Imagine Freedom

In this episode, host Robin Hassler Thompson imagines freedom with Daniela Deas, a trauma-informed professional, survivor leader and social justice advocate with over eight years of experience supporting youth and adults impacted by sex trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation and gender-based violence. Daniela currently serves as a Survivor Mentor with You Are More Than, Inc., providing group and one-on-one mentorship and supporting economic empowerment through career guidance and small business development. She also works as a Human Trafficking Collaborative Strategic Advisor with the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, where she supports federally funded anti-trafficking programs nationwide. Daniela’s background includes direct service, prevention education, and systems-level collaboration with organizations such as Pace Center for Girls, Kristi House, Fair Girls, and the Jewish Community Center. In 2023, she founded Survivors HOPE, a survivor-led nonprofit dedicated to healing and empowerment for commercially sexually exploited youth involved in delinquency systems. A national speaker and panelist, Daniela is known for centering survivor voices, challenging tokenism, and advancing collaborative, equity-driven responses to trafficking. At the Imagine Freedom 2026 Symposium, she brought both lived and professional expertise to the conversation on ending sex trafficking and building survivor-centered systems of care. Show Notes Survivors Hope The Thrive Space Daniela and Robin discussed this Human Trafficking Symposium Here’s Part 1 and Part 2 of Carter’s Story, 2-minute videos that show how a young boy is groomed by a trafficker. National Human Trafficking Hotline (24/7) to answer questions, connect to resources and get help: 888-373-7888 Florida Department of Children and Family Services (DCF) Abuse Hotline: 800-962-2873 Support Human Trafficking Survivors through STAC Your gift directly empowers trafficking survivors and the community! Give Now     The post Episode 12: Daniela Deas appeared first on Survive and Thrive.

This Imagine Freedom podcast is a little different because we’ve adapted it from a webinar that STAC hosted, where we featured The Thrive Space, a great website created by and for survivors of human trafficking and exploitation. In this episode, host Robin Hassler Thompson imagines freedom with Jamie Rosseland, an expert and brilliant consultant to STAC who created the Thrive Space website with us. This platform is dedicated to eliminating the noise of other websites and providing clear, empowering information for those impacted by trafficking and other forms of exploitation. If you want to know more, you can watch the full webinar and actually see them move through pages of the Thrive Space website.   Support Human Trafficking Survivors through STAC Your gift directly empowers trafficking survivors and the community! Give Now     The post Episode 11: Exploring The Thrive Space Website appeared first on Survive and Thrive.

Katie Papke, LMSW, CAADC, CCHTVSP In this episode, host Robin Hassler Thompson imagines freedom with Katie Papke, LMSW, CAADC, CCHTVSP. Katie is a human trafficking survivor. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker, Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor and a Clinically Certified Human Trafficking Victims Services Provider. Katie has her own private therapy practice and has a passion for providing trauma treatment to survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, and other traumas. Katie has years of experience in community education and consultation. She is a School of Social Work Program Associate Professor at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich., teaching classes on human trafficking. She has provided over 120 national and international trainings on human trafficking and is a HEAL Trafficking trainer and subject matter expert. Katie graduated from Florida State University with her Bachelors and Masters of Social Work in 2006. Katie serves on the Denver Anti-Trafficking Alliance (DATA) Advisory Survivor Board, the Colorado Human Trafficking Council Survivor Leader Advisory Board and the 3Strands Global Foundation Survivor Advisory Board. She is active in her local West Michigan human trafficking task force and serves on the Board of Sacred Beginnings, providing services to those who have experienced human trafficking. Katie has provided expert consultation with the Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign, Polaris Project, HEAL Trafficking, Freedom Network Training Institute and the Michigan Abolitionist Project. In 2024, Katie was appointed by the Governor to the state of Michigan’s Human Trafficking Commission as the vice-chair. Katie was recently awarded “40 under 40 Boston Congress of Public Health Catalyst Award” for her achievement at the Department of Veteran Affairs in shaping human trafficking as a public health concern. Katie lives in Michigan with her two daughters. Show Notes Contact Katie at: Katie Papke, LMSW, CAADC, CCHTVSP Life Support Counseling and Coaching, LLC 2730 5 Mile Rd NE Suite 101 Grand Rapids, MI 49525 (616) 426-9104 Connect with Katie on LinkedIn Additional Resources You can listen to Katie as she discusses the intersection of Trauma and Human Trafficking in two webinars. They are part of STAC’s “Third Friday Webinar Series.” Katie and Robin talked about the excellent Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Video Series called “Faces of Human Trafficking.” Unfortunately, the webpage for this video series is “temporarily unavailable.” If OVC makes it available in the future, it may be found at the original link here. Sex and Labor Trafficking Power and Control Wheel – It is based on the Duluth Power and Control Wheel.   Support Human Trafficking Survivors through STAC Your gift directly empowers trafficking survivors and the community! Give Now     The post Episode 10: Katie Papke – Part 2 appeared first on Survive and Thrive.

