- This event has passed.
SKILL UP – Sexual Consent & Tonic Immobility: When ‘No” Is Not An Option – Cassandra Smolcic
November 12, 2019 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Former Pixar employee turned #MeToo silence breaker discusses “tonic immobility;” an involuntary response that’s experienced by 70% of assault and rape victims. Advocating for a world with a healthy dynamic between the sexes, Cassandra Smolcic uses storytelling, role play, and scientific research to debunk common misconceptions around the topic of consent.
Once a Rust-Belt tomboy with an unlikely American dream, Cassandra worked as a competitive designer in San Francisco for 7 years (for clients like Pixar, Coca-Cola, Samsung, Amazon, and Google) before scrapping it all to pursue the life of a world-traveling freelancer, filmmaker and vocal advocate for social change. Last year, Cassandra wrote a #MeToo essay about her experiences with sexism, gender bias, and sexual abuse–both before and during her five years with Pixar. The article went viral, has been quoted by major news organizations around the world and has given her a platform as a #MeToo silence breaker. Cassandra’s writing about chronic pain, trauma recovery, holistic healing, and travel can be found on Medium, and you can follow her travel images on Instagram @cassandra.smolcic.