Our Team
Cassandra Clifford, Founder and
Executive Director
Cassandra Clifford has been a human rights activist for nearly twenty years and has spent the last six fully dedicating her life to the fight against modern slavery. She founded the Bridge to Freedom Foundation out of both passion and need after years as serving as a non-profit freelance writer. Cassandra's main personal objective is to bring awareness to, and combat modern day slavery in all forms. Her experiences have allowed her to develop the foundation and plan necessary to help bridge the gaps in the fight against modern slavery.
Cassandra has done academic research in the areas of: The Use of Rape as a Weapon of War; Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide in the Former Soviet Union; Child Soldiers and Human Trafficking. Cassandra has previously worked in both the corporate and charity sector for various industries and causes including: Child Trafficking, Learning Disabilities, Publishing, Marketing, Public Relations and Fashion. Cassandra is also the Children's Rights Writer for the Foreign Policy Association (you can see more on her at
Children's Rights Blog). Additionally, Cassandra also writes for the Examiner as the
DC Human Rights Examiner and has also sat on the leadership board for the DC based citizen activist group
Stop Modern Slavery.
Originally from the Greater Kansas City, Missouri area, Cassandra has also lived in England, Ireland, Germany and Russia. Her passion for travelling has given her the necessary exposure required to understand Human Trafficking on a global level. Cassandra holds an M.A. in International Relations from Dublin City University in Ireland, as well as a B.A. in Marketing and an A.S. in Fashion Merchandising from Johnson Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Seda Nak, Intern
Veronica Amaya, Fundraising and
Marketing Associate
Rachel Duran, Programs Associate
Betty Osias Kivuvu, Programs
Associate
Betty is a graduate student in Economic
Policy Analysis at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She
began her overseas volunteer work in Congo where she founded a
nonprofit with a colleague which worked to improve the life of
low-income students and help them fund their education with
farming and farming-related activities. Additional experience
includes tutoring computer literacy to adults who had neither a
high school degree of GED. She currently works part time as a
tutor for undergraduate student athletes in Economics and
Accounting.
Jessica Li, Program and Development
Associate
Jessica Li has always been passionate about
and committed to human rights issues. Her interest in combating
modern day slavery stems from witnessing firsthand the
atrocities of human trafficking in a red-light district in
Indonesia. Jessica is currently the Outreach Coordinator at the
International Rescue Committee (IRC)'s Baltimore Regional
Office. In this capacity, she represents IRC on the Victim
Services Subcommittee of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task
Force and assists with the Rapid Response Team. She also serves
as the Volunteer Coordinator for Courtney's House, a non-profit
organization in D.C. that assists girls who have been victims of
trafficking.
Jessica holds a MPA degree (with a
concentration in Human Rights and Social Justice) from Cornell
University, and a BA in Political Science and International
Relations from Syracuse University. She has traveled extensively
throughout Western Europe, and has study and work experience in
London, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Shanghai. She also has
consulting experience in Bogotà (Colombia). Her academic
research has focused on policy responses to child sex
trafficking in Thailand and Nepal and on the public health
effects of trafficking on survivors. She most recently presented
her research and findings at Cornell University's Summit on
International Women's Issues in March 2009.
Tracey Livingston, Public Relations
and Development Associate
Tracey Livingston works as an Administrative
Assistant at the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC). She
provides direct administrative support to the Executive
Director, facilitates the organizations Members Services
projects, as well as carries out research and website
maintenance.
Prior to joining NYEC, Tracey worked for four
years as a Team Leader and Program Assistant for
Jumpstart
, a national non-profit organization that works with at-risk
preschoolers in Head Start schools. Working as a Team Leader she
managed a group of ten undergraduates by providing in-classroom
support along with the facilitation of team meetings. As the
Program Assistant, she collaborated with the Site Manager on an
array of administrative procedures, site trainings, and
projects.
