Justin Hakuta- Founder, President
A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in 2004 with a B.S. in Decision Science, Justin has constantly sought to combine his personal interest in human rights and his professional skills by working at organizations such as the Center for Court Innovation, Honest Tea and Seventh Generation. Hakuta researched the nonprofit community's response to human trafficking in the Philippines in 2007 as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar. Justin created the Human Trafficking Project, a blog that documents trafficking worldwide, with Elise Garvey after witnessing the need for both increased public awareness of modern day slavery and additional resources for survivors of trafficking during rehabilitation and reintegration into their home communities. Hakuta is currently attending Harvard Business School where he is learning how to create innovative, sustainable solutions for social change.
Elise Garvey- Founder, Executive Director
In May 2007, Elise graduated from Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y. with her B.A. in Political Science, International Relations, Spanish and European Studies. During her undergraduate work, she focused heavily on international organizations and forced migration issues by working and volunteering for multiple refugee resettlement organizations. After receiving her B.A., she carried out a Fulbright research grant on the response to human trafficking in Ukraine in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration Mission to Ukraine and the International Women's Rights Centre "La Strada - Ukraine." Afterwards, she served as Program Assistant to the Trafficking Victim Services Program of the International Institute of Buffalo in Buffalo, N.Y. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
Jennifer Kimball- Director of Content
Jennifer Kimball is a recent graduate of the University of Missouri. She plans to pursue a career in public service working to fight human trafficking. Currently, she is working in DC with the Truman Fellows Program, and she is a 2008 Harry S. Truman Fellow. Jennifer is the co-founder of Stop Traffic Now, a student anti-trafficking organization that started in April 2007. She is also the co-founder of the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition.
Melissa Seligmann- Social Media Manager
Melissa Seligmann recently received her MA in International Affairs with a concentration in conflict and security from the New School. Her studies focused mainly on the plight of Afghan women leading her to the conclusion that education from within the confines of the community is the key ingredient for change. Melissa's commitment to combat human trafficking flourished on a trip to China when she realized the education and knowledge production theory can be used to better the conditions for people in almost any situation. She received her BA from the University of Southern California in Political Science and Business Administration. Melissa currently resides in NY and is pursuing a career in the non-profit sector.
Amanda Gould- Contributor
Amanda graduated in 2007 with a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Evansville majoring in Political Science and German. In 2010, Amanda received her M.A in International Development and her M.A. in Economics focusing on human trafficking and statistics from the University of Denver. Her research examined the quantitative aspects of human trafficking including how organizations estimate the human trafficking and what might predict slavery throughout the world. She had the opportunity to intern with the International Organization for Migration in Bosnia and Herzegovina as the Anti-Trafficking and Assisted Voluntary Return Intern during the summer of 2008 and helped establish the Human Trafficking Research Clinic at the University of Denver. She will focus on consumerism and human trafficking/modern slavery and what the average person can do to hold companies accountable with regards to slave labor.
Molly Byrant- Contributor
Molly hails from the great state Oklahoma. She recently graduated from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri where she obtained a B.A. in History and Non-Profit Leadership. During her junior year, Molly studied abroad throughout Central America listening to stories and struggles of the Latin American people both historically and currently. She fell in love with the culture and has since decided that she would like to focus her anti-trafficking work toward Spanish speaking populations, especially women who are forced into prostitution. In 2009, she traveled to Europe to research the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in women who have been trafficked into the sex industries in the Netherlands and Hungary. In October, she will hop a plane to Ecuador where she will teach English, eat her weight in avocados, and continue to research and report on human trafficking issues in Latin America.
