Meet the Speakers
Kendra Mills
Canada
Kendra Mills is a dedicated Social worker and community advocate with over 15 years of experience working in diverse settings both locally and internationally. Kendra's experiences have provided her with the opportunity to gain invaluable experience and define her approach to practicing Social Work.
Kendra practices using a trauma-informed lense, deep rooted in Anti-Oppression and Anti-black racism theory. Kendra acknowledges that individuals are socially constructed and negatively impacted by systemic and social issues due to systems that have been created to oppress and suppress those in her community and beyond.
Kendra is the founder of Speck of Sand Counselling, which was a vision she saw long ago on, and has come to fruition over the past few years, her practice has grown substantially, and she is honored to support individuals who have gone through various experiences including: intimate partner violence, Human Sex trafficking, child sexual exploitation and violent acts of crime ect. Kendra uses various modalities to assist people on their journey of healing past traumas.
Kendra is always seeking ways to share the knowledge she has acquired through her professional and lived experience with the community while remaining curious and learning from other's who entrust her with their story.
Sandy Storm
USA
Sandy Storm is a human trafficking survivor using her insider knowledge to dismantle the trafficking industry.
Redeemed from victim to survivor, Sandy has built a thriving life after escaping 20 horrific years of abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. Sandy tells the truth about trafficking as a trusted advisor and trainer for law enforcement, military, medical and education professionals, social service, and faith-based organizations.
Her books and talks have changed thousands of lives. Generously gifted with a creative spirit, Sandy Storm is an inspirational, high-energy motivational speaker and Master Certified Professional Life Coach.
Her presentations have been called educational, sobering, and powerful. Event coordinators and attendees say they feel empowered to bring positive change to their circles of influence and become part of ending human trafficking. Sandy has been married to the love of her life for over two decades, and they can often be found adventuring in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with their best furry friend, Cosmo.
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Brittany Dunn
USA
Brittany Dunn is COO & Co-Founder of Safe House Project.
Brittany served as a member of the Virginia Governor's Commission on Human Trafficking Prevention and Survivor Support. Prior to Safe House Project, Brittany spent 10 years in International Business Development.
Brittany Dunn has a B.A. from Wellesley College. She graduated top of her class with an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management. Brittany has been featured in Forbes, The Hill, CBN, & Missouri Physicians Magazine.
Brittany has trained law enforcement, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and corporations on the issue of human trafficking in the United States.
Brittany Dunn & Bill Woolf released the book, “Eradicating Human Trafficking: A Transformative Approach through Collective Impact” in February 2024.
She is a military spouse, mother of two, lifelong learner, world traveler, and protector of the vulnerable.
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Silvia Gurrola
Mexico
Silvia Gurrola is a Pedagogue and a Gestalt Psychotherapist. She is a seasoned consultant with over 20 years of experience working on women´s issues for the world’s largest humanitarian organizations in Africa, the Caucasus, Scandinavia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Silvia is the author of pedagogical novels and has extensive experience facilitating workshops and lectures on the use of “Introspective Writing” as a tool for healing trauma.
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Juliane Taborda
Brazil
Juliane Taborda is the Federal Public Defender at the Federal Public Defenders Services (DPU) since 2011.
She is also the Head of the 1st Military Criminal Office of the DPU's Office in São Paulo, coordinator of the DPU's Working Group on Assistance of Victims of Trafficking in Persons, and she is a member of the São Paulo State Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
Juliane is also the representative of the DPU at the Deliberative Council of the State Program for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses of the State of São Paulo; and an alternate member at the National Council for Human Rights' Committees representing the GTTP/DPU. Worked in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Cases Section between 2019 and 2020.
Godfrey Mpandikizi
Tanzania
Godfrey Mpandikizi is the Executive Director of Tanzania Anti-Human Trafficking and Legal Initiatives (TATLI), a frontline organisation using Survivors and Human Rights based approach in countering human trafficking in Tanzania through Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Partnerships. Providing legal aid and access to justice to victims of human trafficking , using strategic litigation cases as a tool to counter human trafficking.
Mr Mpandikizi is an Executive team member and legal counsel of the African Survivors Coalition hosted by the Footprint to Freedom which aims in building survivors centric movement in Africa.
He is also a member of the Survivor Alliance, a global coalition aiming at building survivors movement across the globe.
Mr Mpandikizi is Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania and Admitted Legal Counsel to the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights (AfCHPR). Has worked more than 13 years in the modern slavery and human trafficking, providing legal aid to the victims, preventions programmes, Litigating cases from the human rights perspectives.
Mr Mpandikizi, hold LLB and LLM majoring in Human Rights, Migration, Human Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crimes from University of Dar es salaam Mr Mpandikizi, is among of the authors in the Book titled: Economic and Societal Impact of Organized Crime: Policy and Law Enforcement Interventions, Published by IGI Global Publishers, 2024
Joy Kingsley
Nigeria
Joy Kingsley is the Movement Building and Communications Coordinator for Footprint to Freedom.
