Dear Katie: Survivor Stories

S9E3 Minor Victim #1 in Jeffrey Epstein Case (Uploaded for Spotify)

Desensitized to sexualization, young Marina is dazzled by Jeffrey Epstein's collection of Victoria's Secret Bottles and models for him, topless. Later testifying as Minor Victim #1 in the case against him, she shares a journey of exploitation, survival, escape, and ultimately, healing. 

Marina is a girl from Brazil who survived abuse and is now determined to make a change. She uses her voice to help other women break their silence because she knows how powerful speaking out can be. Her hope is that by sharing her story, she inspires others to stand tall, so we can build a future where no one stays silent.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S9E3 Minor Victim #1 in Jeffrey Epstein Case

Desensitized to sexualization, young Marina is dazzled by Jeffrey Epstein's collection of Victoria's Secret Bottles and models for him, topless. Later testifying as Minor Victim #1 in the case against him, she shares a journey of exploitation, survival, escape, and ultimately, healing. 

Marina is a girl from Brazil who survived abuse and is now determined to make a change. She uses her voice to help other women break their silence because she knows how powerful speaking out can be. Her hope is that by sharing her story, she inspires others to stand tall, so we can build a future where no one stays silent.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Re:Wind to Re:Process Track S6E15 Splitting the Law

Find new insights from our incredible guest, Rachael Denhollander. 

"How much is a little girl worth?"

Guided by a strong sense of justice since she was young, Rachael decided at ten that she wanted to be an attorney. However, her experience reporting abuse in her church comes with a terrible lesson: don't report unless you can prove it. Taking this to heart, when her gymnastics coach Larry Nassar sexually assaults her, she stays silent. 

16 years later, supported by investigative journalists and public outrage, she reports her abuse, becoming the first whistleblower and rallying an army of survivors to bring Larry Nassar to justice. Today, Rachael Denhollander speaks across the country to make change in institutions ranging from the government to religious organizations, pursuing survivor healing and institutional transformation. 

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Benter Oluoch

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S9E2 Back Seat of a Taxi in South Africa (Uploaded for Spotify)

Living amongst a backdrop of great racial upheaval in South Africa, Nonku is brutally attacked in the backseat of a taxi and left for dead. Sharing lessons about survivorship and joy, she brings laughter and light into a story of overcoming violence and triumphing against all odds. 

Nonku Shuping is an author and the founder of The Love Centre and Radiant Community nonprofit organizations. Beyond her writing, Nonku is a dynamic facilitator and speaker. She offers power-skills training, workshops, and keynote engagements designed to equip individuals and communities with tools for resilience. 

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S9E2 Back Seat of a Taxi in South Africa

Living amongst a backdrop of great racial upheaval in South Africa, Nonku is brutally attacked in the backseat of a taxi and left for dead. Sharing lessons about survivorship and joy, she brings laughter and light into a story of overcoming violence and triumphing against all odds. 

Nonku Shuping is an author and the founder of The Love Centre and Radiant Community nonprofit organizations. Beyond her writing, Nonku is a dynamic facilitator and speaker. She offers power-skills training, workshops, and keynote engagements designed to equip individuals and communities with tools for resilience. 

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S9E1 Harvard Grad on a 10 Mile Hike in Northern Ireland Part 1 (Uploaded for Spotify)

Dr. Winnie M Li is an author, activist, and educator. A former filmmaker, Winnie’s life and career trajectory were severely disrupted at the age of 29, when she became the victim of a violent stranger rape in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her debut novel Dark Chapter (2017) is a fictional re-imagining of that assault and its aftermath, from the perspectives of both victim and perpetrator. Her subsequent novels Complicit (2022) and What We Left Unsaid (2025) also address the legacy of trauma, in workplaces and in families.  Winnie’s doctoral research at the London School of Economics explored the emotional labour of ‘public’ rape survivors, and she is now an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham in the UK.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S9E1 Harvard Grad on a 10 Mile Hike in Northern Ireland Part 1

Dr. Winnie M Li is an author, activist, and educator. A former filmmaker, Winnie’s life and career trajectory were severely disrupted at the age of 29, when she became the victim of a violent stranger rape in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her debut novel Dark Chapter (2017) is a fictional re-imagining of that assault and its aftermath, from the perspectives of both victim and perpetrator. Her subsequent novels Complicit (2022) and What We Left Unsaid (2025) also address the legacy of trauma, in workplaces and in families.  Winnie’s doctoral research at the London School of Economics explored the emotional labour of ‘public’ rape survivors, and she is now an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham in the UK.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S8E25 Meet the Founder of RAINN: Scott Berkowitz (Uploaded for Spotify)

'There are people who want to create change, and there are people who don't want to create change.'

This week, we are joined by the incredible Scott Berkowitz for an engaging and timely conversation on sexual violence advocacy. Listen in as Scott and Katie discuss the formative moments of over 30 years of activism, current resources available to survivors, and visions for hope. 

Scott Berkowitz is the founder and president of RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. Under his leadership, RAINN has become a transformative national force; the organization has supported more than 5 million survivors and their loved ones since its start in 1994, and helped pass legislation that has taken thousands of rapists off the streets and prevented countless rapes. RAINN is dedicated to stopping sexual violence by supporting survivors, holding perpetrators accountable, and creating safer communities. 

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S8E25 Meet the Founder of RAINN: Scott Berkowitz

'There are people who want to create change, and there are people who don't want to create change.'

This week, we are joined by the incredible Scott Berkowitz for an engaging and timely conversation on sexual violence advocacy. Listen in as Scott and Katie discuss the formative moments of over 30 years of activism, current resources available to survivors, and visions for hope. 

Scott Berkowitz is the founder and president of RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. Under his leadership, RAINN has become a transformative national force; the organization has supported more than 5 million survivors and their loved ones since its start in 1994, and helped pass legislation that has taken thousands of rapists off the streets and prevented countless rapes. RAINN is dedicated to stopping sexual violence by supporting survivors, holding perpetrators accountable, and creating safer communities. 

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S8E24 8 Years of Emails with My Perpetrator (Uploaded for Spotify)

Thordis Elva is a writer, speaker, and activist from Iceland who specializes in violence prevention and has shaped national and international policy on digital rights and gender equality. In 2017, she gained worldwide recognition for her book South of Forgiveness, a memoir about her sexual assault and subsequent journey to healing in which Thordis collaborated with her perpetrator, making her the first rape survivor in the world to publicly do so. It has since been published across four continents, with the accompanying TED talk having been viewed over 10 million times.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Image Credit: Eva Schram