I completely skipped the usual end-of-year reflection posts. Partly because I was deep in analysis mode, partly because I was already on to the next thing—and partly because I was raised to be a modest Midwesterner, and boasting always felt… icky.
But I’ve realized that taking a step back to share what I’ve been working on—and where things are headed—is just as important as the work itself.
So here’s an overdue update.
What 2024 Looked Like
Last year, I went all in. After years of balancing a senior leadership role while keeping one foot in my consulting, I took the leap and launched my own firm full-time. And, in typical fashion, I didn’t just stop there. Here’s what I was up to:
Built and scaled a search-based counter-disinformation strategy for abortion ballot initiatives—ensuring campaign teams had the playbook, the methodology, and the tools to disrupt opposition narratives.
Trained campaigns and advocacy teams nationwide on how to detect, preempt, and neutralize false narratives before they took hold.
Led real-time digital counter-strategy efforts in two states—Colorado and Florida—where opposition forces leveraged government-backed platforms to mislead voters.
Conducted in-depth research into how disinformation spreads across search, social media, and AI-driven platforms, tracking how narratives move and evolve.
Researched and analyzed narratives and candidate disinformation—tracking targeted keyword manipulation and how opposition messaging shaped voter perception.
And I built something new.
Introducing Early Dawn
Early Dawn was my personal project and secret weapon during the 2023 discoveries, starting off as a scrappy tool—just a little code, AI, and a big idea—born out of urgency and necessity. I needed a way to move fast, cut through opposition content with X-ray vision, and understand how narratives were shaping public perception. When I didn’t have the help I needed, I built it.
Fast forward to 2024, and Early Dawn became so much more. It evolved into a fully-fledged AI-powered tool that guided strategy across abortion ballot initiatives nationwide and other critical campaigns. It helped campaigns move at the speed of disinformation, anticipate false narratives before they took hold, and protect voters' access to fact-based information.
I’m incredibly honored to share that Early Dawn was a finalist for AI Pioneer of the Year at the 2025 Reed Awards and won Best Use of AI for Online Advertising. This recognition underscores not just the tool itself, but the growing need for smarter, more strategic, and scalable approaches to countering disinformation in an evolving digital landscape.
Sharing Lessons from 2024
Search (in its many forms) remains the most trusted gateway to information. And the opposition knows it. The fight for truth and understanding is happening across multiple platforms - on social media, in comments, in Google search results, AI-generated summaries, and in algorithmic narratives.
Search is a major battleground, but it’s shaped by everything around it. By the time people get to Google, their perceptions have already been influenced by social media, YouTube, AI-generated responses, and broader narrative seeding. Effective strategy means shaping the entire information flow, not just reacting to what appears in search.
Preemptive strategy works better than rapid response. The best-performing campaigns weren’t scrambling to push back against disinformation in real time. They identified narrative elements and impact in real-time and built content around to intercept key narratives early.
Information manipulators are better organized than we think, and disinformation is a strategy. We need to fight it with an equally strategic, multi-platform, and intentional approach.
Innovation and adaptability were essential. As the landscape changed and threats evolved, so did the approach. The most effective efforts were the ones that stayed nimble, tested, and pivoted quickly in response to new disinformation tactics.
A Thank You to Everyone Who Supported This Work
None of this happened in a vacuum. I’m deeply grateful to the people who believed in this work, the campaign teams who trusted me with their digital strategies, and the partners who collaborated to push these ideas forward. The impact we had in 2024 wasn’t just about the technology or the strategy—it was about the people who were willing to test, iterate, and fight for better ways to counter disinformation.
Where We Go Next
In 2025, the threats are only deepening. The challenges we faced last year exposed critical gaps in how disinformation is countered. This year is about closing those gaps, moving faster, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
If you’re working in this space, I want to hear from you. What disinformation trends are you seeing? What do you need help with? Let’s keep evolving.