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“You’re not alone and you have a story worth telling.”

-Rose

This Simple Truth About You Could Transform Your Life

Watch our founder Matt’s talk at TEDXEMORY

Be a voice.

Wear #TheStitch.

We believe that you possess infinite worth and bring truth, light, and value to the world when you speak from your heart.

We’re a nonprofit on a mission to conquer the stigma of child sexual abuse.

We accomplish this via

#TheStitch

The Stitch

Our Story

From age 6, our Founder, Matt, carried a heavy secret that deeply impacted his life. He was sexually abused by a trusted family friend and was terrified to tell his parents.

One in 4 girls and one in 6 boys will experience something similar
prior to their eighteenth birthday.  Most will never tell a soul.

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However, a few years back, Matt finally shared his story with his family, sought counseling, and realized his infinite worth.
It completely changed his life.

Why We Exist

Why We Exist

Child sexual abuse is a heavy, dreary issue.
Until this changes, the statistics will remain.

We’re moving child sexual abuse from a taboo issue to an inspiring cause that you can be excited to champion.

We accomplish this via The Stitch.

What is The Stitch?

The Stitch is a zigzag, physically symbolic of your
unique voice frequency.

By wearing it, you show support for people you love to share their stories.

Wear #TheStitch 

Counseling

Matt’s counselor changed his life.

Therefore, we make in-person, one-on-one counseling accessible for those personally affected by child sexual abuse anywhere in the US, regardless of financial means. To date, approximately 125 individuals in over thirty states have received counseling through our program.

Apply Confidentially

Counseling Application

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How it works

We are partnered with BPA Health to offer a world-class counseling program comprised of a nationwide network of highly credentialed and qualified professional counselors. This partnership makes it possible for anyone directly affected by child sexual abuse to access in-person, one-on-one counseling anywhere in the US.

For inquiries, please contact us at hello@speakyoursilence.org.

About Us

Speak Your Silence is a nonprofit on a mission to conquer the stigma of child sexual abuse. We accomplish this via The Stitch.

We were founded in late 2012 by Matt Pipkin who was sexually abused at age 6, who kept it secret for twenty years, and whose life was changed a few years back when he shared his story, sought counseling, and realized his worth.

We love people and we love what we do.

  • Matt Age 6
  • Matt Today

Our Team

Matt Pipkin

Founder/CEO

Matt Pipkin is the Founder and CEO of Speak Your Silence. He attended Purdue University, and additionally spent two terms abroad, attending American InterContinental University London and Dublin Institute of Technology. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Consumer and Family Science in 2007 from Purdue University.

Matt has enormous vision, thrives on challenge, and is a product of the recession, giving him a knack for making big impact using limited resources. He’s never met a stranger, is an engaging speaker and strategic thinker, and he demands excellence in the finest of details.

Matt and his spunky and supportive wife, Ashley, live in the heart of downtown Boise, Idaho. They have two kitties, Winnie Cooper and “the kitty” (because her official name – Betty White – just didn’t quite stick).

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Liz Thompson

Chair

Liz Thompson serves as the President and CEO for C-Change in Washington, D.C. and is passionate about working with the cancer community to increase funding for research, to create advocacy programs that will support quality care and to drive new models for innovative treatments.

Thompson’s career spans 29 years in health and medicine, in the for profit and nonprofit arenas where she has earned a reputation as a progressive advocate within the global cancer research community. Prior to joining C-Change, Thompson served as CEO of the Lymphoma Research Foundation. She also previously served as President of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, responsible for setting strategy and execution of the organization’s $450 million investment in global mission programs, spanning research, advocacy and policy, community health and education and global health. Thompson earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Dakota where she attended the Tom Brokaw School of Communications.

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Shannon Austin, MD

Secretary/Treasurer

Shannon Austin, M.D. FAAP, is a board certified pediatrician passionate about helping her patients and their families achieve strong foundations for their overall health and wellness. She has been practicing at Southwest Children’s Center in San Antonio, Texas since 2009. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at Trinity University and attended both medical school and residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Austin serves on the San Antonio Christian Medical and Dental Association Advisory Council. She is active in mentoring and supporting young doctors and dentists in training and organizing medical mission trips to underserved areas in South Texas.

