Hagar Cambodia’s Client Care Operations Manager

A brief visit to Cambodia in 2004 changed Sue Hanna’s life.   Her heart was broken at a bedside vigil for a 16-year-old girl dying of AIDS. The girl had been sold to a brothel five years earlier by her own mother.

Outraged by the absolute waste of a young girl’s life, a passion was born in Sue’s heart.  She moved from her home in New Zealand to serve Hagar Cambodia, where she has held key leadership positions for more than seven years.  She was initially hired to develop Hagar’s program for girls (ages 4-14) from sexually-exploitative situations.  She has been instrumental in developing key client care components of Hagar’s recovery model, known for doing whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to restore victims of trafficking and other devastating injustices. She currently serves as Hagar Cambodia’s Client Care Operations Manager, overseeing trauma recovery shelters, community-based living solutions, and the reintegration of survivors to mainstream society.  If you’ve ever met Sue, you know that her enthusiasm and passion are palpable!

Places you can find Sue.... hagarusa.org |  @HagarIntl | FB Hagar International

Ruthie Kim

Founder,  Because Justice Matters

Places you can find Ruthie…. www.becausejusticematters.org

Ruthie Kim has been working in San Francisco’s inner city Tenderloin district as part of YWAM since 1999. Ruthie has broad experience working with women facing sexual exploitation, domestic violence, drug addiction and chronic homelessness, and has traveled extensively within Thailand, exploring urban outreach and aftercare models.

Ruthie founded Because Justice Matters in 2008, with a focus on reaching some of San Francisco’s most needy populations of women through outreach and spiritual support services. Ruthie and her team work with women who are victims of sexual exploitation and domestic violence, offering support to those experiencing isolation due to economic and cultural challenges. This involves street outreach, weekly manicure outreach, informal case management, spiritual care and referrals. Ruthie is particularly passionate about the need to provide genuine community for women who have never received aftercare and live with the trauma of their abuse.

Laurie Wirgler

Laugh Brand, CEO & Co-Founder

Laurie Wirgler is founder and CEO of Laugh Brand, a designer children’s apparel company giving 30% of its profits to fight child trafficking. Offering a variety of outfit options, Laugh is the first designer children’s brand built on a platform of giving back. As a 15-year executive veteran in the fashion industry, Laurie has overseen some of the largest and most prominent clothing lines for Gap, Old Navy, Disney Stores, Victoria’s Secret and Guess. Most recently, she served as the General Merchandise Manager overseeing all of Merchandising and Design for the Motherhood and Two Hearts brands. She is truly a lover of all things fashion with a successful track record for building some of the most well-known brands and product lines in the retail market.

One evening a friend shared a video with Laurie about child trafficking. She was so moved by the stories of these children that she had to see the problem for herself. She traveled to 3 countries in Southeast Asia with a team of experts and met with children who had been rescued from exploitation. Upon returning home, she knew she had to help these precious children. “I knew if this was my child, I would do everything in my power to rescue them. Why do these children deserve any less?” And so, Laugh was born. In January of 2012 Laurie left behind the corporate retail world and founded Laugh. Leaving a prestigious career might seem crazy, but that’s just the kind of unconventional thinking that is making Laugh such a success. Laurie speaks often on the subject of “using what you know to make a difference.” Laurie knows the fashion industry and she will leverage that expertise to give back and help children.

Laugh launched in October of 2012 and has gained tremendous support from both individuals passionate about children’s fashion as well as those dedicated to fighting human trafficking. Laurie lives in Southern California with her husband (and co-founder) Dave and their two young children.

Places you can find Laurie: www.shoplaughbrand.com

Linda Dixon

Department of Defense – Trafficking in Persons Program Office, Program Manager

Linda K. Dixon retired from the Army in November 2006 and immediately started her civil service career as an Intergovernmental Affairs Officer within the Defense Human Resources Activity, Policy Programs and Support. She is the Program Manager for implementing the Department of Defense’s program to combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) http://ctip.defense.gov/. Ms. Dixon is currently developing training modules that are based on realistic, military-related TIP scenarios. She is working with all the military services in establishing metrics for tracking TIP awareness training and understanding of TIP-related policy and programs. Ms. Dixon testified before congressional committees about the Department of Defense’s program to combat TIP. She is working with the Defense Acquisition Technology and Logistic office to address labor trafficking issues related to Defense contracting.

Ms. Dixon’s last duty assignment within the military was with to the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General (IG) as a Senior Program Analyst within the Inspections and Evaluations Directorate. During her tenure as an IG, Ms. Dixon assisted DoD with initiatives to combat trafficking in persons. She led an IG team on a worldwide evaluation of the DoD efforts to combat trafficking in persons. The team made several recommendations in the areas of coordination, training, policy, and metrics.

What is Trafficking In Persons (TIP)?

TIP is a worldwide problem posing a transnational threat involving violations of basic human rights. TIP is a leading source of profits for organized crime, together with drugs and weapons, generating billions of dollars. TIP affects virtually every country in the world. The Department of Defense has a zero tolerance policy for TIP.

Vicki S. Zito, RN, BSN, PHN

Mother, wife, victim advocate.

