Billie manages the Access Now Grants program, which supports civil society organizations and activists working to advance digital rights and human rights and protect users at risk around the world. She comes to Access Now from American Jewish World Service, where she supported grassroots organizations working for justice, equality and accountability in Asia. Previously she has worked with Ashoka in Washington, DC and has lived and volunteered in Thailand and Palestine. She holds a MA in International Development Studies from George Washington University and a BA in Anthropology from Boston University. She credits her time spent in Palestine, Sri Lanka and Burma/Myanmar for inspiring her commitment to the security of human rights activists under threat and her belief in the power of grassroots social movements.