Michael Heyward wants the world to be a place where people can be share more openly with one another. So together with co-founder Brad Brooks, he created Whisper, an app for iOS and Android that lets users anonymously share their thoughts and feelings with the world around them.
We’re excited to announce that Heyward will be joining us on-stage at Disrupt NY 2014, where he’ll talk about the future of Whisper and other anonymous social sharing apps.
Heyward and Brooks created Whisper to give users a tool they can use to express things freely and openly, without having to worry about judgement from friends, family, or acquaintances. There’s still judgement, to be sure, but overall Whisper seems to generate much more positive support and encouragement for its users.
As the tool evolves, it could change the way news is spread, as it did when Whisper was the first to ‘report’ that actress Gwyneth Paltrow was having an affair.
Of course, the Whispers that users share usually contain private, sensitive information, and the app taps into its nonprofit arm Your Voice and partners to provide support when posters are deemed at-risk.
When someone posts something that indicates suicidal thoughts, for example, Whisper enters suicide prevention mode and attempts to provide the user with help. It’s just one of the many ways Heyward and his team are making Whisper the most widely used anonymous sharing app while recognizing the sensitive nature of the information that’s shared.
This will officially be Heyward’s first time on stage at Disrupt, though he is no stranger to the TechCrunch stage. Just a few days ago, he joined us for an interview at TechCrunch’s LA meetup and Pitch-Off.
Disrupt NY will take over the Manhattan Center in New York City on May 5-7. Tickets can be purchased here, and if you’re interested in being a sponsor, please contact our sponsorship team here.