Dr. Austin wears “The Stitch” every day on her stethoscope.

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RV Brinkerhoff

Member

RV is the owner and operator of Brinkerhoff Foundation Drilling, specializing in brokering the sales of heavy equipment, serving the foundation drilling and earth retention industry. He is a seasoned businessman, with years of experience in residential, commercial, and industrial development.

Speak Your Silence’s mission hits extremely close to the heart for RV and his wife, Amy. Their son, Cody, was sexually abused as a child, suffered in silence for twenty years, and in 2012, took his life.

Since losing Cody, RV and Amy have been major supporters of Speak Your Silence. To pay tribute to their son’s life and his powerful role in Speak Your Silence’s story, Cody Allyn Brinkerhoff will forever be recognized as the Honorary First Founding Member of The Loudspeaker.

RV and Amy live in Spring Branch, Texas. They have a whiffle-ball golf course on their property in the shape of The Stitch – a zigzag.

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Sarah Woodley

Sarah Woodley is CEO of BPA Health, a Boise, Idaho company offering behavioral healthcare services and employee assistance programs. For more than 40 years, BPA has combined expert healthcare practices along with real world solutions that have made organizations more effective, lives better, and communities stronger. Sarah joined BPA in 1996 and has worked in quality assurance, finance, contract services and clinical office management functions for the organization. Sarah received a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara (California) University in Spanish and Anthropology and studied at Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica.

Through its nationwide professional counselor network, BPA currently provides the counseling services offered by Speak Your Silence. Sarah believes deeply in the mission of Speak Your Silence and has tremendous respect for Matt and gratitude for his willingness to share his hope with the world.

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Jane Mosbacher Morris

Jane Mosbacher Morris is the Founder and CEO of TO THE MARKET | Survivor-made Goods, a social enterprise focused on the promotion of goods made by and stories told by survivors of conflict, abuse, and disease. She previously served as the Director of Humanitarian Action for the McCain Institute for International Leadership, where she managed the Institute’s anti-human trafficking program. She currently serves on the Institute’s Human Trafficking Advisory Council. Prior to joining the Institute, she worked in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and in the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues.

She has also worked at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and has served as an investment consultant to Barbara Corcoran of ABC’s Shark Tank. She has traveled, spoken, and written broadly on peace and security. She regularly blogs for the Huffington Post.

Mosbacher Morris has received numerous awards from the Department of State, as well as has been named one of the “Top 99 Under 33 Most Influential Young Professionals” by The Diplomatic Courier in 2011. She serves on the Advisory Boards of Afghanistan’s ARZU: Studio of Hope, Texas-based 360 DEGREES Vanishing, and wH20: The Journal on Gender and Water. She also serves on the Boards of Women LEAD and USA Cares. She is a proud mentor at the University of Kentucky’s Gatton School of Business’s Women Business Leaders. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a MBA from Columbia Business School. She is thrilled to be married to fellow entrepreneur, Nate Morris of Kentucky.

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Scott Lamm

Scott Lamm is the President of SC Lamm & Associates, Inc., a private investment and consulting firm. Formerly with Morgan Stanley, Scott has lectured globally since 2003 throughout North America, Europe, Asia & the Middle East, as well as Australia and New Zealand on both Real Estate and Global securities investment & risk management strategies.

Scott is a multi-disciplined professional, with broad expertise in nearly all aspects of real estate, management, mass audience communication, global financial markets, as well as internal and external training and coaching programs delivered across multiple direct to consumer channels. While Scott continues to lecture outside the USA nearly 30 weeks a year, his personal passions are deeply rooted in mentoring families, individuals & businesses through the process of identifying and implementing best practice methods to achieving dynamic and lasting Change, both personally & financially.

Scott also serves as an Advisory Board Member at Breathe Global & it’s Breathe LHC treatment facilities, one of the nations premier treatment providers. Breathe LHC treatment teams deliver 21st Century solutions to treat Drug + Alcohol Addiction, Binge Eating Disorders & Co-Occurring issues at their campuses in Gramercy Park (NYC), Laurel Canyon (LA) and Palmer Park (Detroit).