She is also one of the major driving forces behind the African Survivor Coalition — a network dedicated to empowering, uniting, and amplifying the voices of survivor leaders across all 54 African Nations.
Joy works closely with individuals with lived experience to develop impactful programs and resources that enhance survivor capacity and ensure their voices resonate powerfully.
She excels at bringing ideas to life and executing initiatives that make a lasting impact on the fight against human trafficking.One of her most recent significant achievement is leading resource development for the African Survivor Leadership Academy, a groundbreaking project dedicated to training and empowering survivor leaders across Africa.
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Patience Phiri
Malawi
Patience Phiri is a Lived Experience survivor of Labor Trafficking and Migrant Worker Exploitation turned Anti-Human Trafficking Activist who spearheaded the founding of Hope Risen Foundation-Malawi an organization that is dedicated in the fight against human trafficking and exploitation.
He is also a Regional Representative for Survivor Coalition Network in Malawi. He is passionate about social justice, and effectively advocates for survivors' rights, freedom and needs, ensuring their voices are heard. He leads initiatives in prevention, awareness, rescue, restoration, and reintegration.
His journey has equipped him with unique understanding of the complexities and challenges faced by survivors having experienced firsthand exploitation, abuse and manipulation that victims endure. He presented an Action Plan on Reframing Human Trafficking as a Public Health issue at a Leadership Summit in Nairobi in 2023, supported by the US Department of State and the University of Georgia.
He is affiliated with Malawi Network Against Trafficking in Person, National Freedom Network, Africa Survivor Coalition and Global Association for Human Trafficking Scholars. He connects with various counter-trafficking organizations and scholars globally.
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Shirin Tinnesand
Norway
Shirin is the Refugee and Migration Coordinator at Wadi e.V., and MA-Candidate within "International Development, Education and Sustainability" at Oslo Metropolitan University.
With her experience working in the frontlines both in Moria Refugee Camp in Greece (the largest refugee camp in Europe in 2020), and in the evacuation of Ukrainians arriving in Poland, she has witnessed how criminal networks masque their activities as aid for refugees; and how good but inexperienced actors contribute to enabling access for criminal networks.
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Ida Ryen
Norway
Ida Ryen is the Investigator at the Section for Economic and Environmental Crime in Innlandet Police District in Norway.
With a bachelor degree in Police and further education in Investigation and Intelligence, Ida holds 7 years of experience from the police force including patrol, command centre and investigation. She was also working two years as the Team Leader for the Norway Programmes in Hope for Justice, a NGO against modern slavery.
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Sarah Rees
UK
Psychotherapist, Group Facilitator & Empowerment Self Defence (ESD) INSTRUCTOR.
Sarah, the Director of U Matter Counselling, is an experienced professional with extensive expertise in supporting survivors of trafficking, modern-day slavery, and individuals facing trauma, abuse, depression, anxiety, and related mental health challenges.
Her approach centres on helping clients observe, understand, and shift patterns established in childhood or through acute stress. Emphasising attunement, Sarah works closely with her clients to guide their transformation, incorporating a holistic approach that integrates mind, body, and spirit. Her trauma-informed approach prioritizes safety - physical, emotional, and psychological -while respecting the survivor's autonomy, cultural identity, and the importance of trust. Sarah recognises that healing from trafficking requires a comprehensive support system that includes peer networks, community integration, and ongoing care across multiple sectors.
Sarah also applies the latest trauma treatments to meet individual client needs, grounded in her research on the experiences of trafficked Albanian women in London and the identity formation of Muslim gay males. Her work advances the understanding and treatment of survivors of trafficking and complex trauma.
Through her vast expertise and work within a multicultural landscape, Sarah ensures that U Matter provides trauma-informed care across different languages, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The U Matter team supports hundreds of clients, including refugees and asylum seekers, helping them reclaim their lives. Sarah emphasizes that healing is about transforming past experiences into empowerment, supporting survivors to rediscover their strength and move toward brighter futures.
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Rupa Pradhan
Nepal
Rupa Pradhan is a seasoned professional in the field of psychology, with a rich background in trauma-informed care and mental health interventions.
She has worked with International Justice Mission (IJM), focusing on combating human trafficking (HT), which reflects her dedication to social justice and victim rehabilitation. During her tenure at IJM, she played a critical role in rescuing children from human trafficking. She has also worked as a consultant for Justice Ventures International (JVI) and many other organizations that fight HT.
Rupa is the founder of Dream Incubator and co-founder of Inspire and Lead training pvt.ltd. As a psychologist, Rupa specializes in several therapeutic approaches, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is particularly effective for trauma-related conditions.
She is also a trainer in the International Child Development Programme (ICDP), equipping others with the skills to support children’s psychological development. In addition to her clinical practice, Rupa serves as a consultant and mentor, guiding other professionals and organizations in trauma care and mental health services.
Her expertise extends to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), making her a well-rounded expert in trauma recovery and psychological resilience. Her contributions as a trainer, consultant, and mentor position her as a vital resource in the fields of mental health, trauma recovery, and human development.