Vita Activa

What Vita Activa does

Vita Activa is a US-incorporated nonprofit (Vita Activa Inc., founded 2019, 11-50 employees) operating a free, confidential, anonymous feminist peer-support helpline for journalists, activists, human rights defenders, women, and LGBTQ+ people facing online gender-based violence, burnout, trauma, and emotional crises. Its methodology integrates three disciplines: Psychological First Aid (immediate emotional containment), digital safety/autonomy guidance (response to technology-facilitated violence), and non-directive strategic accompaniment. Services are delivered via Signal, WhatsApp (+56 9 3291 9018), and email in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Arabic. Though legally domiciled in the US, operational signals (phone code, team) point to a Chile-/Latin America-centered base, with cumulative reach of 1,200+ people across 20+ countries since 2019.

The organization's product surface extends beyond the core helpline to: MDRnet (Media Resilience Network), a 2025 US-focused program for journalists and newsroom leaders; NINA (Nuestra Inteligencia No es Artificial), an AI-assisted conversational triage system for MDRnet first-contact intake; Tejiendo Fuerza community support groups; the annual VitaFest virtual festival; a multilingual Psychological First Aid Manual; and a curated digital-safety resource library. Vita Activa is not a SaaS platform but a direct-care service organization supported by lightweight technology and open methodologies, with a WCAG 2.2 AA-accessible website.

As a nonprofit, Vita Activa generates no commercial revenue; it is funded through grants, institutional/foundation funding, and donations, with all beneficiary services provided free of charge. Its 2025 launch of MDRnet was enabled by a Press Forward grant (~$500K, part of a broader $22.7M, 22-project initiative). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging feminist helpline ecosystems, international conferences (RightsCon, SXSW, International Journalism Festival), and a dense network of allied organizations (Access Now, IFEX, Coalition Against Online Violence, Digital Defenders Partnership). The team combines licensed psychologists and senior journalists, including co-founder and Executive Director Luisa Ortiz Pérez (Stanford JSK Fellow).

Name

Vita Activa

Legal name

Vita Activa Inc.

Website

https://vita-activa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vita Activa is a nonprofit feminist helpline providing free, confidential emotional support, psychological first aid, and digital-safety guidance to journalists, activists, human rights defenders, women, and LGBTQ+ people facing online gender-based violence and burnout across 20+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms (HLALAEAI), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Mental health helpline
• Peer support services
• Psychological first aid
• Digital safety support
• Community care

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grants and Institutional Funding: Vita Activa operates as a nonprofit and relies primarily on grants and institutional funding from foundations and donors. The organization has received funding from Press Forward to launch the MDRnet program for US journalists.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations to support its operations and programs, including the annual VitaFest festival.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vita Activa provides free, confidential, and anonymous peer-support mental health and digital safety services through a helpline accessible via Signal, WhatsApp, and email in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Arabic. The service integrates three disciplines: Psychological First Aid, digital autonomy guidance for technology-facilitated violence, and survivor-centered strategic accompaniment. The primary beneficiaries are journalists, activists, human rights defenders, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals facing stress, trauma, burnout, online gender-based violence, and emotional crises.

Product overview

Vita Activa operates as a feminist care organization offering a unified helpline service that combines emotional support, psychological first aid, digital safety guidance, and strategic accompaniment. The core offering is the anonymous helpline (available in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Arabic) which provides peer-to-peer support for journalists, activists, human rights defenders, women, and LGBTQ+ people. Supporting products include MDRnet, a US-specific program for journalists; NINA, an AI-assisted triage system for connecting users to appropriate care; the Resources platform featuring allied organizations and guides; the Psychological First Aid Manual; community support groups called Tejiendo Fuerza; and annual reports documenting organizational learning. The organization does not operate as a traditional SaaS platform but provides direct care services supported by technology tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MDRnet (Media Resilience Network): Program supporting journalists and newsroom leaders in the United States with emotional, mental and organizational wellbeing through confidential support, peer spaces and care-centered resources.
• NINA (Nuestra Inteligencia No es Artificial)
• Tejiendo Fuerza
• VitaFest

