Variant Strategies: 2024 Year in Review
Dear VS Community,
As 2024 comes to a close, we reflect on an incredible year filled with impactful projects, meaningful collaborations, and continued growth. Here are some of the highlights:
Coro Women in Leadership Fellowship
This year, our founder, Abby Goldberg, joined the Coro WIL Fellowship. This prestigious program supports women leaders and fosters cross-sector collaboration, equipping Abby with tools to further advance Variant’s mission.
A New Home at The Kinn
Variant Strategies became a member of The Kinn, a coworking community dedicated to wellness and social impact. This space has allowed us to forge connections with likeminded professionals and expand our network of collaborators and supporters.
Advisory Board Spotlight
This year, we celebrated our extraordinary Advisory Board members, whose expertise and passion guide Variant Strategies’ mission. Their insights have been invaluable as we continue to expand our impact.
Houston Bail Reform Screening
In partnership with Zealous and the Texas Jail Project, we brought to life the stories of individuals impacted by pretrial freedom in Harris County, Texas. Our film, This is Freedom, showcased the human impact of bail reform and premiered at a Houston screening event, sparking powerful discussions on justice and equity.
Unveiling Our Sizzle Reel
In August, we released a 2 minute sizzle reel capturing the essence of Variant Strategies’ journey and mission. Created in partnership with Benjamin Cox of Red Square Pictures and advisor to Variant Strategies, the reel celebrates over 13 years of impactful storytelling and innovation. If you haven’t seen it yet, watch it here.
Winning Gold Anthem Awards for This Is Freedom.
We are thrilled to share that This Is Freedom, our short documentary, has won Gold in the Human & Civil Rights category at the Anthem Awards! This film highlights the everyday joys of freedom and the impact of Harris County's bail reform through the stories of Gavin and Terranisha, whose lives were transformed by the opportunity to fight their cases from freedom. Partnering with the Texas Jail Project and Zealous, we used a trauma-informed approach to create this powerful piece, which is part of the broader Freedom Stories initiative to inspire change nationwide. Thank you for supporting impactful storytelling—together, we can make freedom the norm, not the exception.
Looking Ahead
As we prepare for 2025, we’re thrilled to share exciting upcoming projects.
Felony Murder Rule Video and Campaign: We are already under way working with Zealous, Mediatank Productions, Flour Films and Boston University Law School on an explainer video on the Felony Murder Rule, a loophole in the legal system that holds people responsible for crimes they didn’t commit but were in some way related to, facing some of the most extreme sentencing. No one knows how many people are in U.S. Prison because of the Felony Murder Rule but it is a significant number and we are working to change that.
Animating the Work of Rianne Eisler: We are developing a series of 5 animated shorts about the life and work of Rianne Eisler. Best known for her books The Chalice and the Blade and The Real Wealth of Nations, Dr. Eisler has spent her career trying to understand the world and evil and concludes that all of the economic systems we have in place today from capitalism to communism, “democracy” vs. Authoritarianism, are all inherently male dominated, violent systems that do not value the sources of life on this planet: women and the environment.
(Re)Productive: We are continuing to pursue the development and media for a certification for businesses that are reproductive and family friendly.
And more…
Thank you for being part of our journey. Together, we’re shaping a future where justice, equity, and compassion thrive.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous new year!
Best regards,
Abby Goldberg
Founder & CEO, Variant Strategies