Kaitlin Bick: Victim Services Toronto
Kaitlin is an Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate at Victim Services Toronto with over 8 years of frontline experience supporting survivors of human trafficking, gender-based violence, and housing precarity. A graduate of Seneca College’s Social Service Worker Program, she also holds an Advanced Counselling Certificate and extensive training in addiction and harm reduction support, trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practices.
Kaitlin has worked across multiple agencies including East Metro Youth Services and LOFT Community Services, providing peer support and advocacy in high-risk, community-based settings. She has also supported families at BOOST CYAC and delivers training to law enforcement, service providers, and the public on domestic sex trafficking and survivor-centered care.
Driven by lived experience, Kaitlin is a powerful advocate committed to dismantling stigma, centering survivor voices, and promoting systems change through education and frontline action.
Jovana Blagovcanin: FCJ Refugee Centre
Jovana is the Anti-Human Trafficking Manager at FCJ Refugee Centre, the Coordinator of the Toronto Counter Human Trafficking Network and most recently the Co-Chair of the Canadian Council for Refugees Precarious and Exploited Migrants Committee.
Through the Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Mobile Worker Program at FCJ, she supports precarious migrants facing various forms of exploitation, including labour and sex trafficking. Jovana is active in advocacy through committees and campaigns for migrant worker rights, advancing protections for survivors of labour and sex trafficking and addressing systemic barriers to justice and status in Canada.
Inspector Colleen Bowers: Calgary Police Service
Colleen has been a dedicated member of the Calgary Police Service since 2000. She began her career with eight years of patrol duty responding to calls for service. Promoted to Sergeant in 2008, she joined the Professional Standards Section before moving to the District 3 General Investigations Unit as a Detective, where she received a Chief's Award Team Citation for leading a complex investigation.
Her passion for protecting vulnerable populations led her to the Child Abuse Unit, serving as both a Detective and the Sergeant of the Child At Risk Response Team for six years. Promoted to Staff Sergeant in 2018, she worked in the Real Time Operation Centre as a Duty Staff Sergeant overseeing operations for Calgary South, earning a Chief's Award for excellence in mental health intervention.
In late 2020, she joined the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team, leading the Auto Crimes and Human Trafficking Counter Exploitation units. Promoted to Inspector in 2024, she now oversees the Youth Services Section, which focuses on proactive youth education and prevention. Inspector Bowers is also a part of the YouthLink Board of Directors, furthering her commitment to empowering young people and fostering a safer community through proactive engagement.
Julia Drydyk: The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking
Julia has led the Centre as Executive Director since 2020, and brings to the role more than two decades of experience in community engagement, research, public policy and advocacy. Throughout her career, she has been a driving force behind numerous initiatives that address complex social challenges and support a safer, more just society for all.
Julia champions collective action, cultivating spaces for connection, shared learning and capacity building. Under her leadership, the Centre has become a catalyst for cross-sector partnerships, uniting survivors, governments, non-profits and private sector leaders in the fight to end all forms of human trafficking. Her work is grounded in a deep belief in the power of inclusive dialogue and community-led change.
Ashley Gaudry: Survivor and Advocate
Ashley is a passionate advocate and survivor in the fight against human trafficking. Having survived trafficking on three separate occasions before the age of 17—through her mother, a boyfriend, and a perpetrator at school—Ashley brings a deeply personal perspective to her work.
Today, she dedicates herself to advocacy, education, and empowering other survivors to find peace and purpose. With a focus on survivor rights, trauma-informed care, and prevention, Ashley is committed to helping others recognize the signs of trafficking and respond in safe, effective ways.
In her trainings, Ashley draws from both her lived experiences and professional insights, providing practical tools and raising awareness—particularly among foster parents, who play a crucial role in protecting vulnerable youth. She believes that prevention starts with awareness and strives to share her knowledge to support healing and safeguard those at risk.
Jenea Gomez: The Salvation Army Illuminate
Jenea is a dedicated advocate and leader in the fight against human trafficking. As the Director of Anti-Human Trafficking Programs for The Salvation Army Illuminate in British Columbia, she leads transformative initiatives to disrupt cycles of exploitation and restore dignity to survivors through education, intervention, and survivor support.
Guided by her faith, Jenea sees her role as a reflection of Christ’s love in action: her work is grounded not only in professional expertise but in a deep—rooted love of Jesus. She believes that healing and justice are sacred pursuits, and approaches each survivor’s story with compassion, humility, and fierce hope. Her leadership is marked by grace and grit, and her voice resonates with the conviction that light can reach even the darkest places.
Jenea knows firsthand the impact that dedicated nonprofits can have, and she is committed to ensuring The Salvation Army fulfills its mission to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs, and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world.
Cheryl Hotchkiss: International Justice Mission (IJM) Canada
Cheryl is IJM Canada’s Acting CEO and Vice President, Advancement and Strategy. She is an experienced non-profit leader providing support to efforts to change government policies and public attitudes, raised funds and awareness to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people for over 25 years.
