Genevieve Liu

About 7.4 million adolescents lose a parent before the age of 16, a statistic that became personal for Genevieve when, at 13 years old, she witnessed her father drown while saving two boys in Lake Michigan. Genevieve is the creator of SLAP’D, a social media platform for teens who have lost a parent. SLAP’D offers a space for teens to find each other, memorialize their parents, and share their experiences surrounding loss.

It also serves as a gateway for teens to find professional bereavement support locally. So far, the website has had over 43,626 users and has garnered significant local and national media coverage, earning Chicago Innovation’s Up and Comer Award. Genevieve manages the organization’s staff and speaks at bereavement centers and conferences, camps, entrepreneurial conferences, and schools to raise awareness about childhood grief.

In the U.S. alone, approximately 7.4 million adolescents lose a parent before age 16. Parent loss is ubiquitous, yet, I felt so alone. Instead of stopping there, I decided to create the platform I was searching for. Suddenly, I had the greatest remedy to battling grief: purpose.

“It is never too late, too early, or too often TO GIVE BACK AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE”

2018 Award Recipient

GenevieveLiu

In the U.S. alone, approximately 7.4 million adolescents lose a parent before age 16. Parent loss is ubiquitous, yet, I felt so alone. Instead of stopping there, I decided to create the platform I was searching for. Suddenly, I had the greatest remedy to battling grief: purpose.

Genevieve Liu

Helen Diller