Lara Gerassi is an associate professor at the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research uses an anti-oppressive, intersectional approach to enhance the wellbeing of people who are involved in the sex trades, including those who have been sex trafficked.
Read MoreCharles Hounmenou is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). His main research area is human trafficking. He has conducted research on trafficking in the U.S. and West Africa and has over 25 publications on the topic. In 2020, he received the UIC’s Rising Star Award in Social Sciences Research. In 2018, he received the GAHTS Influential Scholar Award.
Read MoreHannah Brinson is the Director of Survivor Services at the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, where she oversees specialized care for survivors of human trafficking as well as multisector regional strategies. Hannah brings nearly 20 years of experience to bridging the gap between evidence-informed research and frontline professional practice.
Read MoreHayley Griffith has been working for legal and social service providers for vulnerable populations and victims of crime since 2018. She joined the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking’s team in May of 2023 and has personally trained over 10,000 community members and professionals across multiple industries regarding human trafficking.
Read MoreMelissa Petro is a writer, educator, and former sex worker/survivor of sexual exploitation whose work examines shame, gender, and social stigma. She is the author of “Shame on You: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification”. Her writing explores how shame functions as a tool of social control and how individuals cultivate resilience and self-compassion.
Read MoreMimi “Shamin” Brown is a researcher with lived experience in the child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and violence against women sectors. Her work centers Indigenous and feminist methodologies, trauma-informed practice, and lived experience leadership, with a focus on wellness, resilience, and systemic change for frontline staff supporting survivors of gender-based violence.
Read MoreWendy Stiver is a registered nurse with over 40 years of clinical and leadership experience and lifelong lived experience with invisible illnesses and disability. She has published on human trafficking, domestic violence, and implicit bias. She is a Research Scholar in GAHTS.
Read MoreJarrett Davis is a Senior Research Scholar with the Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars (GAHTS) whose work focuses on marginalized populations in the sex trade, including boys, men, and gender-diverse youth across Southeast Asia and the United States.
Read MoreAlex Rister is Assistant Professor of Communication and Program Chair, BS Communication at ERAU. Her research, service, and community volunteer work center on communication for social change. As a prior University of Central Florida Francis Bok Human Trafficking Awareness Fellow, much of her work focuses on human trafficking awareness.
Read MoreIuliia Hoban is Assistant Professor and Program Chair for MS in Human Security & Resilience at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). Her research focuses on human security, critical security studies, and human rights. She applied research skills in NGOs and think tanks, including Denver, Colorado’s Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking.
Read MoreSheridan Waldrop is a wildlife artist and a retired nurse and social worker. As a survivor of human trafficking, she believes in research partnerships between the community and the academy as a powerful means of changing trafficking narratives and improving interventions. In particular, Sheridan seeks to promote survivor leadership in innovative and transformative research.
Read MoreAnchal Jain is an independent advocate, survivor leader, and researcher focused on anti-trafficking, public safety, policy making, and social justice. Drawing on lived experience and practice, she examines emotional labor and sustainable self-care in advocacy spaces. Her work integrates creative expression and community-informed approaches to support resilience and survivor-centered systems change initiatives.
Read MoreThais Rocha Münstermann is a human rights practitioner specializing in the prevention of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking. With over a decade of field experience across Latin America, North America, Europe, and Africa, she leads community-based prevention programs and advocacy initiatives focused on protecting vulnerable children and adolescents.
Read MoreFonda Royster is an experienced social worker and nonprofit leader specializing in at-risk youth programming. She has over a decade of experience preventing teen dating violence and human exploitation, providing trauma-informed mentorship, and designing culturally responsive interventions that empower marginalized youth to build resilience, mental health, and safe futures.
Read MoreAshley Glass is the Founder of Azar Together, a business owner, advocate, survivor leader, and speaker. Inspired by the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–12), she serves as a guest speaker for Eden's Farm Lunch and Learns and as a Lead Facilitator for Brave Girl Diaries with Survivor Led Solutions, challenging systemic silence through honest conversations.
Read MoreAmulya Bindu is a Business Administration student at San José State University. She is conducting research on the legal aspects of human trafficking.
Read MorePranav Santhakumar is an Industrial and Systems Engineering major at San José State University. He is an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program student researcher examining human trafficking risks within global supply chains. Driven by a dedication to sustainability, Pranav works to advance solutions that promote ethical and efficient supply networks.
Read MoreMirah Rasoarimino is a Business Analytics student at San José State University. Through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, she conducts research examining human rights risks in global supply chains. Guided by a strong belief in the importance of community, she is committed to contributing positively to the lives of others.
Read MoreDr. Kezban Yagci Sokat is an Associate Professor of Business Analytics at San Jose State University with a passion for analytics for social good, especially in human trafficking. She serves on the U.S. Department of Transportation Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking Research and Data Subcommittee.
Read MoreCindy Chizewick is a behavioral health professional specializing in problem gambling treatment, trauma-informed care, and workforce development. Her work focuses on the intersection of addiction, financial exploitation, and coercive control, with an emphasis on strengthening professional awareness of vulnerabilities linked to trafficking and systemic harm.
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