survivors through the process step by step.
Legal & Justice
VINELink
Offender custody-status alerts and court-date notifications could sync automatically to Life File. Custody-status changes are high-risk moments — surfacing them instantly in Path and Her Advocate could be life-saving.
LegalZoom
Pro bono legal templates — protective orders, custody, immigration — could be accessible directly from Path, with document generation for Life File. Self-help legal pathways reduce the barrier to formal legal protection for survivors with no attorney.
Six apps: one protective layer
The same safety model runs through every app, so the experience is predictable, and the protection is consistent.
Each app opens as a believable weather page. A private PIN reveals the real app.
A second code opens an empty version, not the real one.
A button — and a double-Esc — leave instantly for a neutral site.
Notifications say only "Reminder"; nothing sensitive on the lock screen.
Off by default. We ask, every time, before using location.
We never claim to be untraceable, and we link to real safety planning.
Built to reduce panic in a crisis
Plus Jakarta Sans
A geometric humanist typeface — clean, warm, and legible at every size. Single-font system for simplicity and speed.
Read-aloud
Voice support relieves the pressure to read — vital for low-literacy and ESL users.
Keyboard & screen reader
Full operability, visible focus, and meaningful labels throughout.
Reduced motion
Honors the system setting — the butterfly rests, nothing flickers.
Multilingual-ready
Plain language structured for translation from day one.
Big, calm targets
Generous spacing and one clear action per screen.
Quiet and warm, not clinical
An earthy palette and the clean warmth of Plus Jakarta Sans signal calm and care. The butterfly — transformation and safe passage — is the throughline on every page, on every screen.
PaletteHer Circle
Her Vault
Her Advocate
The butterfly appears once on every screen — a small, steady sign that change is possible.
I design content for complex, regulated products — and the most important words are the ones a person reads on their worst day. This suite is my answer to a simple question: what would it look like if safety, dignity, and clarity were the defaults, not the afterthoughts?
Six apps, one design system, one promise — you stay in control.
— Ella Scott, Product & Content Design
Try the prototypes
Each opens on a weather decoy. Choose "Notes," then explore — and press Esc twice any time to leave.
Let's Trade Life File Path Her Circle Her Vault Her Advocate