Won't You Be My Partner? Hill Stark, Checkstep

Should you build your trust & safety stack in-house or partner with a provider? Matt and Hill Stark break down how to make the call—covering partner fit, testing with your own data, policy-specific moderation, and the real cost of building and maintaining a safety program internally.

A practical episode for founders, product leaders, and trust & safety teams looking to scale smarter.

About Hill:
Hill Stark, PhD, currently serves as the Director of Strategic Partnership & AI Strategy at Checkstep since May 2025. Previously, Stark held the position of Senior Product Manager for AI Solutions at ActiveFence from September 2023 to May 2025, where responsibilities included managing pre-sales testing engagements and leading enterprise SaaS onboarding. Stark's experience also encompasses roles at Spectrum Labs as Manager of Data Analytics, Balto as Enterprise Customer Success Manager, and a lecturer at the University of North Texas, focusing on market research in social media engagement. Additional positions include Client Services Manager at Standing Dog Interactive and Marketing Manager at 801 Restaurant Group. Stark's educational background includes a PhD in Information Science and Data Science, an MBA in Marketing, and a degree in Hospitality Management from the University of North Texas and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Edited by The Motion Bureau

Music by Robert Taylor Jr.