Evelyn Chumbow In this episode, host Robin Hassler Thompson imagines freedom with Evelyn Chumbow, a survivor of child labor trafficking turned anti-trafficking activist and public speaker who has focused her life’s work on ending modern-day slavery, a crime impacting some 40 million victims globally. Ms. Chumbow was brought to the United States from Cameroon at the age of 9 and was forced to cook, clean, and care for her trafficker’s children. She was never paid for her work, and any hope that she might escape was undermined by the constant beatings she received from her trafficker. After years of captivity she finally escaped, and her trafficker was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Today, Ms. Chumbow works tirelessly to raise awareness and advocate for other survivors. She strongly believes in the need for professional development for survivors and dedicates her time volunteering at the grassroots level to guide communities on how to create employment opportunities for trafficking survivors. Among her many honors, Ms. Chumbow is the recipient of the 2021 Abolitionist Award from the Nomi Network, the 2018 African Heroine Award from the Ohio University African Student Union, and the 2015 Peace Seeking Award from the Presbyterian National Church. In 2021, Ms. Chumbow was selected to be included in the launch of Voices of Freedom, an initiative created by Story Corps and the Administration for Children and Families, in honor of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Ms. Chumbow has serves as an advisor to human trafficking NGOs. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Human Trafficking Legal Center and Free The Slaves. She has worked at the law firm of Baker & McKenzie LLP in Washington, DC, where she supports human trafficking and human rights related pro bono initiatives for seven years. Ms. Chumbow is currently the Director of Operations & Survivor Leadership Director for The Human Trafficking Legal Center. Ms. Chumbow hopes to leverage her unique position as a former child slave to end human trafficking in West Africa, in her hometown, and the rest of the world. Show Notes Contact Evelyn at: Evelyn Chumbow Director of Advocacy & Survivor Leadership The Human Trafficking Legal Center 1030 15th Street, NW #104B Washington, DC 20005 (202) 849-5815 Connect with Evelyn on LinkedIn More Resources Human Trafficking Legal Center Racism and the Anti-Trafficking Movement National Human Trafficking Hotline Webinar with Evelyn Chumbow on Child Labor Trafficking Investing in Survivors of Labor Trafficking Through the Harriet Tubman Fellowship Support Human Trafficking Survivors through STAC Your gift directly empowers trafficking survivors and the community! Give Now     The post Episode 9: Evelyn Chumbow appeared first on Survive and Thrive.

