A letter from the founder

Hi! I’m Olivia DeRamus, founder of Communia. I created this app because I, like many women, didn’t want to go through life alone anymore. Tired of the barrage of #fakenews we’ve experienced these past few years, fed up with looking for resources only to come up empty, utterly done with the trolls, mansplaining, and harassment found on traditional social media channels and IRL, and ready for a better world – that hasn’t quite appeared yet.

When I was 19, I was sexually assaulted. Despite winning my case in a university tribunal, my attacker sued me in court for defamation, claiming millions of dollars in damages.

It took me years, and the majority of my adult life, to put a stop to the legal onslaught. Despite the fact that the truth was on my side, it wasn’t safe for me to tell people about what I was going through. Anyone I confided in could be dragged into the case. I was stuck in a situation where I couldn’t advocate for myself, and I couldn’t talk about my experience with others. I was firmly, and forcibly, put on mute.

While I had to accept that my story couldn’t be shared, I knew I didn’t have to accept the suppression of other women’s voices. I was silenced in many ways, but I did have the ability to create something that could empower other women. That something more helpful than what the male-dominated tech industry had created was necessary and possible with enough imagination. That something turned out to be Communia (originally called the Restless Network). What today has become a way for women and other marginalized genders everywhere to access what I wish I had back then: information, community support, and true connection – with ourselves, and others.

Yes, I was a victim. But you know what? Through that difficult time, I also had a lot of fun and adventure despite the trauma. Just because we sometimes have to face difficult things in our lives, doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for joy, dancing, and even ambition. So that’s Communia. We’re a safe space to talk about the difficult stuff, but we also encourage you to have fun, chase your dreams, chat about that first date you had, and find adventure. We’re bold, optimistic – and most importantly, here for you always. For me, finding joy was my ultimate rebellion. I hope with Communia you find yours, too.