From Survivor, to Researcher, to Steward
March 12, 2026
12:30 to 1:45 p.m.
CASE E330, University of Colorado Boulder
Lunch provided for registered guests.
In this talk, Dr. Kay will discuss how their own life's experience fueled their decades-long research on digital harm and how Blacksky Algorithms is taking what was once considered "me-search" and creating a safer internet rooted in self-determination and self-governance.
Dr. KáLyn “Kay” Coghill is a dynamic and award-winning educator, activist, and practitioner who is an outspoken advocate specializing in online gender-based violence, particularly digital misogynoir. They are currently the Community Safety and Support Steward for Blacksky Algorithms, providing content moderation, research, and trust and safety services. Blacksky Algorithms builds open-source, community-driven infrastructure for decentralized social media. With their extensive background in working with Black women and non-binary people to create innovative harm reduction tactics online to combat issues like misogynoir, they seek to work diligently as a trust and safety steward for Blacksky to help mitigate the harms of anti-black harassment and misogynoir. Dr. Coghill addresses pressing issues not only through their research but also through digital content creation on topics such as misogynoir, race, technology, and the nuances of gender-based violence in the digital realm, particularly on social media platforms. They have a passion for protecting Black womxn and girls and dedicate their work to doing just that. Their mission is to continue to build communities online that are safe for Black people across the globe while also finding ways to protect them from harm in the process.