John Richmond served as the United States Ambassador for Trafficking in Persons from 2018-2021 and was the Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

Ambassador Richmond served over 10 years as a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, where he investigated and prosecuted numerous labor and sex trafficking cases throughout the country.

He is also a Founding Director of the Human Trafficking Institute.

Ambassador Richmond earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Mary Washington and his Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law.

John Freeman serves as the Director of Law Enforcement Operations for the Human Trafficking Institute. He spent 21 years with the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), U.S. Department of State.

As the first DSS Human Trafficking Investigations Coordinator, he initiated several investigations and supported numerous successful prosecutions. John also organized training academies to maximize the impact of specialized anti-human trafficking units in Belize and Uganda.

In 2019, John was named to the U.S Delegation to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Crime’s Working Group on Trafficking in Persons.

John received a bachelor’s degree from the University of the State of New York – Excelsior College.

Nate Knapper is the founder and CEO of The Joseph Project, a nonprofit organization that connects human trafficking survivors with pro bono legal counsel. As part of The Joseph Project, Nate organized a pro bono attorney network dedicated to helping survivors of human trafficking that is now active in multiple states.

Nate is a federal law enforcement officer who served on a Detroit-based anti-trafficking squad.

He formerly served as an Assistant Attorney General at the Michigan Department of Attorney General.

Nate is a graduate of Calvin College, Pepperdine Law School, and the Straus Dispute Resolution Institute.

Chiquita Tillman is a survivor of sex trafficking and an author. Her book, I am a Ruby, Not a Sapphire, describes the exploitation and abuse she experienced starting at just 14-years-old.

As an advocate against human trafficking, Chiquita has spoken on major television networks, on the radio, in magazines, on podcasts, at schools, and at churches to share her story.

She also works with survivors of sex trafficking and abuse as mentor and support system. Her mission is to show them that they are not their past and that they bring immense value to the world.

Chiquita has a bachelor’s degree in Theology.

Jayne Bigelsen is the VP of Advocacy at Covenant House New York (CHNY), NYC’s largest provider of services to youth ages 16-24 who are experiencing homelessness and/or commercial sexual exploitation.She founded CHNY’s anti-human trafficking department in 2014, which includes services at CHNY’S main shelter and a safe house where survivors can heal and thrive.

Prior to her work at CHNY, Jayne was the Director of Legislative Affairs at the NYC Bar Association for eight years. At the City Bar, Jayne advocated for NY state’s first anti-trafficking law and a safe harbor law for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

Jayne has an undergraduate degree from Brandeis University, a law degree from Harvard, and a MA in Applied Developmental Psychology from Fordham University.

Jerome Elam is President and CEO of the Trafficking in America Task Force. He is a survivor of child sex trafficking,  child pornography, and child abuse/domestic violence.

In 2015, Jerome was appointed as a Special Advisor to the Utah Attorney General on human trafficking.

In 2021, Jerome was appointed to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) inaugural International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Board (ISTAC) where he has trained law enforcement, judges, and prosecutors.

Jerome attended the University of Florida, earning a Bachelor of Science degree.