Cheryl has been working in the social justice field for over 25 years with experience ranging from local community advocacy projects to international advocacy campaigns. She started her career with a local anti-violence organization moving on to campaigning for the rights of women globally at Amnesty International Canada and then to World Vision Canada where she help build their public advocacy campaigning efforts.
She has a BA in Political Science and History from Carleton University, an MA Human Systems Intervention from Concordia University and is currently working on advanced certification in Integral Coaching. She lives in Waterloo, Ontario with her husband. She has two young adult children pursuing post-secondary studies.
Shae Invidiata: Free-Them
Shae is the founder of Free-Them, a federally recognized not-for-profit and national leader in the fight against human trafficking. Since launching Free-Them in 2010, Shae’s advocacy has influenced changes to Canadian legislation—including contributing as a Stakeholder to three federal bills that amended the Criminal Code of Canada—and also the Federal Government’s National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, and positioned her as a sought-after speaker on platforms including TEDx. Her leadership in this space has been recognized with numerous honours, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the YMCA Peace Medallion, and the National Freedom Award. She has also been featured widely in national and local media, including The Globe and Mail, CBC, CBC Radio, CTV, The Toronto Star, GlobalTV, CityNews, and CP24 News.
Beyond her work with Free-Them, Shae is an impact-driven entrepreneur and philanthropist. With over 15 years in luxury real estate, she helped scale The Invidiata Team to over $6 billion in career sales, twice achieving the #1 RE/MAX Team Worldwide ranking. She is also the founder of The Wellthy CEO, an initiative dedicated to empowering women through financial literacy, wealth-building strategies, and wellness-based practices.
Staff Sergeant Gordon MacDonald: ALERT - Human Trafficking & Counter Exploitation
Gordon has served with the Calgary Police Service for over 20 years and currently holds the rank of Staff Sergeant. Throughout his career, he has held a variety of assignments including General Patrol, Domestic Violence, Major Crimes, Homicide, Professional Standards, Arrest Processing, and Criminal Identification. In March 2024, he was seconded to the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT), a provincial combined forces organization dedicated to combating serious organized crime. Based in Calgary, he leads the ALERT Human Trafficking and Counter Exploitation Unit, responsible for the southern half of Alberta, with a mandate focused on addressing sexual exploitation.
In addition to his Canadian policing career, he brings prior law enforcement experience from the United Kingdom. Gordon joined the Metropolitan Police Service in London in 1990, serving 15 years primarily in investigative roles across central London. His final five years were spent transitioning from drug trafficking investigations to sex offender management, working extensively within a multi-agency public protection framework.
Monica McIntyre: Aftercare International
Monica is a trauma-informed clinician, program designer, and nonprofit executive with a global impact. She brings over a decade of experience building clinical mental health and recovery frameworks that are both evidence-based and culturally responsive. As a certified trainer in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), Monica specializes in applying neuroscience to practice, training professionals in trauma-responsive care across diverse settings.
She is the founder and director of Lifeline Mental Health and Aftercare International, where she leads a multidisciplinary portfolio spanning clinical services, Medicaid compliance, peer recovery programs, and international shelter development for survivors of human trafficking. Monica is known for her ability to translate complex systems into actionable strategies — from drafting MOUs for cross-continental partnerships to supervising clinical teams and navigating state-level funding regulations.
Her leadership is rooted in integrity, innovation, and deep empathy. Whether collaborating with ministries abroad, shaping vocational programs for survivors, or guiding teams through ethical care models, Monica is committed to creating sustainable solutions that foster healing and long-term change.
Timea Nagy: Advocate, Author, Speaker, Producer
Timea is a best-selling author, award-winning human rights activist, and producer. Her journey as a survivor of sex trafficking has made her one of the leading voices and change-makers in the national and global movement against human trafficking. In 2009, Timea founded "Walk with Me," a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting police and victims of human trafficking. Her organization has aided over 300 victims and supported more than 500 human trafficking-related investigations throughout Canada. Notably, Timea played a critical role in Canada's largest human trafficking investigation, known as Project OPAPA, which was led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Niagara Falls Detachment. Additionally, she has contributed to multi-agency human trafficking operations, including victim rescues, and supported efforts in the United States alongside the Houston Human Trafficking Taskforce, former CIA agents, the FBI, Homeland Security, ICE, and local police, successfully breaking a major international case involving victims from Colombia.
Over the last decade, Timea has reached hundreds of thousands of individuals across various sectors, such as law enforcement, social services, finance, hospitality, real estate, and technology. She has also collaborated with social media giants like Facebook and Airbnb. In 2014, a Canadian-based anti-money laundering software company invited her to tour the United States to educate the financial sector about human trafficking and how to detect it through transaction monitoring. She played a significant role in initiating the globally recognized Private/Public Partnership Project Protect, which resulted in uncovering numerous organized crime operations related to human trafficking both in Canada and internationally.
