My Projects
Here are some cool projects I’ve been involved with over the past few years. Some I started, some I helped start with other organizations and others I had the privilege of participating in!
Breaking Heels (LLC): Breaking Heels™ is a social venture, which transforms the collective power of consumers into a financial force against human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation (CSE). We developed a height-adjustable high heel shoe that fully transforms from a flat to a heel, making it ideal for day or night. We deliver a double-bottom line to our customers: innovation in footwear, comfort and style, and the opportunity to directly contribute to a social cause. Part of our proceeds from each pair sold will go toward combatting human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. By purchasing our shoes, our customers are wearing a symbol for the cause and directly helping to combat this issue. (Coming 2016)
Freedom Connect (501c3): Freedom Connect is an organization dedicated to developing and extending innovative information/communication technologies (ICTs) to advance anti-human trafficking resources and networks for survivors and activists. Below are a few of Freedom Connect’s projects:
The Survivors Quilt: The mission of The Survivor’s Quilt is to raise awareness about modern-day slavery and to honor the survival of slaves globally. The Survivor’s Quilt provides survivors with a creative medium of expression, healing and a space to directly participate in their own global awareness movement. Artwork has been digitized and turned into a global archive, featured in various museums such as the Museum of Tolerance, Los Angeles as well as the Museum of London, UK.
Survivors Connect Network: SCN is online resource and networking space for survivors of sexual violence and exploitation to connect, share and help one another, and be a united voice against violence.
Freedom Datamap – Freedom DataMap is a collaborative mapping project to gather information about human trafficking and efforts to achieve freedom from slavery globally. It is a space to share critical information about trafficking and anti-trafficking activity globally, promote transparency in our efforts, learn best practices, and understand current challenges and needs in our global effort. Uses Ushahidi as its core CMS, and the Freedom Connect team has added on various additional functions such as multiple point plotting and password protection.
Access to Justice Africa Legal Database – A visual map and database rating all African countries based on legal instruments to combat various forms of human trafficking and labor exploitation. (In partnership with Free Generation International)
iSpot Fair Trade – A platform for crowdsourcing information about where fair trade goods are sold in the US & Canada. (In Partnership with Fair Trade Resource Network)
Phones4Freedom – A mobile recycling campaign to raise funds and equipment for Survivors Connect partner programs. Conducted in partnership with The WirelessSource
Mwen Konte – meaning “I Count” in Haitian Creole. Mwen Konte is a platform to gather citizens’ voices and opinions about reconstruction efforts and contemporary politics in Haiti. (In partnership with Fondation Espoir)
Ayiti SMS Sekou “Help” – A SMS based helpline, reporting and monitoring system for victims of violence and exploitation. (In Partnership with KOFAVIV & FNJD)
SMS: Traffick Watch This program consists of committees of people who identify and discretely report crime, empower people to work with police to deter crime, reduce fear and aid them with evidence collection, investigation and networking with nearby groups. (In partnership with EPAWA, Internews, Ghana, Justice for my Sister, Guatemala)
SMS: Advice Line & Monitor This program allows organizations to maintain database of constituent mobile numbers and vulnerable population identification tags. Organizations can send blast messages about safe migration, human trafficking prevention, as well as recent cases of exploitation in the community (In Partnership with RaFH, Vietnam).
160 Fair Labor – is a South African social enterprise, working to connect informal sector workers with access to job opportunities and labor rights information via web & mobile phones. Supported by Oxford Emerge Social Venture Lab Fellowship.