A Registered Nurse for 18 years. As a Nurse, a myriad of experience; Med-Surg, ER, ICU, Urgent/Emergent Care. Currently working in Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine for the past 6 years. It is my mission, to change the way the Health Care professionals and first responders, treat survivors.  In addition, to address the disparities that force the majority of the victims of this crime, to the streets. This is a Public Health issue and tremendous social injustice.

I am the mother of a trafficked victim. I speak out to raise awareness about the crime that is trafficking. I do so, because with every fiber of my being, I believe it is wrong for a child to be bought and sold, for sex. I have seen first hand the devastation this crime leaves in its wake. Unfortunately, I have also experienced an ill-equipped health care setting that was nowhere near prepared to treat my daughter when she was rescued.

Minh Dang

Minh Dang is currently a graduate student at UC Berkeley pursuing a Masters in Social Work with an emphasis on Community Mental Health.  She is passionate about promoting the integration of individual and community healing.

A 2011 recipient of the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Public Service Award, Minh is a tireless advocate on behalf of vulnerable children and people worldwide.  A true “love warrior,” as her friend calls her, Minh has traveled extensively telling her harrowing story of survival from child abuse and child sex trafficking.

Minh’s Story first reached the public domain in 2010 when MSNBC aired the ground-breaking documentary Sex Slaves in America.  The report aired just three years after Minh’s daring escape and since that time she has courageously addressed thousands of concerned citizens to help prevent modern-day slavery in the United States.

In the six years leading up to her graduate study, Minh was a committed service-learning professional at the Cal Corps Public Service Center. She served as Program Coordinator for the Bonner Leaders AmeriCorps Program, a program sponsored by the Corella & Bertram F. Bonner Foundation to promote campus-community involvement in low-income neighborhoods.

She has served on the Board of Directors for Youth Engagement Advocacy Housing (YEAH) and The Norma J. Morris Center for Healing.  Minh has also led weekly Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA) support groups for six years.  She provides technical assistance and organizational consulting to local, state, and national service providers on human trafficking prevention, treatment, and abolition.  She participates in public policy advances at the state and national level and is an active member of the National Survivor Network, hosted by the Coalition to Abolition Slavery and Trafficking (CAST).

In her spare time, Minh trains for half marathons, makes Vietnamese banh baos, and sings with her guitar-playing partner of almost seven years, UC Davis Neuroscience PhD student, Joshua Downer.

Follow Minh’s blog at www.dontsellbodies.org or on twitter @minhspeakstruth.

Leah Albright-Byrd

Leah Albright-Byrd was raised in San Francisco, CA; Adelphi, Maryland; and Calden, Germany. With a childhood marked by molestation, domestic abuse, and a family saturated in addiction, Leah eventually chose to run away from home at the age of 14 and it was during that time that she met a man who manipulated her into a life of addiction and sexual exploitation. While spending nearly four years on the streets, Leah experienced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, drug addiction and multiple arrests.

But the hand of God upon her and the plan He had for her life was greater than her trauma and her abusers. At the age of 18, she was won over to Christ through the love and grace shown to her by the woman she calls her spiritual mommy (Deanna Hurn). Leah eventually transferred to William Jessup University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Theology and Counseling Psychology in 2009.

Leah’s love for Christ and firsthand experience with radical redemption, has stirred a passion to reach other victims of sex-trafficking and she is devoted to encouraging others to fight on behalf of this fragile population. Leah’s ultimate life aspiration is publishing her memoir – Sunset to Sunset – to document Christ’s victories in her life. Additionally, she serves as the Executive Director of Bridget’s Dream in honor of Bridget Gray; a dear friend and victim of sex-trafficking who was murdered in Las Vegas in 2006. She won’t be satisfied until God gets complete glory out of her life and others can see that she has come this far by grace. Leah’s message is one of Hope, Tenacity, Victory, and most importantly Love – which we all know, NEVER fails.

Beth Grant 

Beth Grant is co-founder and director of Project Rescue, a fifteen-year initiative to survivors of sexual slavery in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Moldova, Spain and Tajikistan.  Project Rescue initiatives include HIV/AID’s clinics, after-school programs, literacy training, vocational training, and twelve aftercare homes.

Beth travels extensively as an international spokesperson regarding the issues of sexual exploitation and the value of the girl child.  She is a passionate proponent for the responsible engagement of people of faith to bring hope and healing to survivors of sexual exploitation.  As a steering committee member of the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking, Beth co-edited Hands That Heal (2007), an international curriculum to train caregivers of trafficking survivors that is currently translated into eight languages.

Beth completed a Ph.D. in Intercultural Education from Biola University School of Intercultural Studies in Los Angeles,CA.

Terry Inman

Harbor Light Church, Senior Pastor

Terry Inman is a pastor who cares deeply for people and has a shepherd’s heart which is evident in the way he communicates the gospel. He has been pastoring since 1970 and has been the Senior Pastor at Harbor Light since 1996. He has pastored in the San Francisco Bay Area for most of his career. Pastor Terry feels called to minister to people and churches; helping guide these vessels out of stormy waters and into safe harbor in Christ. Pastor Terry and his wife Mary have 7 sons and over 20 grandchildren. He enjoys photography, nature and daily walks with his dog.