Tracey has worked with youth internationally
in Belize City, Belize where she taught local elementary school
students. In addition, she traveled to Dubai, UAE in 2008 and
2009 to be an International Facilitator for the Dubai Women's
College of Technology's annual Insight Dubai conference. Tracey
went to
Bridgewater State College
in Massachusetts where she earned both a B.A. in Political
Science and a B.S. in Psychology.
Renae Post, Program Development
Fellow
Renae Post graduated from North Central
University in May 2009 with a B.S. in Psychology. Upon hearing
about modern day slavery, Renae determined that she was going to
do something about it. She originally studied under Dr. Beth
Grant, founder of Project Rescue in India. During this time she
conducted an analysis on the programming of a local NGO,
Minorities and Survivor's Improving Empowerment (MASIE). From
there Renae volunteered with Breaking Free, an anti-trafficking
organization that works with prostituted women and children.
Experience at Breaking Free aided her internship with Shared
Hope International. Here she had the chance to create a mental
health intake and guide for mental health practitioners. This
guide is to help identify potential victims of domestic minor
sex trafficking. Also, Renae aided the planning of the National
Training Conference on the Sex Trafficking of American Youth.
Practical experience enabled Renae to develop an
anti-trafficking organization on North Central University's
campus, Release, where she presented at multiple forums and
raised awareness of modern day slavery. Release partners with
many organizations in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and also
works with Not For Sale to develop an intercollegiate task
force. Now that Renae has graduated she plans on a career in the
anti-trafficking field.
Board of Directors
Rhonda Hegazi
Rhonda is Bridge to Freedom Foundation's Board of Directors Chair.
She has worked as a public interest lawyer at the Public Defender
Service for the District of Columbia representing
DC Code offenders in parole revocation hearings before the United States
Parole Commission. Rhonda
has also worked as
an international and human rights lawyer and advocate in various
capacities and has lived in China (2005 - 2007) and the Middle
East (2007- 2009).
Rhonda became a human trafficking advocate in 2005 when she moved to
China where trafficking of women and children remains a problem.
Sociologists blame the nation's "one child" family planning
policy which is aimed at controlling the world's largest
population. People who live in urban areas are generally allowed
one child, while rural families can have two if the first is a
girl. This has put a
premium on baby boys, while baby girls are often sold off as
couples try for a male heir.
Rhonda holds her Bachelor and Law degrees from the University of Maryland
and is a certified Mediator. In addition to running and
travelling, Rhonda mostly enjoys spending time with her daughter
Zahra.
Michael Grossi
Michael W. Grossi, DBA, MAT, RFC,
and CLTC is currently the General Agent/Managing Director of TEAM
Financial Strategies, LLC in Warwick, Rhode Island and specializes
in providing Financial Protection and Long Term Care Solutions to
his clients.
Grossi earned his Doctorate in
Business Administration in Organizational Leadership from Belford
University in 2006 and did his Undergraduate Studies at Johnson &
Wales earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Education/Management in 1995, a MAT in Teaching in Business
Education in 1999 and another Bachelor of Science degree in
Financial Service Management in 2001. Michael made a career change
to the Financial Services Industry in 2000 as a FINRA Registered
Representative at Quick & Reilly, Inc. in Lincoln, Rhode Island
after teaching Business Education to High School and Middle School
students throughout the state of Rhode Island from 1995-2000.
Since starting TEAM Financial Strategies in March 2009, Grossi has
hired seven new career financial advisors and developed a team of
over 25 brokers to promote and sell the One America products
throughout Rhode Island and Connecticut. He is also responsible
for building the agency and expanding market share in Rhode
Island, Southern Massachusetts and Connecticut for the One America
Companies. Grossi is also in charge of managing the day to day
operations of the agency along with recruiting, developing,
training, leading advisors, brokers and office staff to build a
successful career and teaches his insurance agents to always put
the client first and treat them with integrity and the highest
ethical standards.
