Civiltalk was born from a vision to address two critical challenges facing modern society: the rising wave of incivility fueled by social media and the lack of preparedness for ethical decision-making in an AI-driven world. Our journey began with a simple yet profound belief: civility is not an option; it’s a necessity.

The Inspiration

The foundation of Civiltalk is deeply rooted in the history of emotional intelligence (EI) and civility. The concept of EI gained prominence in the 1990s through the work of Daniel Goleman, who highlighted its profound impact on personal and professional success. At the same time, civility emerged as an antidote to growing polarization, emphasizing respect, empathy, and constructive dialogue as the cornerstone of human connection. Together, these principles offered a pathway to foster understanding in an increasingly divided world.

The Beginning

Our founder, with decades of experience in leadership, education, and innovation, recognized a gap in the university landscape. Emotional intelligence and civility were acknowledged as important life skills, yet there was no systematic way to teach and measure them effectively. This insight led to the creation of Civiltalk—a purpose-built platform designed to integrate EI and civility into the fabric of higher education, starting at the University of Connecticut.

The Development

Over two years, Civiltalk was piloted and refined with the involvement of students, faculty, and staff. Drawing from established frameworks like Goleman’s domains of emotional intelligence and the RULER approach, Civiltalk evolved into a robust service. It uniquely combines AI-assisted tools with social-emotional learning principles to enable meaningful conversations on complex topics.

At its core, Civiltalk is more than just a platform—it’s a movement. By tagging emotions, facilitating constructive dialogue, and emphasizing accountability, it empowers users to choose civility in every interaction, whether online or in person.

Milestones

1. Launch at UConn: Civiltalk became a cornerstone of the university’s emotional intelligence initiative, aligning with its mission to equip students with essential life skills.

2. Innovative Certification Program: Modeled after Cisco’s successful certifications, the Civiltalk Certified Administrator Program trains educators and staff to integrate EI and civility into their courses and professional practices.

3. Expanding Horizons: Civiltalk is set to scale beyond UConn, aiming to serve the broader education sector and eventually corporate and K-12 markets, addressing the $43 billion higher education and social-emotional learning market.