Who we are
We fight extremism and create a safer society by working directly with ideologically motivated individuals. We don’t preach to the choir. Our knowledge is informed by thousands of individual cases across the spectrum from (violent) far-right to Islamist extremists. We accompany these individuals on their journey, letting go of hate and violence and embracing more democratic ways of thinking and acting. We know from experience that change is possible. Violence Prevention Network USA was founded in September 2022.
RESTORE is our inaugural pilot project in the United States. The training program was developed and is conducted by Violence Prevention Network’s experienced specialist practitioners in the prevention of violent extremism with decades of combined experience working with ideologically motivated individuals. RESTORE aims to connect powerful and trusted community leaders – social workers, school counselors, healthcare professionals, faith leaders, therapists, teachers and others – with evidence-based tools and methodologies for working with ideologically-motivated members of your communities.
Our approach is based on the work of Violence Prevention Network Germany. While there is no blueprint solution that can be applied everywhere, Violence Prevention Network Germany has more than 20 years of experience developing programs that address violent extremism at its root causes. Today Violence Prevention Network Germany is one of Europe’s largest civil society organizations working on preventing and countering violent extremism. Over 150 staff members work in 10 regional offices across Germany, which include researchers, practitioners and other trained specialists.
Our vision and mission
We are testing an innovative model that engages communities and influential figures in the lives of at-risk or already radicalized individuals. Our pilot project RESTORE seeks to demonstrate how a carefully selected, well-trained and 360°-supported team can prevent radicalization to violence in our communities.
We know change is possible. We’ve watched it happen in the lives of the thousands of individuals we’ve accompanied.
With the right support and focus on their needs and resources, radicalized individuals can change behaviors and mindsets and embrace more democratic and pluralistic ways of thinking and acting. Our motto best summarizes our unique, practice-oriented approach to preventing violent extremism.
We talk to extremists. Not about them.
We fight extremism and create a safer society by working directly with ideologically motivated individuals. Thus, we are precisely not preaching to the choir. Our knowledge is informed by thousands of individual cases across the spectrum from (violent) far-right to Islamist extremists. We accompany these individuals on their journey letting go of hate and violence and embrace more democratic ways of thinking and acting. We know from experience that change is possible.
Leadership
Judy Korn, Co-Founder
Judy Korn has been working in the prevention of extremism since the age of 15 and has more than 35 years of experience in deradicalization and reintegration of (violent) extremists. Twenty years ago, she founded Violence Prevention Network Germany, which is now the largest nonprofit organization in Europe dedicated to preventing and countering violent extremism, with over 150 staff. The success of the approaches developed by her organization has been made possible in large part by Judy Korn’s persistent advocacy of a collaborative approach. “Only the continuous exchange of knowledge and expertise between the professional groups involved enables us to keep adapting our approaches to the changing needs of the evolving extremist scenes,” is one of Judy Korn’s guiding principles. Because extremism is an international phenomenon involving transnational actors, Judy Korn supports international networks for collective action and support and is also frequently asked to advise ministries and institutions on the development and implementation of deradicalization and prevention approaches.
Contact: LinkedIn
Michèle Leaman, Co-Founder
Michèle Leaman draws on a decade worth of start-up, program design, and managerial experience, and 20 years of professional experience in for-profit, non-profit, and academic sectors in the US and Europe. In 2017, she co-founded modus|zad in Berlin: a new, social impact non-profit organization to counter the rapid evolution of extremism by better leveraging academic research and insights from business innovation practices. Under Michèle’s leadership the modus|zad team has grown to 17 staff members and Michèle continues in the role of managing director, overseeing organizational strategy, growth and operations. Previously, she designed and implemented an accreditation process for universities developing social innovation programs at Ashoka, the leading global organization for social entrepreneurship, headquartered in Washington, DC. There she advised dozens of institutions—ranging from Cornell and Brown University to Singapore Management University—across four continents.
Contact: LinkedIn
Julia Och, RESTORE Project Director
Julia Och currently serves as the RESTORE Project Director with Violence Prevention Network USA, Inc. (VPN USA). She has fifteen years of experience in cross-sector collaboration, strategic planning, and project management with nonprofit and philanthropic organizations in the Greater Pittsburgh region and beyond. Prior to joining VPN USA, Julia worked as the Director of Development Operations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. She also spent more than six years serving as the Project Manager for AIDS Free Pittsburgh, a collaborative public health movement to end HIV/AIDS as an epidemic in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Julia holds a bachelor’s degree in International Development and Social Change and a master’s degree in Community Development and Planning from Clark University.
Contact: LinkedIn
Please find our board members below.
A. Bruce Bowden, Board Chair
A. Bruce Bowden is a partner with Leech Tishman and a member of the Corporate Practice Group. He also serves as Co-Chair of Leech Tishman’s International Practice Group. Bruce is based in Leech Tishman’s Pittsburgh office, where he focuses his practice in the areas of M&A transactions, international, general corporate and corporate finance law. Practicing in the international arena since the early 1970s, Bruce has represented both overseas companies acquiring U.S. companies and U.S. investors in sales of U.S. interests to overseas companies. An active member of the Pittsburgh community, Bruce sits on a number of client and civic boards of directors and holds leadership positions and other offices in several community organizations.
Susan Nitzberg, Secretary
Susan Nitzberg holds degrees in public health and administration from Penn State University and University of Pittsburgh. Her work in the non-profit arena has been extensive. She served as President of the Persad Center, Child Health Association of Sewickley, Family Hospice and Palliative Care, and National Council of Jewish Women – Pittsburgh Section. She has also held Board leadership positions with The Union Aid Society, Sewickley Valley YMCA, and Beth Samuel Jewish Center. Her ability to create networks in the professional and community organizations were employed while she served as Associate Director of STANDING FIRM: The Business Case to End Partner Violence. In this capacity, she grew membership from 40 members to 400 over four years’ time, working with a diverse group of leaders from government, business, education, and nonprofit organizations. Through the years, Susan has acquired skills in Board governance, fundraising, strategic planning and networking.
Robert Örell, Board Member
Robert Örell works as an independent senior consultant in the P/CVE field, specializing in capacity building and training. He has over two decades of experience working in the field of disengagement from violent political extremism and organized criminal gangs, assisting clients’ rehabilitation and reintegration. For ten years he worked as the director of Exit Sweden. In 2010 he set up the sister program Passus supporting disengagement from organized criminal gangs. From 2017 to 2020 he was the director of Exit USA at Life After Hate. In 2021-2022 Robert had the position as the technical lead advisor for setting up a mentorship program for released terrorist offenders in Kazakhstan. As an advisor, he consults on program design and program development. He has recently been working with setting up exit programs, advising on policy guidelines and recommendations, and online counselling. Since 2011, Robert is a member of the steering committee of the European Commission’s Radicalization Awareness Network (RAN), where he also co-chairs the working group RAN Rehabilitation.
Contact: LinkedIn
Lisbet Portman, Board Member
Lisbet Portman is a cross-media communicator drawing on roots in education and the arts to achieve change. She is currently the Director of Fellow Search at Ashoka US, where she identifies and supports social entrepreneurs working to solve our country’s most entrenched problems. Lisbet brings 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector working at intersections of mental health reform, education, and environmental justice. She is a mother, a musician, and happiest when in the woods.