Products and services

• Vita Activa Helpline Free, confidential, and anonymous feminist helpline providing emotional support, psychological first aid, and digital safety assistance to journalists, activists, human rights defenders, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals facing online gender-based violence, stress, burnout, and emotional crises. Available in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Arabic via Signal, WhatsApp, and email.
• MDRnet (Media Resilience Network) Program of Vita Activa that strengthens the emotional, mental, and organizational wellbeing of journalists in the United States through confidential peer support, care-centered resources, and strategic guidance. Serves US-based journalists and newsroom leaders serving underserved communities.
• NINA (Nuestra Inteligencia No es Artificial) AI-assisted conversational triage system that serves as the initial entry point for MDRnet users, understanding their situations and orienting them toward appropriate support resources. Designed to facilitate timely access to human care efficiently without replacing human care providers.
• Tejiendo Fuerza Community Support Groups Community support groups providing confidential, anonymous, and communal spaces for feminist activists, cyberfeminists, journalists, communicators, and freedom of expression defenders to connect, share, and support each other.
• Psychological First Aid Manual Multilingual manual on psychological first aid developed by Vita Activa, available in multiple languages including Arabic, providing guidance for supporting people experiencing emotional distress, crisis, or overwhelming situations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,200+ people supported since 2019 across 20+ countries
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Digital Defenders PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Digital Defenders Partnership organized the Global Gathering of Feminist Helplines in Barcelona in December 2025, which Vita Activa participated in. The gathering consolidated strategic and affective learnings, reaffirming the importance of feminist accompaniment networks and collective responses to digital violence. Sessions were co-coordinated with partner organizations.
• Laboratorio Ciudadano HondurascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Co-coordinated the session 'Algoritmo Patriarcal: TFGBV Trends in the IA Era and Case Referral From AI Platforms' with Vita Activa at the Global Gathering of Feminist Helplines in Barcelona, December 2025.
• Purple CodecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Co-coordinated the session 'Caring for the Caregivers: Emotional Labour and Mental Health of Case Handlers' with Vita Activa at the Global Gathering of Feminist Helplines.
• Centro SOS Digital de Internet BoliviacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Co-coordinated the session 'Caring for the Caregivers: Emotional Labour and Mental Health of Case Handlers' with Vita Activa and Purple Code at the Global Gathering of Feminist Helplines.
• Access NowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured ally organization recommended for digital safety, freedom of expression, and human rights in the digital environment. Access Now provides advocacy, strategic litigation, support for at-risk communities, and multilingual digital security guides.
• IFEXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured ally — a global network of over 100 organizations defending and promoting freedom of expression through alerts, campaigns, advocacy, and coordinated support for individuals and media under attack.
• Coalition Against Online ViolenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured ally — a coalition of over 80 organizations developing resources, campaigns, and training to prevent and respond to online violence against women journalists and media workers.
• Frontline Freelance MéxicominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured ally — organization of freelance journalists working in high-risk environments in Mexico, advocating for safer working conditions, peer support, and protection standards for local press.
• MDRnet.org (Media Resilience Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDRnet.org is a program of Vita Activa that strengthens the emotional, mental, and organizational well-being of journalists in the United States through confidential support, peer spaces, and care-centered resources. Launched in 2025 with Press Forward funding.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma: A project of Columbia Journalism School providing trauma and emotional support resources, training, and peer networks for journalists worldwide. Closely aligned with Vita Activa's mission of psychosocial support for journalists facing trauma, burnout, and crisis.
• Front Line Defenders: International organization providing rapid response, security, and well-being support to human rights defenders at risk. Directly comparable to Vita Activa's work with activists and HRDs facing digital and psychological threats.
• Digital Defenders Partnership: Fund that provides emergency support to individuals and organizations facing digital threats, and co-organized the Global Gathering of Feminist Helplines with Vita Activa. Strong operational and methodological overlap in serving at-risk journalists and activists.
• Coalition Against Online Violence: Coalition of 80+ organizations developing resources and training to prevent and respond to online violence against women journalists. Vita Activa is a featured ally; both organizations serve overlapping beneficiaries with closely aligned methodologies.

Broad incumbents

• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): A larger, established NGO focused on press freedom worldwide that increasingly addresses journalists' mental health and safety. Overlaps with Vita Activa in protecting journalists from digital violence and burnout, but operates a much broader advocacy and emergency-response mandate.
• Access Now: Global digital rights organization that provides digital safety helpline support and resources to activists and journalists. Broader in scope than Vita Activa but a direct allied organization with overlapping service population and threat model.
• Reporters Without Borders (RSF): Large international press freedom organization offering safety, legal, and increasingly psychological support to journalists worldwide. Compares to Vita Activa on the journalist-safety dimension but operates globally at much larger scale.
• IFEX: Global network of 100+ organizations defending freedom of expression. Featured Vita Activa ally with overlapping journalist and activist support constituency, though IFEX itself is a coordinating network rather than a direct service provider.
• Crisis Text Line: Large-scale US-based text-based crisis support service operating a 24/7 helpline with volunteer responders. Compares to Vita Activa on crisis-intervention delivery model and digital-first peer support, though Crisis Text Line is far larger and US-focused.

Regional players

• Fundamedios: Ecuador-based regional press freedom organization promoting freedom of expression in Latin America and supporting journalists in exile. The Vita Activa advisory board chair previously led its US office, evidencing close operational overlap in the Latin American journalism safety ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdP9cexkSO_Z6tG7gAQjW8g
• Facebookfacebook.com/VitaActivaOrg
• Xtwitter.com/VitaActivaOrg
• Instagraminstagram.com/VitaActivaOrg
• TikToktiktok.com/@VitaActivaOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vita-activa-org

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vita Activa