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
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