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Bryon Lippincott is the Head of Communications and Digital Engagment for Free the Slaves. He is passionate about helping people who are marginalized or vulnerable experience safe and abundant lives within healthy communities, as well as helping organizations represent the people who participate in their programs in ways that honor their dignity and respect their value as human beings.

Prior to working for Free the Slaves, Bryon ran a creative agency specializing in strategic communications and media production for NGOs in Asia. He has partnered with more than 100 organizations and individuals in 13 countries. In this role, he partnered with organizations working with child vulnerability, anti-trafficking, HIV/AIDS, refugees, agriculture, poverty alleviation/community development, and education.

Though Bryon was born and raised in Nebraska, USA, on a family farm, his love for culture and humanitarian causes brought him to Asia, where he has been living and working for more than ten years. He lived in China and Cambodia before moving to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he lives now with his wife, two teenage children, and two cats.

Bryon holds an M.A. in Strategic Communication from California Baptist University.

Sherrynorth Lamisi Attakora, known as Missi Resilience, is a human trafficking survivor turned global advocate for marginalized communities. Overcoming immense hardships as an orphan, street child, single mother, and trafficking victim, she has transformed her experiences into a mission to empower others. Sherrynorth founded the Sherrynorth Real Life Foundation (SRLF), which supports survivors, single mothers, orphans, and street children through emotional support, skills training, and reintegration opportunities.

Currently a Strategic Communication student at Knutsford University College, Sherrynorth blends her education with advocacy, using media platforms like Real Life with Missi on UNFPA’s Orange Radio and TikTok to amplify survivor stories. Her leadership includes collaborations with Survivor Alliance and IOM to drive systemic change and assist trafficking victims.

Sherrynorth’s creative talents shine through her songs, performances, and an upcoming book and movie chronicling her journey of resilience. Her innovative work links human trafficking with environmental issues, demonstrating a fresh approach to advocacy. A trailblazer and inspiration, Sherrynorth’s story embodies the power of determination to turn adversity into hope and empowerment for others.

Elisa Franceschinis has over 17 years of experience working in the non-profit sector in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. For the past 9 years she has been the Managing Director of en.v, a Kuwait-based non-profit dedicated to promoting equity, transforming mindsets, fostering agency, and strengthening solidarity through inclusive, participatory approaches. In last decade, she has focused on developing programs that support underserved communities and youth in building engagement skills while collaboratively addressing systemic barriers to inclusion and creating safe spaces for cross-sector collaboration. She has extensive experience developing and delivering training to civil society organizations and grassroots activists in topics such as strategic planning, governance, program design and evaluation, as well as in facilitating the creation of collaborative networks. She has also led several participatory research projects focused on promoting greater inclusion across civil society and the education sector. Passionate about shifting the narrative on migration in the Gulf, Elisa works to foster dialogue between civil society, public and private institutions, and migrant workers, promoting intersectional analyses and more compassionate, equitable policies and systems. Elisa has an MA in Gender Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, and a BA in Political Science from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver.

Rima Kalush is the program manager of Migrant-Rights.org, an advocacy and research organization focused on the Gulf states and wider Southwest Asia-North Africa region. Her work has been published and referenced by Al Jazeera, the International Labour Organisation, and Jadaliyya, among other institutions. She holds a BA in History and in Politics from the University of California, Davis, and an MPhil in Middle Eastern Area Studies from the University of Oxford. She has recently returned to Oxford as a DPhil student in Migration Studies, where she is focused n the situation of migrant workers in Libya.

Hind Francis is a multi-disciplinary researcher with a passion for making a real impact.

She is a strong believer in the transformative power of curiosity, knowledge, dedication and collaboration as fundamental drivers of change, highlighting their collective potential to contribute to the improvement of societies and the world at large.

Hind’s career journey spans diverse industries, including impactful roles in news media, philanthropy, and consulting. At the heart of her work is a commitment to solution-focused research, where she thrives on turning complex challenges into opportunities.

She is currently the Social Work and Communications Manager at Social Work Society (SWS); a civil society organization that supports and advocates for migrant workers in Kuwait.

