Lunch Breakout Sessions: Decoding Extremism: Insights and Strategies from the Frontlines of Fighting Hate

As Vice President of the Center on Extremism, Oren Segal leads the organization’s efforts to combat extremism, terrorism, and all forms of hate both in the physical world and online. Recognized as a foremost authority on extremism, the Center on Extremism consists of a team of experts, analysts, and investigators who provide invaluable resources, expertise, and educational briefings to law enforcement agencies, public officials, and internet and technology companies.

Throughout his tenure at ADL, Oren has dedicated much of his time to evaluating and countering the trends, tactics, and impact of antisemitism and extremism across the entire ideological spectrum. He regularly appears on national and international media outlets, provides expert witness testimony, and speaks at conferences worldwide. In recognition of his exceptional service in the public interest, Oren was honored by the FBI in 2006. He was named one of the 50 influential, intriguing, and inspiring American Jews by the Forward in 2019. Prior to joining ADL in 1998, Oren worked for The New York Times and the Jewish Community Federation in San Francisco. He is a graduate of Wheaton College in Massachusetts.

Sara Aniano (she/her) is a Disinformation Analyst at the ADL Center on Extremism, tracking misinformation, disinformation and conspiratorial narratives that embolden extremists both on and offline. She joined ADL after earning her Master’s in Communication from Monmouth University, where she focused her scholarly research on conspiratorial rhetoric leading up to the January 6^th attack on the U.S. Capitol, which she was invited to submit to the January 6^th Committee. At the Center on Extremism, Sara sheds light on the strategies and real-world repercussions of false narratives and aims to hold accountable those who allow them to spread.