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About Horizontal

Horizontal

Technology is not justice,
technology is not equity,
technology will not save us.
Technology can help us do our work in a more secure, inclusive, and hopefully egalitarian way.

Ken Montenegro
Horizontal
Horizontal
Horizontal
our story

20 years ago,

the internet was supposed to be a liberatory tool, one that would necessarily lead to more open and more just societies. But while the internet has connected us, amplified the voices of the most vulnerable, and helped build movements, it has also become a tool to survey, monitor, and repress. Horizontal was founded on the idea that it does not have to be this way–that technology can be empowering and freeing without threatening our basic rights to express ourselves, to document and share events around us, to organize and communicate freely and privately.

Horizontal works with human rights defenders and frontline activists in highly repressive environments–in places where dissent is a crime, where basic freedoms are routinely trampled on. But developing technology that is genuinely empowering is about more than tech, it's about who develops and how.

Our name “Horizontal” refers to our attempt to flatten the hierarchy, and blur the lines, between technologists and users. We develop with, not for at-risk users. And many Horizontal team members are themselves activists, actively taking part in defending rights and freedoms in our own communities.

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our values

horizontality

We strive for collective decision-making and collaboration rather than hierarchy and competition— both in our internal processes and in our work with our partners.

community

We engage directly with the communities we seek to serve, actively listen to their wants and needs, and work collaboratively with them to address those needs.

holism

We work to ensure that every facet of our work positively impacts our world. We think critically and intentionally about our social and environmental footprint, in both program design and internal operations.

open

We believe that sharing and collaboration are most effective to fulfill our mission. We support, advocate for, and develop tools and material that are open-source and free to reuse, modify and publish.

Values

meet our team

We are a team of designers, developers, data analysts, activists and creators. We are also writers, artists, parents, woodworkers, gamers and more. Located in seven countries, we are a fully remote and distributed team.

Tara

Tara

operations lead

Yann Chwen

Yann Chwen

designer

Juan

Juan

software engineer

Ahlem

Ahlem

software engineer

Raph

Raph

programs lead

Wafa

Wafa

software engineer

Gus

Gus

software engineer

Caro

Caro

product manager

Dhekra

Dhekra

software engineer

Tara

Tara (she/her)

Operations Lead
Humanitarian & Human Rights Defender, Proud Mama

Tara has over 10 years of experience working in the humanitarian and human rights sectors, including the ICRC and UN bodies, as well as small non-profits. When Tara finds free time outside of being a mama, she's an art & film enthusiast, and practices yoga. She also likes to make people laugh!

mapperFrance
social movementBLM, Free Palestine, Postcolonial Feminism, Woman Life Freedom
Yann Chwen

Yann Chwen (they/them)

Designer
Anti-capitalist who loves playing Monopoly

Yann Chwen came to UI/UX design by accident and is glad to get to support on-the-ground activists through tech. When they’re not squinting at Figma, they can often be found pandemic-stress-cooking and rolling around on the floor in “happy baby."

mapper Malaysia
social movementRacial justice, queer liberation, zero waste
Juan

Juan (he/him)

Software Engineer
Knows too much about Star Wars

Juan is a developer from Buenos Aires, Argentina with 5+ years of experience trying to make his work be meaningful for people. On the other end of his life, he likes to play the bass or go to see bands he doesn't know with friends.

mapperBuenos Aires, Argentina
social movementSocial justice, institutional violence
Ahlem

Ahlem (she/her)

Software Engineer
Her brain has too many tabs open

Ahlem is an IT enthusiast who loves digging through manuals in order to build or fix things. She has several years of experience as a developer and engineer in the mobile field and is always eager to learn new things. She joined Horizontal to make a difference through technology. She's a real dreamer as her name states. She also loves sarcasm and good humour. Her main objective is to make an impact and involve women in tech as much as possible.

mapperTunisia
social movementFeminism, Palestinian liberation
Raph

Raph (he/him)

Programs Lead
Always down for a chess game or a dance party

Raph likes to make stuff, experiment, and occasionally write. He’s always thinking about systems that are community-owned and controlled, and sometimes he tries to build them. He also spends a little too much time critiquing the UX of billion-dollar products.

mapper Los Angeles, United States
social movementCommunity alternatives to policing, free software, workplace democracy
Wafa

Wafa (she/her)

Software Engineer
Coding Mom, Crafting Futures

Proud mobile developer and devoted mom. Balancing the world of coding with the joys of motherhood, Wafa finds inspiration in crafting mobile apps that seamlessly blend innovation and practicality. Her days are a dance between debugging and bedtime stories, as she strives to create impactful digital experiences while nurturing the next generation.

mapperTunisia
social movementWomen in Tech, Digital Literacy for Children, Palestinian Liberation
Gus

Gus (he/him)

Software Engineer
Creative coder

Gustavo is a software engineer based in Buenos Aires, with a primary focus on web and iOS development. In his spare time, he usually makes electronic music or experiments with art and code.

mapperBuenos Aires, Argentina
social movementEnvironmentalism, immigration, social justice
Caro

Caro (she/her)

Product Manager
Fearless starter, with an occasional 'What have I done?'

With a background in software engineering, Caro worked in a variety of organizations, ranging from big corporations to local civil society groups, and from international organizations to Argentina's Government Open Data office. She co-founded Chicas en Tecnología to promote diversity in tech, and also authored a free and open book about scientists and technologists in her country. While she doesn't have a lot of free time - like most parents - she loves growing her own veggies on her balcony.

mapperBuenos Aires, Argentina
social movementFeminism, Ope Data, Digital Resilience
Dhekra

Dhekra (she/her)

Software Engineer
Nurtures a multitude of dreams

Dhekra is a passionate Software Engineer with big dreams. She thrives on ambition, channeling it into every aspect of her life. With a robust history as an iOS developer, she's forged an inseparable bond with the world of iOS development. Amidst lines of code, you'll find her seeking tranquility in the great outdoors.

mapperEdinburgh, Scotland / Tunisia
social movementPeace, Social justice, Free Palestine