Katie Papke, LMSW, CAADC, CCHTVSP In this episode, host Robin Hassler Thompson imagines freedom with Katie Papke, LMSW, CAADC, CCHTVSP. Katie is a human trafficking survivor. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker, Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor and a Clinically Certified Human Trafficking Victims Services Provider. Katie has her own private therapy practice and has a passion for providing trauma treatment to survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, and other traumas. Katie has years of experience in community education and consultation. She is a School of Social Work Program Associate Professor at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich., teaching classes on human trafficking. She has provided over 120 national and international trainings on human trafficking and is a HEAL Trafficking trainer and subject matter expert. Katie graduated from Florida State University with her Bachelors and Masters of Social Work in 2006. Katie serves on the Denver Anti-Trafficking Alliance (DATA) Advisory Survivor Board, the Colorado Human Trafficking Council Survivor Leader Advisory Board and the 3Strands Global Foundation Survivor Advisory Board. She is active in her local West Michigan human trafficking task force and serves on the Board of Sacred Beginnings, providing services to those who have experienced human trafficking. Katie has provided expert consultation with the Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign, Polaris Project, HEAL Trafficking, Freedom Network Training Institute and the Michigan Abolitionist Project. In 2024, Katie was appointed by the Governor to the state of Michigan’s Human Trafficking Commission as the vice-chair. Katie was recently awarded “40 under 40 Boston Congress of Public Health Catalyst Award” for her achievement at the Department of Veteran Affairs in shaping human trafficking as a public health concern. Katie lives in Michigan with her two daughters. Show Notes Contact Katie at: Katie Papke, LMSW, CAADC, CCHTVSP Life Support Counseling and Coaching, LLC 2730 5 Mile Rd NE Suite 101 Grand Rapids, MI 49525 (616) 426-9104 Connect with Katie on LinkedIn Read Robin’s article on the subject of family as traffickers published in the Tallahassee Democrat. Support Human Trafficking Survivors through STAC Your gift directly empowers trafficking survivors and the community! Give Now     The post Episode 8: Katie Papke, LMSW, CAADC, CCHTVSP appeared first on Survive and Thrive.

Hollie Nadel In this episode host Robin Hassler Thompson imagines freedom with Hollie Nadel. Hollie’s perspectives and experiences are unique and important to ending human trafficking. They discuss how she trains bankers and anti-money laundering experts all over the country on how to spot human trafficking and detect these crimes throughout the financial sector. Hollie has testified before Congress, advocating for new laws to help survivors. She also shares how traffickers can target anyone with an unmet need, including someone like her. Hollie opens the door for us to see how traffickers need banks and other businesses to hide and move their criminal profits. She also takes time to dispel one of the myths about who can be vulnerable to a trafficker. She helps us understand how this happened to her, and at the same time, how she moves forward in her life, helping others. Hollie also brings us up to date on the latest tools and laws to help sex and labor trafficking survivors be more economically secure and thrive. We hope you find this conversation enlightening and motivating so you, too, can understand how pervasive sex and labor trafficking is and what YOU can do to help.   Show Notes TRSA HR 7137 Coalition Letter 118th Congress UNU Article Financial Recovery and Reintegration of Survivors National Governors Association Resources PolarisMVA Credit Repair Fact Sheet Support Human Trafficking Survivors through STAC Your gift directly empowers trafficking survivors and the community! Give Now     The post Episode 7: Hollie Nadel appeared first on Survive and Thrive.