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Jeff Ochieng is a Kenyan human trafficking victim who survived being trafficked to Qatar together with 16 other young Kenyans. Jeff was to work as a motorcycle delivery rider, but upon reaching Qatar, he found out that the company didn’t exist. While in Qatar, Jeff was treated unfairly by the systematic bureaucracy of the kafala system, rendering him jobless, without official status, and vulnerable to abuse. Through the help of an international and local Qatar NGO, Jeff was able to be rescued and wrote a heartfelt article about his ordeal. Jeff is now back in Kenya.

Mustafa Qadri is the Founder and Executive Director of Equidem Research and Consulting, managing all our projects and partner relationships. He is a human rights research and advocacy expert with 20 years of interdisciplinary experience in government and public international law, journalism and the non-governmental sector. He is the author of several landmark human rights reports into the construction industry, civil and political rights issues, and media freedom, including most recently The ugly side of the beautiful game – the first independent human rights investigation to uncover labour abuse on Qatar 2022 World Cup construction sites.

To date, The ugly side report has the most extensive analysis of industry labour standards in Qatar ever carried out against the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other international standards. Mustafa has carried out human rights investigations, advocacy and training on several countries including Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, UAE, UK, and USA. Mustafa began his career as a solicitor at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (2002) before advising the Attorney-General of Australia (2003-06), first on indigenous land rights cases before Australian federal courts, then on international criminal treaty negotiations with states in Asia and the Middle East. He has also represented indigenous land owners in negotiations with multi-national mining corporations in the Pilbara region of far north-western Australia (2006). As a journalist reporting for The Guardian (UK), the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and others, he has carried out investigations in the Middle East and South Asia (2008-10). Before founding Equidem, Mustafa was a senior human rights researcher with Human Rights Watch (2010-11) and Amnesty International (2011-2016). Mustafa is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Human Rights and Business, a member of the Advisory Board to Forensic Architecture, and a member of the Board of Directors to CORE Coalition.

Mohammad has authored papers on human rights laws and strategies to uplift marginalized communities, enhancing their legal rights and living conditions. Before joining Free the Slaves, he served as a law consultant for the government and founded numerous organizations in Kuwait. Mohammad is dedicated to passing a world to our children that is safer, kinder, and more fair.

Hind Francis is a multi-disciplinary researcher with a passion for making a real impact.

She is a strong believer in the transformative power of curiosity, knowledge, dedication and collaboration as fundamental drivers of change, highlighting their collective potential to contribute to the improvement of societies and the world at large.

Hind’s career journey spans diverse industries, including impactful roles in news media, philanthropy, and consulting. At the heart of her work is a commitment to solution-focused research, where she thrives on turning complex challenges into opportunities.

She is currently the Social Work and Communications Manager at Social Work Society (SWS); a civil society organization that supports and advocates for migrant workers in Kuwait.

Coming Soon

Dr. Brook Parker-Bello, honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama, is a dedicated advocate against human trafficking. With a background in acting, justice advocacy, and leadership, she founded More Too Life, Inc., a beacon of hope for 19 years.
Brook’s impact extends to digital education platforms addressing sexual exploitation. She launched Eval, a mental healthcare tech, chosen by Techstars Founders Catalyst. A Master’s Series alumnus, she holds a US Patent, creating innovative software in mental healthcare, AI, and machine learning.

An accomplished author, Brook’s works include “Living Inside The Rainbow” and “S+CxM=O.” Recent releases, “Shame Undone” and “Fine Heart Table Book,” showcased at special events in Monaco, reflect her commitment.

With a Ph.D. in Pastoral Clinical Counseling, Brook is a global speaker recognized by the United Nations and Google Next-Gen Fellow. Advocate of the Year in Florida, she collaborates with entities like the FBI, DOJ, and Harvard. An inspiration to all genders, Brook, with her unwavering stance, resides in South Florida, amplifying voices for a better world.

Throughout, she has worked on various regional projects, and initiatives in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, South Sudan, and Tunisia. Merna holds a master’s degree from Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University.