Scott has been married for 30+ years, has 3 adult children, 2 granddaughters & since 2007 has split his time between the USA and Australia.

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Justin Foster

Based in Austin, Texas, Justin (@fosterthinking) believes inside every organization and person is a truth waiting to be amplified. Along a journey that started on a cattle ranch in eastern Oregon to 49 states and 6 countries, Justin has worked with leaders of every sector and industry to discover their truth and convert it into vibrant, relevant brands. Co-founder of the branding firm root + river, Justin is a relentless and optimistic advocate for unleashing the power of truth and authenticity – and the systematic elimination of all that is boring and stale in organizations.

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Reid Young

Reid is the CEO of Fangamer, a gaming merchandise company based in Tucson, AZ. He dropped out of Purdue University’s engineering program and switched to Graphic Design partly to justify spending even more time making video game websites. In 2008 he co-founded Fangamer, selling shirts online and shipping them from his bedroom as the global economy crumbled.

Reid is an optimist who loves steady, small doses of chaos. He fears confrontation and tends to procrastinate, but he’s getting better.

Reid proposed to his wife Camille, an accomplished artist and sculptor, with a piece of copper wire. His newborn daughter refuses to laugh at his jokes, but his toddler has learned to occasionally offer a meager laugh in order to build the social capital necessary for extracting favors and sweets.

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Donate

100% funds counseling that is transforming lives.

Average Program Costs:

1 Counseling Session = $60 | 1 Entire Grant = $600

Funding Model

100% of public donations + profits from The Stitch fund our counseling program.

Our people and overhead are funded entirely by members of what we lovingly call The Loudspeaker. This exclusive membership-based group of private donors and partners invests in us personally so we can hire the most talented and passionate people, grow the reach and impact of The Stitch, have an office we call home, and always have fresh coffee (inspiration) brewing.

For general inquiries, please contact us at
hello@speakyoursilence.org

The Fam

Counseling

Changed our founder Matt’s life a few years back.

Matt’s Family

Helped him cover the cost when he could not have otherwise afforded it.

The Fam

A membership-based donor group made up of individuals with big hearts who invest in changing lives one conversation at a time, just like Matt’s family did.   In April of 2015, more than 50 people sat on a waitlist for counseling.  But since introducing The Fam, not a single person has had to wait!

Membership

$5+ per month.

I'd prefer to give upfront annually

$5 per month = 1 session funded per year

see the full list of founding members
The Loudspeaker

MEMBERS

  • Cody Allyn BrinkerhoffHonorary First Founding Member
  • Henry & Sarah Woodley
  • Sandi Obendorf
  • Kris & Mandy Haynes
  • Erika Greene
  • Becky Jackson
  • Scott & Shannon Austin
  • David & Carol-Beth Scott
  • Jamie Lovett
  • Lori Shelby
  • Ben & Paula Buckendorf
  • RV & Amy BrinkerhoffIn memory of their son, Cody Allyn Brinkerhoff
  • Matt & Alicia Ward
  • Josh & Rebekah Obendorf
  • Timothy & Jessie Bryant
  • Scott & Rochelle Lamm
  • Justin & Renae McCullough
  • Swede & Chris Siverson
  • Taylor Kalander
  • Dr. Mark & Lana Hollingshead
  • Garnet Reardon
  • Jim & Renee Thorpe
  • Chet & Suzi Pipkin
  • Reid & Camille Young
  • Liz Thompson
  • Carey & Daphne McNeal
  • Paul & Gabrielle Krake
  • Kirsten Forrest
  • Darcy & Bob Bingham
  • Crystal Jo Cochell & Collette Joy Larson Benson
  • Melanie Scott
  • Judy Bloomquist
  • Ron & Tracy Herzog

This amazing group of private donors have kept our lights on,
funded The Stitch, and multiplied our impact.
We dubbed them “The Loudspeaker”

Meet our Members, listed above (*30 Founding Members listed in orange).

Membership Commitment: Starting at $100+/month for 2 years

Membership Options Become a Member

The Loudspeaker Membership Form

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