catherine
demesa


career interests

  • Trust & Safety

  • Governance, Risk + Compliance (GRC)

  • Open-Source Intel (OSINT)




more

about me


  • Social Media isn't going anywhere; it's often seen as a place where people are seen, used to vent and connect... The real challenge is consistently make it safe for people without stripping away the human aspects.

  • That's the work I care about.

  • I'm drawn to the messy aspects of Trust & Safety; the edge cases, the ambiguous decisions that aren't always clear-cut, and the new challenges I would face. I've worked at Blue Fever, MoxiesX, and now I spend time working at The Unsent Project and A Map of Us.

  • Still learning and adapting as the industry evolves, but one thing is clear. I want to build spaces that are thoughtful, safer, and a little more human.

projects

  • Blue Fever is an iOS App that originally started in the SMS Messaging Space, sending content to people to motivate them. The company aims to, "...Aims to provide a "big sister" support network for teens facing loneliness, anxiety, and low confidence."

  • I first joined the team in 2022 as a Technology and IT Intern, where I worked closely with the community and Trust & Safety teams to keep the space healthy and aligned with youth‑focused policies. I helped refine moderation workflows, responded to user concerns, and supported customer inquiries and data requests.

  • After my internship, I was invited to join the Junior Board, where I spent two years contributing to decisions around community health, product direction, and safety practices. I collaborated on shaping moderation guidelines, improving internal documentation, and ensuring processes reflected privacy expectations for a young audience.

  • Moxies is a digital platform created for preteen girls, built around safety, clarity, and age‑appropriate design. I joined the team in Summer 2025 to support policy, compliance, and Trust & Safety operations.. My work focused on strengthening the platform’s privacy foundation by updating and simplifying the Privacy Policy so parents and young users could understand how their data was handled. I ensured these updates aligned with COPPA, CCPA, and GDPR requirements, helping the team maintain a high standard of child‑focused compliance.

  • Beyond policy work, I contributed to improving internal AI and moderation tools to better identify risks.This included reviewing how the platform handled sensitive interactions, refining safety workflows, and tightening internal documentation so the team could respond consistently and effectively. My contributions helped reinforce Moxies as a space where young users could explore, learn, and connect with confidence.

  • The Unsent Project is a long‑running art and storytelling initiative created by artist Rora Blue to archive anonymous, unfiltered messages people never sent. The platform has grown into a massive collection of emotionally vulnerable submissions, many of which include sensitive or high‑risk content.

  • In my Contract Content Moderation role, I evaluated nuanced and emotionally complex content, identified policy violations, and made consistent enforcement decisions to maintain a safe and respectful environment. I also contributed to updating internal guidelines and privacy‑aligned practices so the platform could better support users while complying with international standards. When needed, I assisted with refining workflows and documentation to reduce risk and improve clarity for both users and internal teams.

  • A Map of Us is an interactive digital project created by Gabe Szeto that collects anonymous user reflections and places them on a shared, evolving map. Because the platform blends personal storytelling with public visibility, it requires thoughtful, privacy‑aligned moderation to keep the space safe and respectful.

  • In my role, I review user submissions, enforce community guidelines, and ensure the platform maintains strong privacy protections. I support compliance with major data‑protection frameworks such as GDPR and CCPA, and I help identify and mitigate risks related to sensitive content, user anonymity, and data handling.