Contact Information

Ethan Harrison Freedman, LMSW

Human Connection Researcher | Social Systems Designer | Digital and Health Literacy Innovator

📍 New York, NY 10021 | Los Angeles, CA 91423

📞 (310) 910-3248

Professional Positioning

Licensed Master in Social Work at the intersection of human connection, digital systems, and social research to design evidence informed practice, platforms, and interventions that translate human connection, intimacy, care, and behavior into ethical, scalable technology and policy solutions. My work bridges between academic research, community needs, and product innovation, with a focus on building systems that foster healthier digital and social ecosystems for human connection and wellbeing.

Core Competencies

Research and Analysis: Human-Centered Research, Qualitative & Quantitative Analysis, Systemic Reviews, Meta Analysis, Intervention Design and Evaluation, IRB Protocol Adherence

Systems and Product: Social Systems Design, Platform Governance, Ethical AI & Moderated Discourse, Knowledge Architecture, Product Strategy, User Experience (UX) Principles, Product Development Research

Strategy and Leadership: Cross-Sector Collaboration (Academia, Tech, Policy, Public Health, Education) Translational Research (Evidence → Product → Policy), Program Management, Financial Management, Community Building

Communication: Public Speaking, Curriculum Development and Facilitation, Content Strategy and SEO, Copyright, Grant & Proposal Writing, Stakeholder Engagement, Fundraising

LMSW, Professional Experience, and Research Leadership

Research and Systems Design

Social Intervention Group | gAyI Research Lab | Data Analysis Practicum II: Graduate Student Researcher, Project Leader, and Assistant

Columbia University School for Social Work and Quantitative Methods in the Social Science (NY) | Sep. 2025 - May 2026

Supported applied research on health equity, HIV prevention, digital interventions, and emerging technologies within SIG, contributing to faculty-led initiatives through literature reviews, archival research, and synthesis of findings across social work and human intimacy topics, building expertise in academic and community-based research environments.
Designed and led an independent QMSS practicum evaluating LLMs in health education for LGBTQ+ youth, youth of color, and disabled youth via a Cultural Red Teaming Protocol — constructing a 33-scenario dataset (66 outputs) across ChatGPT-4o and Gemini 2.0 Flash using LLM-assisted data collection and mixed qualitative/quantitative coding.
Developed a five-dimensional failure taxonomy assessing cultural competence, safety, developmental fit, epistemic fidelity, and equity framing in AI-generated health guidance; identified population-specific biases and hidden safety failures obscured by aggregate benchmarks.
Translated findings into recommendations for AI governance, ethical evaluation, and community-informed accountability in social work and public health; authored an independent research paper extending SIG's work at the intersection of digital health innovation and structural inequity.

Entrepreneurship and Platform Building

Acquaint Education | CEO

Los Angeles, California | January 2023 - December 2025

Founded and leading a research driven platform functioning as a human connection lab, exploring how intimacy, sexuality, health, wellbeing, and community function across digital ecosystems.
Architected and deployed moderated forums, knowledge databases, and AI assisted discourse tools centered on ethical human connection, harm reduction, and user safety and experience.
Forged strategic partnerships with educators, researchers, human connection and health systems industry stakeholders to translate lived experience into structured, scalable models for education, information, and platform sustainability.

Community Leadership and Program Development

Sex, Sex Therapy, and Research Caucus | Co-Leader

Columbia University School of Social Work | Sep. 2024 - Present

Lead a university wide initiative to build a community of practice for social workers, providing tools and platforms to foster safe discourse on human sexuality in clinical practice, community organizing, and policy.
Spearheaded the creation of a centralized, university based archive for research on human sexuality and health education to preserve and legitimize knowledge for collective benefit.

Partnerships with Children | Social Work Intern

Bronx, NY | September 2024 - May 2025

Designed and developed emotional, psychosocial, and cognitive services to students at a Bronx, NY Middle School to help them succeed in academics, society, and their goals.
Advocated for at risk scholars in individual and group counseling sessions in efforts to guide students towards accountability and confidence ensuring strong integration into secondary school.
Located health education curricula for scholars to utilize for better emotional, social, and biological health and wellness (especially subjects of puberty, healthy relationships, and hygiene).

Colgate University Office of LGBTQ+ Initiatives | Student Ambassador

Hamilton, NY | September 2023 - May 2024

Spearheaded 10+ large (100+ persons) events a year (social mixers, creative workshops, seminars, and activities) focused on supporting LGBTQIA+ students locally on campus with information and resources.
Cultivated reports and analyses on community praxis to ensure implementation of reliable methods for facilitation of events and activities to run enthusiastically, effectively, and equitably.
Coordinated and led weekly meetings to personally assist the director of LGBTQ+ initiatives and map out projects, goals, and resources ensuring maximum engagement with ourselves and community in projects.

Haven Center for Sexual Violence Survivor Support | Sex Educator, Student Counselor, and Ambassador

Colgate University, Hamilton, NY | January 2021 - May 2024

Facilitated a seven week sexual health education curriculum to 100+ university students over a span of 3 years to ensure safety and knowledge of sexual climate on campus and in broader society.
Briefed 300+ incoming first year students on Title IX policy, consent practices in corporate settings, and bystander intervention to ensure base knowledge amongst the broader student body, faculty, and admin.