Every year, STAC hosts an event called Imagine Freedom to recognize community leaders who have made a difference in the lives of people who have been sex and labor trafficked. And we use this event to raise funds to support the comprehensive services that STAC provides to survivors. We also acknowledge and thank those who have worked hard to prevent trafficking from happening in the first place. This year at 621 Gallery, we decided to bring a bit of Imagine Freedom, the event, on this Imagine Freedom podcast. You’re going to hear some background noise because we had a record-breaking attendance. You’ll hear some clapping too as people were being awarded the 2024 Gratitude Awards as we were recording. The event was terrific and really exceeded my expectations in ways I could NOT imagine! And by the way, if you want to know more, the program from the event is in the show notes. You’ll also learn a little bit about another highlight of our event – it is a mural called “From Surviving to Thriving” that local artist Nipa Thakkar Eason created. More about this mural, including Nipa’s artist statement, can also be found on STAC website and show notes to this episode. As you listen, you‘ll get a glimpse into our evening as well as insights and ideas about what YOU can do to recognize and respond to sex and labor trafficking. You’ll learn about free resources. And you’ll also get a sense of the tremendous power of community coming together to be there for one another and to make a difference. Like the quote from Bishop Desmond Tutu on the mural says: “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” I hope you are inspired by the people you are about to hear and truly enjoy this episode. Show Notes Imagine Freedom 2024 Graciela Marquina, MSW, STAC Community Services Advocate Transcript (in English) My name is Graciela Marquina, and I’m here because I work at STAC, the Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center. I want to support my cause and the organization I work for. It’s important for me to continue learning about human trafficking and also for other people to know what we do and the problem we have in our communities with human trafficking — forcing another person to do something that person doesn’t want to do. It can be at work or sexual treatment. And both happen in our community here in Tallahassee, and in other communities. It’s important for me that people know what they have to do. First, what are the signs when someone is being exploited and when it is human trafficking. Because this way we can call people like us who are going to help victims and survivors of human trafficking. And it was very important for me to see today the support we have from our community. I am very excited that so many people came and understood the problem. I hope we all learn more, continue learning what’s important, and also support non-profit organizations like mine to continue supporting people who are victims. And when they come out, they are survivors but still need a lot of help. The post Episode 6: 2024 Imagine Freedom Event appeared first on Survive and Thrive.

Jamie Rosseland In this episode, we imagine freedom with Jamie Rosseland. Jamie is a lived-experience expert on the topic of human trafficking – and she brings a wealth of knowledge, compassion and incisive analysis to our conversation. We go deep to examine the context of how traffickers target people, especially youth, and what we can do. Jamie is one of several survivor experts who consults with STAC and grounds our work. Related Resources STACPRO Human Trafficking Business Training National Human Trafficking Hotline The post Episode 5: Jamie Rosseland appeared first on Survive and Thrive.

Sameer Jain In this episode, we Imagine Freedom with Sameer Jain. Sameer is a survivor of labor trafficking. He also is an immigrant who The Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center had the honor of working with when he and his family came to Tallahassee after being trafficked. Sameer is a compelling and thoughtful person. He reflects deeply, and in a common-sense way, about how our systems need to look at this issue of human trafficking differently and what we as individuals can do to help so that, as he says, even one person can realize that what is happening to them is wrong and that there is help. Sameer is also a great public policy thinker, and we talk about what elected leaders and us regular people can do at the national, state and local levels to make a difference. And by the way, this podcast is not the only place that Sameer is speaking out: The US Department of Justice has invited him to speak and he is on a prestigious national human trafficking survivor council. Sameer also helps us to see how people in the private sector need to be educated about this topic and take immediate action. Related Resources STACPRO Human Trafficking Business Training The goal of this free, on-demand training is to help the thousands of businesses in our area know what to look for so they can see the signs of human trafficking and take action. This training will be useful to all workplaces: hotels, restaurants, the financial sector, retail outlets, offices, profit and non-profit sectors alike, and many more. Start the free training at stacpro.org. The post Episode 4: Sameer Jain appeared first on Survive and Thrive.

Dr. Jacquelynn Hairston In this episode, we imagine freedom with Dr. Jacquelynn Hairston, a public health consultant and human trafficking survivor with a PhD in public health education who is a passionate and involved community advocate here in the Big Bend of Florida. During our conversation, you will hear how she takes a wide-angle lens to how human trafficking happens, especially to children, both in our communities and within families. Dr. Hairston offers advice and support to those impacted by this issue, whether as a child or later as an adult. Her experiences as a child and her work with so many other survivors is eye-opening and riveting. So, if you’re a parent or family member with youth in your life, or are a healthcare provider, work in the justice system, or are a caring person in our community who wants to know more, this episode will help you learn a lot about how YOU can help end human trafficking in your community. Related Resources Project Swan STACPRO Free Human Trafficking Business Training National Human Trafficking Hotline   The post Episode 3: Dr. Jacquelynn Hairston appeared first on Survive and Thrive.