How a memory scientist is shaping the future of incident reporting

May 20, 2025

When you think of a “tech founder,” you might imagine someone with a coding background or a business degree. But Dr. Julia Shaw, a cofounder of Spot, breaks the mold. She’s a criminal psychologist, memory scientist, an honorary research associate at University College of London, bestselling author, and TEDx speaker. Julia’s unique background has helped shape Spot into that rare thing: a system that makes speaking up more effective for both individuals and their organizations.

Who is Dr. Julia Shaw?

Dr. Julia Shaw isn’t your average tech cofounder. She’s a renowned psychologist whose work focuses on memory, bias, and human behavior. You might know her from her books, which include The Memory Illusion, Evil: The Science Behind Humanity’s Dark Side, and Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality. She regularly shares her insights on global stages, including two TEDx Talks:

Julia’s ability to take complex psychological concepts—false memories, bias, organizational behavior—and make them accessible has been key to Spot’s development. You can explore more of Julia’s work here.

The science behind better incident reporting

In her TEDx Talks, Julia highlights some crucial facts:

64% of witnesses to workplace misconduct do nothing. Not because they don’t care, but because they don’t know what to do, or because they think their organization won’t do anything about it anyway.
50-60% of harassment and discrimination goes unreported. Fear of retaliation, shame, and uncertainty often stop people from coming forward.
False memories can affect accounts of what happened. Julia’s research shows how suggestive questioning or delays in reporting can create inaccuracies in the accounts of those who experience or witness misconduct.

These numbers aren’t just statistics. They’re a call to action. Spot uses insights from Julia’s work to offer a platform that’s:

Anonymous and trusted. People feel safer sharing issues without fear of retaliation. Individuals who speak up trust the confidential two-way communication that Spot facilitates between them and their organization.
Evidence-based. Spot’s cognitive interview process helps ensure accurate, thorough, detailed report intake and consistent, unbiased investigations.
Timely and easy to use. Spot is simple to access via unique QR code or link and doesn’t require account management or downloading an app for individuals to start creating reports. Most people download zero new apps every month; Spot’s accessible, intuitive web-based tool lowers the barrier to entry and facilitates quick intake, when incidents are still fresh.
Designed for anyone who experiences or witnesses issues. Individuals can report things they experience directly or things they witness, and your organization can request documentation from others involved in incidents.

Why memory science matters in workplace reporting

Julia’s memory work is at the heart of Spot. Many of her research findings have directly informed the development of the incident reporting and case management system, including:

Time matters. Memories fade fast, especially details. Spot’s software makes it easy to document incidents as soon as they happen.
Neutral questions reduce bias. Spot’s cognitive interview process asks open-ended, non-leading questions, minimizing the risk of prompting false memories or moving respondents in a particular direction.
Stress impacts recall. Spot’s user-friendly design makes the reporting process more effective by making it less stressful. Talking to a non-judgmental, neutral bot that gently asks questions one at a time feels better for reporters and leads to more thorough, accurate intake—which means more straightforward investigations on the case management side.

These features set Spot apart from traditional HR tools, helping businesses build trust and healthier workplaces.

Female founder, bold vision

Julia brings a fresh perspective to HR tech. She’s passionate about creating tools that genuinely help people, and her background in psychology means she approaches problems differently—with science and empathy at the forefront.

Spot came partly out of Julia’s own professional experience and her frustration at seeing witnesses afraid to speak up. Her vision has been instrumental in making Spot what it is today: a platform that’s as much about prevention—helping individuals trust that they can safely raise issues early, before they escalate—as it is about investigations and case management.

Spot: Where psychology meets innovation

Spot’s mission is simple: to help organizations deal with sensitive issues in a way that’s fair and effective. Thanks to Julia’s grounding in psychology, Spot is changing how businesses think about reporting intake, evidence collection, case investigations, and workplace culture.

If you’re curious about how Spot can make a difference in your organization, check out our anonymous reporting tool here. And if you want to dig deeper into the science that inspires us, don’t miss Julia’s TEDx Talks.