Speakers

Chris Lim has worked in the human trafficking field since 2014 in law enforcement, NGO and academic capacities. Mr. Lim has conducted undercover and security operations, taught a human trafficking course at the University of Alabama, and regularly speaks at conferences and conducts trainings for key stakeholders. Chris has worked internationally and throughout the United States. Mr. Lim was appointed by the Alabama Attorney General to lead Alabama’s statewide human trafficking task force. He currently serves as the Director of Research and Policy at the Institute for Shelter Care. Chris is the author of a book and is published in several academic journals and textbooks. He has an MBA and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy at Liberty University.

Dr. Ben Brewster works as part of the Rights Lab’s Business Programme. His research focuses on the use of online technologies in human trafficking and modern slavery, including the role that digital platforms themselves can play in prevention and discovery. Ben has a research background in the evolving methods and behaviour of organised criminals and has worked extensively with international law enforcement agencies, including EUROPOL, on a range of crime issues and their intersections with internet misuse and cybercrime.

John Nehme believes in the inherent value of every human. As the founding President and CEO of Allies Against Slavery, he’s watched the anti-trafficking movement attempt to solve an “invisible” problem without the data it needs for far too long. Under his leadership, Allies launched Lighthouse, an innovative software platform to identify victims and visualize data. John serves as an expert witness in sex trafficking cases. He and his wife enjoy exploring the outdoors with their four children and are active in Austin’s faith community.

Jarrett Davis is a New York City-based social researcher and consultant with over a decade of experience studying child protection and anti-trafficking issues in Southeast Asia. He holds degrees in Philosophy and Religion from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and intercultural communication at Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary in the Philippines. Jarrett has worked with numerous international organizations, including ECPAT International, Terre des Hommes Netherlands, and Love146, focusing on understanding and addressing the vulnerabilities of marginalized children, particularly boys, young men, and LGBTQ youth in the Philippines, Cambodia, and Thailand. He has authored peer-reviewed articles, produced NGO reports, and presented his findings at conferences across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the United States. Alongside his research, Mr. Davis serves on the Freedom Collaborative Advisory Board, works as the Asia Research Consultant for up! International, and collaborates with the South-South Institute on Sexual Violence Against Men and Boys and the ChabDai Coalition. His work provides critical insights for shaping inclusive and effective policies and interventions to combat child exploitation in Southeast Asia and globally.

Dr. Martha Felini is an epidemiologist at the University of North Texas Health Science Center College of Osteopathic Medicine – Department of Pediatrics and Women’s Health and also affiliate faculty at Texas Christian University School of Medicine. She received a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and MPH in Biostatistics and Epidemiology from Texas A&M University-College Station. Dr. Felini has nearly two decades research experience using population-level data to understand health disparities in our most historically underrepresented populations and evaluate prevention programs designed to mitigate these disparities. Her research work has been supported by NIH, CPRIT, HRSA, and CDC funding and received recognition by AACR as among the most innovative and high impact research being conducted in the field of health disparities. A centerpiece of her research was partnering with Dallas law enforcement and over 35 community organizations in a 5 year street initiative providing a safe exit strategy, medical triage assessment, and social services directly to the streets for truck stop and street sex workers along interstate corridors in Dallas – many with current or past experiences in human trafficking. Findings were used to change Texas law in 2012 (SB#484) and produced a baseline health profile for healthcare organizations providing care for trafficking survivors. Dr. Felini is an active speaker at conferences, community events, hospital programs, and health professional schools training our next generation of healthcare providers how to identify and respond to human trafficking survivors within clinical settings.

Ian Hassell co-founded The Network in 2013 after 10 years in the intelligence community where he worked in North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central America. He grew up in Roanoke, VA, earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cedarville University and an MS in Telecommunications from Southern Methodist University. He began his career as an officer in the US Air Force in 1996. Ian resides in Northern Virginia with his wife and three children.

Nicole Gallego is an operations Director in the organization El Pozo de Vida, a nonprofit based in Mexico City dedicated to the fight against human trafficking. Currently her job responsibilities include grant writing, project design, monitoring, and evaluation, strategic planning, organizational development, and social diagnosis research. She has a master’s in social work from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) where she is also an adjunct professor and researcher in the National School of Social Work where she teaches methodology in social work diagnostic assessment and program design. Her research topics include violence against women, male consumers of prostitution, gender studies, child trafficking and exploitation. Her work has been published in several anthology collections as well as an academic journal.

Christopher Kemp is a seasoned security professional with background and experience operating in austere overseas environments and permissive environments. Christopher brings with him knowledge and experience employing intelligence to sharpen training and operational success, team building, leadership, and management skills. Christopher has been working specifically on the human trafficking and exploitation problem set for nearly four years working specifically with the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative within operations and occasionally instructs in the use of OSINT, Dark Web Intelligence and Blockchain forensics in combating Human Trafficking and Exploitation.

Silvija Krupena is a financial crime expert at RedCompass Labs with two decades of international experience in the financial sector. She has a certifiable track record in fields such as Payments, Open Banking, Financial Crime, and Regulations. Silvija has achieved the Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS) and the Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) professional qualifications. Silvija leads the development of the RedFlag Accelerator, the award-winning and largest single source of human trafficking typologies for financial services globally. She is a key driver of RedCompass Labs’ Financial Crime services, working to improve the detection, investigation, and disruption of these crimes.

Dr. Annamaria Szakonyi is an assistant professor and consultant working at the intersection of technology and society. Her passion is in the application of technology, data and policy to combat human trafficking and the exploitation of women and children. She has contributed her expertise to various anti-trafficking boards, ranging from regional initiatives to UN-level policy efforts. She's received distinguished awards like Saint Louis University's Geospatial Research and Innovation Award and scholarships from various governments and intergovernmental organizations. Her work spans peer-reviewed publications with publishers like IEEE and Springer, covering topics from human trafficking to cybersecurity, data science and diversity in technology. With over 15 years' experience in the IT and innovation sectors in both technical and leadership roles, she continues to advocate for and mentor women in tech.