Grossi has served in various
leadership roles in the financial services industry and in
community organizations. He is a member of the Board of Directors
and Professional Development Committee for NAIFA-RI (National
Association of Insurance and Financial-Rhode Island). Michael is
also a member of the Greater Providence Metro Senior Resource
Alliance, Past President and current Treasurer of the Greater
Providence Kiwanis Club and Past President and current Chair of
the Programs Committee for the Johnson & Wales University Alumni
Council. In the Financial Services and Insurance Industry, Grossi
has earned the industry designations of RFC (Registered Financial
Consultant) and CLTC (Certified in Long Term Care. He is also a
National LTC Partnership Training Instructor.
In his spare time, Grossi hosts
the “Financial Protection Hour” on Talk Radio 920 WHJJ on Saturday
mornings, volunteers in the community and enjoys playing golf and
spending time with his wife Diane and two children Marissa and
Matthew. Grossi and his family reside in North Providence, Rhode
Island.
Sara Guderyahn
Sara currently works at The Sheridan Group,
where she lobbies on behalf of international NGOs and
philanthropic organizations. Since joining The Sheridan Group in
2006, Sara helped to form The Action Group to End Human
Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery. This coalition represents
some of the front line experts who work day to day to end human
trafficking and modern day slavery in the United States and
around the world. As manager of The Action Group for the past
two years, Sara formed and implemented government relations
strategy to ensure the coalition's legislative priorities were
achieved.
Before joining The Sheridan Group, Sara
worked for ContactTrust in Capetown, South Africa. She helped
bridge the divide between South African parliamentarians and
newly formed NGOs, training the NGO leadership teams. In 2006,
Sara worked for Senator Richard Durbin and focused on education
and health care legislation.
She holds her Bachelors and Masters degree in
political science from American University. When she's not
working, Sara enjoys watching the Chicago Cubs and spending time
with her family and two dogs.
Tom Bullotta
Advisory Board
Sally Stoecker
Sally has been managing projects and conducting
research on human trafficking and child exploitation sponsored by
the Departments of State and Justice since 1997. She has served as
research professor and consultant to
American
University’s Transnational
Crime and Corruption
Center, lead assessor and
writer at Shared Hope International, and development associate at CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of DC.
Sally directed two major
grants to develop and conduct human trafficking curricula and law
enforcement training for 40 Russian, Moldovan, and Georgian
investigators and prosecutors in Budapest,
Hungary, in 2001. With Louise
Shelley, Sally co-edited the book “Human Traffic and Transnational
Crime: Eurasian and American Perspectives,” published in 2004 and
in 2005 she co-authored “Russia’s
Abandoned Children: An Intimate Understanding” with Clementine
Fujimura. While at Shared Hope International, Sally researched and
drafted the report Demand,
based on excellent field data from a variety of international
sources.
She has published
numerous articles, and addressed many focusing on human trafficking and
Russian politics, including her dissertation:
Forging Stalin’s Army:
Marshal Tukhachevsky and the politics of military innovation..
Sally received her doctorate from the
School of Advanced International Studies, Johns
Hopkins
University in 1995 and
worked as a research associate on Soviet military strategy at the RAND Corporation from 1981 to 1993. She teaches
courses on human trafficking, migration, and transnational crime
at American University.
Kelsey Buchanan
Kelsey is Bridge to Freedom Foundation's
Board Secretary. Kelsey was first introduced to the
problem of human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery,
in 2000 when she read a Newsweek article on the passing of the
Trafficking Victim's Protection Act. Surprised that slavery
still existed within U.S. borders, Kelsey founded a student
group at the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana with the
goal of education and outreach.
In 2005, Kelsey formally started researching
the dynamics of human trafficking through a graduate program at
Washington University in St Louis. The research accumulated in
an M.S.W. degree focusing on issues of violence and exploitation
and developing both macro (e.g., international and policy level)
and micro (e.g., grassroots, community, and therapeutic)
interventions.
Kelsey has researched human trafficking
professionally with both NGOs and For-Profits. She has continued
to apply research for the practical development of multi-sector
interventions impacting law enforcement, NGOs, community
members, and policy makers.
If you are interested in joining our
team, please see our Opportunities page.
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