Project Set Your Head

My journey to becoming a business innovator started unconventionally in 2011, during the Arab Spring. I was a journalist covering the civil war in Libya when my cameraman, and husband, Oliver Sarbil, was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. Despite having had hostile environment training, I froze and couldn't remember what to do. Remarkably, Olivier survived, but I suffered post-traumatic stress for years, linked to my body's response at that moment and a feeling of helplessness.

This set me on a new path, demanding an overhaul of the approach the media takes to safety training and better access to mental and emotional support for those who risk their lives doing dangerous work.

Two years ago, I co-founded Head Set along with fellow foreign correspondent, Aela Callan. We're building an immersive learning ecosystem that shows people how to stay safe with a strong mindset. Our mission is to use VR and other immersive technologies to build a more resilient generation of journalists, humanitarian workers and first responders.

Hostile environments are everywhere for journalists. They no longer need to travel to a war zone to be on the front line. Arrests, physical assaults, public denigration and harassment of journalists is increasing around the globe. Current hostile environment training is failing to address new threats from street protests to the COVID-19 pandemic and becoming a target on twitter.

Using real stories and a unique visual style, Head Set's immersive training is designed to evoke intense emotions and show people how to deal with them. Head Set brings highly relevant immersive scenarios directly to journalists wherever they are in the world. They can train remotely in VR with a trainer, or in person in the classroom. It's already being used by some of the world's top news organisations.

I'll be using this award to build a virtual mentoring system to help journalists build resilience towards the psychological challenges of hostile environments.

When journalism is under threat, democracy is under threat. The next few years will be decisive for the future of journalism. Head Set is playing a crucial role in a upholding a more robust media, which ensures access to freely reported, independent, diverse and reliable information.