Her contributions to the financial sector and her collaboration with Nasdaq/Verafin garnered media attention, leading to her invitation to join the United Nations Task Force against Modern Day Slavery, now known as the FAST Initiative, first as a commissioner and later as a strategic advisor. During this time, she was invited to present on a global tour to financial intelligence units, financial sectors, regulators, and the heads of state of several German-speaking countries.
In 2017, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights dedicated a section to display Timea’s survivor story in its slavery exhibition. Numerous organizations have recognized her efforts over the years. Timea is a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the Meritorious Medal of Canada, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and honors from the Prime Minister of Canada and the Governor General, among others. Her story has been featured in major media outlets such as Forbes, Bloomberg, The Economist, BBC, CNN, CTV, and The Social. Her memoir, *Out of the Shadows*, became an instant bestseller the week of its publication.
Jessica Ortiz: Fight4Freedom
Jessica, International Associate Director of Fight4Freedom, is dedicated to ending sex trafficking and has been serving with Fight4Freedom for the past six years in various roles within the Survivor Care department. With a background in Behavioral Science, she previously directed a social justice film festival, amplifying important narratives. Jessica is married to an entrepreneur and is a proud mother of three. She also enjoys contributing to her church community, serving on the creative and children’s ministry teams.
Ishani Slocombe: Survivor Restoration & Reintegration and Series Co-Creator
Ishani's missions journey began in 2002 with the founding of The Eden Centre, a school in the Dominican Republic dedicated to serving underprivileged children ages 4 to 12. For over two decades, the school has provided a Christ-centered, holistic education, integrating biblical teaching with foundational academics, life skills, and values that empower children to rise above poverty and realize their God-given potential.
In addition to her heart for missions, Ishani brings over 20 years of corporate experience in strategic operations and organizational development. As the former Information Technology Director of the Project Management Office (PMO) at KPMG Canada, she led diverse, multidisciplinary teams across complex operations. Her work focused on enterprise strategy development, process re-engineering, operational optimization, and the implementation of Key Performance Indicators to drive measurable impact and efficiency.
Now living in the Philippines with her husband and two children, Ishani and her husband are deeply involved in the fight against human trafficking, working together to bring hope, healing, and lasting change to the lives of survivors. Ishani walks alongside young women rescued from exploitation, guiding them through a journey of restoration, healing, and reintegration. Through job placement programs, life skills development, and spiritual mentorship, she is dedicated to equipping survivors with the tools they need to rebuild their lives with dignity, independence, and purpose.
Rooted in faith and driven by compassion, Ishani is passionate about creating sustainable pathways of healing, transformation, and hope for the most vulnerable.
Peter Slocombe: Rescue Operations
Peter has dedicated over 20 years to law enforcement, bringing both strength and compassion to the field. He served as a Manager at the Roy McMurtry Youth Centre, where he provided guidance and direction to at-risk youth, using every opportunity to point young men toward a life of purpose grounded in the Kingdom of God. Throughout his career, Peter has worked extensively with both youth and individuals with special needs under the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) and the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services (MCCSS). He is a seasoned mentor and leader, with a deep commitment to transformation and rehabilitation. Peter has earned multiple professional certifications, including Health and Safety Trainer designation through the Provincial Government of Ontario, and served as a Crisis Resolution Team (CRT) member with the Ministry of the Solicitor General (formerly the Ministry of Safety and Corrections). His background has equipped him with critical expertise in crisis intervention, risk assessment, and trauma-informed care.
Today, Peter serves on the frontlines of the fight against human trafficking. Leveraging his law enforcement experience, he works to rescue minors from the horrors of sex trafficking. His focus is on rescuing girls under 18, helping restore their freedom and dignity, and ensuring they receive the holistic support they need to heal and thrive.
Peter is passionate about transforming lives, spiritually, emotionally, and practically. His mission is to equip the whole person through sound biblical teaching, discipleship, and encouragement, empowering them to walk in freedom and hope.
Tamara Doerksen - Series Co-Creator and Facilitator
Tamara is a cross-sector leader, advocate, and storyteller with over three decades of experience spanning the nonprofit, public, and corporate sectors. She currently serves as Chief of Staff in the IT department at The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory, where she leads strategic initiatives that support frontline mission transformation and delivery.
Tamara is the founder of Uprooting Trafficking, an initiative focused on public awareness, survivor-centered education, and community-based action. In partnership with the Women’s Institute of Canada, she is co-creating and facilitating the Uprooting Human Trafficking series to engage citizens and leaders across the country.
She is also developing trauma-aware wellness retreats for survivors and frontline staff piloting in the Philippines with plans to expand across Canada and globally.
Tamara is the founder of Lonny’s Smile Foundation, a children’s charity, and co-host of the Rooted in Purpose with Jess + Tamara podcast—a space for women ready to stop playing small and live with bold, purpose-driven intention. A certified coach and trauma-aware wellness practitioner, she integrates strategy and healing in all she does.
Known for her clarity, care, and ability to build purposeful connections, Tamara creates spaces where awareness leads to action, and where change is rooted in compassion. Visit www.tamaradoerksen.com for more information.