Shaw Wellness Center | Bystander Facilitator and Ambassador

Hamilton, NY | January 2021 - May 2023

Partnered with ambassadors for interpersonal and intimacy violence prevention in order to develop positive discourse around sex and sexuality that is sensitive to the domain of survivor and victim experiences.
Reinforced bystander intervention techniques via facilitation of 20+ orientation classes to incoming freshmen to ensure confidence in intervening during preventable problematic situations.

Industry Consulting, Content Strategy, and Innovative Marketing

Sextech School | Student

New York, New York and Australia | May 2024 - May 2025

Developed expertise in integrating AI advancements into human connection and health platforms, focusing on enhancing personalized user experiences, product development, and social systems.
Acquired and applied practical skills in designing and evaluating sexual technologies through the lens of UX Research, human centered design, and economic inclusivity.

Red Cheeks Academy | Intimacy Coordinator

Amsterdam, Netherlands | Jan. 2024 - March 2024

Examined the history and stigmatization of adult film and media to identify ethical principles relevant to prevention, intervention, and cultural accountability.
Developed frameworks for ethical communication and brand identity grounded in consent, boundary setting, and relational clarity.
Evaluated psychological safety considerations in human connection media production, including scene facilitation, labor dynamics, and professional sustainability.

xoafterglow | Production and Content Consultant

Austin, Texas (Remote) | April 2022 - August 2022

Advised on adult film production, leveraging research on ethical and consensual content to inform and elevate industry standards for health, education, and social connection development.
Managed content licensing, restructured production workflows, and implemented new backend platform tools to improve customer service and content organization for user experience.
Drove brand growth by delivering research backed creative content aligned with SEO trends, expanding the company’s mission of human connection that is pleasurable and rooted in theory.

Sex With Emily | Content Production Intern

Los Angeles, California | June 2021 - August 2021

Contributed to a 20% increase in podcast listenership, reaching 1.8 million monthly downloads, by researching and developing content on intimacy, sexuality, and pleasure.
Supported talent acquisition, marketing, and strategic planning, helping to align the executive’s brand with daily operational priorities.

Publications and Research Articles

Available at Acquaintedu.com or https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5215-8604

Psychedelics and Intimacy Defined as Closeness

Colgate University, Hamilton, NY (2026)

Bradford, A., Freedman, E., & Dinero, R. E. (2025). Psychedelic Use and Intimacy: A Systematic Review of Experimental and Naturalistic Research. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1–12.

https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2025.2577311

Sex Education Methodologies and Advancements to Sexual Technologies

NY and Netherlands (2025)

Assessed and worked first hand with adult industries, human intimacy organizations, and sexual technology companies to think critically about incorporation of human intimacy topics in their industry.
Presented at Love, Sex, and Robots Congress at University of Quebec, Montreal (2025)

Parasocial Relationships and the OnlyFans Platform

Colgate University, Hamilton, NY (2024)

Reviewed literature centering around the role that the OnlyFans platform plays in creating and facilitating parasocial relationships with content creators and their clients — specifically in the context of interpersonal dynamics with sex workers and adult content.

Sex Education Methodologies and Pornography

Hamilton, NY and Amsterdam, Netherlands (2023)

Assessed and worked first hand with adult film companies to generate inquiry and question the incorporation of comprehensive sex ed. curriculums to better navigate discourse on pleasure and consent.
Presented at New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium (Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 2023)

Education and Honors

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK | Licensed Masters in Social Work (LMSW)

August 2024 - May 2026

Specialization: Leadership, Management, & Entrepreneurship with Health Care Systems
GPA: 3.97/4.00
Relevant Coursework: Foundations in Social Work, Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Human Sexuality, Program Planning and Development, Macro Community Practice, Human Resource Management, Financial Management, Program Evaluation.
Practicum in Data Analysis II: Quantitative Methods in the Social Science (QMSS) - Columbia University | January 2026 - May 2026
Specialized Practicum: Social Intervention Group - Columbia School of Social Work | September 2024 - May 2026
Generalist Practicum: Partnership with Children - Boys Prep Bronx Middle School | September 2024 - May 2025

COLGATE UNIVERSITY | Bachelor of Arts

Hamilton, NY | May 2024

Majors: Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
GPA: 3.71
Relevant Coursework: Social, Biological, Attachment, and Developmental Psychology, LGBT Health, Psych Research Methods and Statistics, Human Relationships, WGSS Research Methods
Honors: Magna Cum Laude; Academic Excellence (Fall 2020-Fall 2023); with Distinction (Fall 2021-Fall 2023); George W. Cobb Fellows Award (Fall 2022-Spring 2023)

SCHOOL FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAINING (SIT)

Amsterdam, Netherlands | January 2023 - May 2023

Relevant Coursework: Independent Study on Advancements in Human Intimacies and Health Education Methodologies; Adv. Theory of Migration; Gender, Sexuality, and Research

WINDWARD SCHOOL

Culver City, Los Angeles | May 2020 | High School Diploma

Skills

Technical: LLMs / Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PP), Google Suite, WordPress, Overleaf, Search Engine Optimization, Canva, Figma, Photoshop, systematic review, meta analysis, SPSS, Notion (Super and AI), GitHub.

Social: Talent Communications and HR Management, Marketing Connections, Creative Scouting, Social Media (reddit, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, etc.)

Leadership: Sex ed. Facilitator, Camp Harmony counselor, and Collegiate Level Rowing Team Captain

Languages: Elementary Dutch, Intermediate Spanish

Ethan H. Freedman - Professional CV