Friend,
We’re thrilled to introduce you to S.T.O.P.’s 2026 Junior Board! With so much work to be done, this incredible group of emerging tech, social justice, and privacy leaders will help our team stay at the cutting edge of anti-surveillance advocacy.
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Ashwin Prabu
Ashwin Prabu is a recent college graduate passionate about defending the digital rights of immigrants, communities of color, and other marginalized groups. He has experience in AI governance, human rights advocacy, and sociotechnical research through previous internships with the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), the Global Network Initiative (GNI), and the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP). His honors thesis, “Freedom or Control? Expanding a Relational Understanding of ICE’s Alternatives to Detention Program,” investigates how surveillance technology is used by immigration enforcement, drawing on semi-structured interviews with former ICE agents and ethnographic fieldwork at the San Francisco ICE field office and immigration court. Ashwin has presented his findings to leading digital rights nonprofits (including STOP) to inform their advocacy. His thesis was awarded Stanford's Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and has recently been cited by The Guardian. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, meditating, and making vegan food.
Ashwin graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in Data Science and Social Systems, a minor in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CSRE), interdisciplinary honors in CSRE, university distinction, and membership in Phi Beta Kappa. He is currently based in Washington, D.C.
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Dimitri Vallejo
Dimitri Vallejo is a J.D. candidate at Columbia Law School with a focus on artificial intelligence, data privacy, cybersecurity, and robotics. In addition to his legal studies, Dimitri is an experienced programmer proficient in several programming languages, including Python, C++, and Java. Prior to law school, he led a team at an international bank, developing enhanced transaction review and negative media screening procedures and software as part of the bank's anti-money laundering compliance program. Dimitri is deeply committed to public service, contributing to initiatives that support wrongfully incarcerated human rights advocates worldwide, assist low-income individuals navigating divorce, and aid those struggling with medical debt.
He holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from Columbia College and is a certified mediator by the New York Peace Institute.
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Josh Azar
Josh Azar is a writer based in New York City, with experience as a journalist and in marketing for a major financial institution.
He graduated from New York University in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in English and Journalism, minoring in Irish Studies. He returned to NYU for a master's degree in Cyber Security, which he completed in 2023.
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Kyle Bailey
Kyle Bailey is a litigation attorney focused on cases dealing with the intersection of law and technology. Kyle is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and has served as a law clerk on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Prior to becoming an attorney, Kyle earned a computer science degree from Rice University and worked as a software developer. Kyle lives in New York City with his wife, newborn daughter, and loyal Australian Shepherd.
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Landon L. McKinney
Landon L. McKinney is a licensed Massachusetts attorney and dual-Certified Privacy Professional (CIPP/E, CIPP/US), currently serving as Commercial Counsel and Data Protection Officer (DPO) at Repligen Corporation, a global leader in bioprocessing technologies. In his role, Landon supports a broad range of commercial legal matters and serves as the company’s dedicated privacy expert, helping to shape and implement data protection strategies across the organization. Prior to joining Repligen, Landon earned his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, where he founded and led the Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Law Association (DPCLA), reflecting his deep commitment to the evolving fields of data protection and emerging technology law.
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Patrick K. Lin
Patrick K. Lin is a Clinical Teaching Fellow at NYU School of Law, where he co-teaches the Technology Law & Policy Clinic and the Science, Health & Information Clinic. His clinical work and research focuses on privacy, consumer protection, and the intersection of technology and civil rights. Patrick is also the author of Machine See, Machine Do, a book about how institutions use technology to surveil, police, and make decisions about the public, as well as the historical biases that impact that technology. Previously, Patrick was a Technology & Human Rights Fellow at the Harvard Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights Policy and clerked for a district judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Patrick earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. During his studies, he interned with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, EFF, and FTC.
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Pratika Katiyar
Pratika Katiyar is an activist and writer working at the intersection of politics and technology. She works in the privacy & data governance unit at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU National), where her work focuses on advancing civil liberties in the digital age. Across her writing, research, and policy work, Katiyar champions stronger safeguards for free expression, privacy, and the ethical governance of emerging technologies, with a particular focus on protecting everyday consumers, women, and marginalized communities.
Katiyar has been widely recognized for her advocacy, including being named one of Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year, The Advocacy Association’s Top 20 Advocacy Professionals, and Her Campus and e.l.f. Cosmetics’ 22 Under 22 list of most inspiring women. She is a member of the AmplifyHer Foundation's Leadership Network and has previously held roles at organizations including PEN America and Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.
Katiyar attended Northeastern University, where she studied Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Communication Studies. Her work has been quoted and published in multiple major media outlets including Teen Vogue, CNN, and TechCrunch, and she has been invited to speak at institutions such as Columbia University, Georgetown Law School, and the United Nations. She can be found @pratikakatiyar on all platforms.
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We can't wait to see what's in store for S.T.O.P. and the amazing work we'll do with the Junior Board this year. If you're interested in supporting our work, please donate to S.T.O.P. or come phonebank with us at Brooklyn Org's Annual Day of Service next month! Let's make 2026 our biggest year yet in the fight to abolish mass surveillance. |
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With thanks,
Will Owen
Communications Director
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