Meet Sarah
Sarah Pierson (previously Sarah Beaulieu) is passionate about uncomfortable conversations, social impact and sexual violence prevention and response. Sarah’s book, Breaking the Silence Habit: A Practical Guide to Uncomfortable Conversations in the #MeToo Workplace, offers employees and managers a path forward to learn – and teach – the skills required for safe and respectful workplaces for people of all genders.
Sarah Pierson has written and spoken about sexual harassment and violence. Her work and expertise has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Boston Business Journal, Fox News, the Providence Journal, AskMen.com, Cognoscenti (WBUR), the Nonprofit Quarterly, Commonhealth (WBUR), Chronicle of Philanthropy, the Good Men Project, Huffington Post and the Stanford Social Innovation Review. She’s been a featured speaker at TEDxBeacon Street and the Business Innovation Factory Summit. Sarah enjoys engaging and training audiences at a wide variety of organizations ranging from start-ups to larger companies and from national conferences for fraternity members to members of the Junior League.
In 2017, Sarah founded The Uncomfortable Conversation, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to normalizing conversations about sexual violence, especially for young men. The Uncomfortable Conversation has produced 50+ short YouTube videos illustrating how men can support survivors, navigate consent, and address troubling ideas or behaviors among peers. The project has been featured in the Philadelphia Metro, WHYY, NY Observer, AskMenand FoxNews, and at events like the Independent Television Festival, Civic Series, Calling All Crows 10th Anniversary Event, and an interactive screening event at HBO.
In 2013, Pierson founded The Enliven Project, a campaign to bring sexual violence out of the closet and lift survivors to their full potential. The Enliven Project is grounded in the idea that change cannot take place unless we tell the truth about our lives, our organizations and our social movements. The Enliven Project was recognized as a 2013 Echoing Green finalist, selected as one of 39 finalists from over 3,000 applications. One of The Enliven Project’s graphics, The Truth About False Accusation, generated international discussion and debate, and has been re-blogged over 600,000 times and shared by celebrities like Demi Lovato on Instagram to over 30 million followers. The Enliven Project’s work has been referenced in numerous blogs and media sites, including The Guardian UK, Washington Post and Slate.
Sarah graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in women’s studies and religious studies, earned an M.B.A. from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and completed graduate coursework at the Boston University School of Social Work. Sarah served for five years on the board of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, one of the nation’s oldest rape crisis centers, where she started as a medical advocate and survivor speaker. She actively participates in the community as a volunteer and mentor.
Sarah lives in Boston, MA with her family.