Most of these children are native U.S. citizens who were recruited via social media from lower- and middle-class families.
If nothing changes, these children will be trapped in an endless cycle of exploitation and violence. Educating our children to recognize human trafficking solicitation helps them protect themselves.
Sources: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; 2022 State Department Trafficking in Persons Report
Our Mission
Saving Jane reduces the risk of human trafficking by educating communities and implementing practical systems that lessen the conditions in which trafficking can take hold.
Our Vision
THAT ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE ARE FREE FROM SLAVERY TO CHOOSE THE LIFE THEY WANT TO LIVE.
"I started Saving Jane to empower human trafficking survivors by freeing them from the trauma of their past experiences. Our mission has expanded into awareness and prevention as we discovered for ourselves the size of the scope of the issue. Saving Jane is committed to a world free of slavery, where no person is ever bought or sold and where the wounds of the past are fully healed."
— Kathyann Powell, Founder
OUR TEAM - LEADERS
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KATHYANN POWELL
CEO & FOUNDER
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THOMAS ESTLER
Director of Storytelling Prevention Programs
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WESLEY POWELL
Executive Director - Prevention
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Kathyann Powell migrated to the United States from Barbados with her mother in 1986. Her Caribbean American heritage and experience as an immigrant continue to shape the way she understands safety, belonging, resilience, and the importance of trusted community.
From an early age, Kathyann was drawn to fashion and presentation. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, earned a degree in merchandising, and went on to build a 14-year career in luxury retail sales. During that time, she developed a deep understanding of personal style, client relationships, trust, and service, earning national recognition, management accolades, and features in company publications.
In March 2018, Kathyann founded Saving Jane, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on reducing human trafficking risk through prevention education, youth safety tools, storytelling, and community awareness. Today, she leads the organization’s work to educate, equip, empower, and protect young people before trafficking can take hold.
Connect with Kathyann on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathyann-powell/ -
Director of Storytelling Prevention Programs
Thomas Estler, a writer by nature, was searching for a way to do something about the horror of human trafficking, and as chance would have it, a friend was meeting with a community of young survivors of the crime at the same time. Recounting her experience to Thomas, she said, "You know, they were all reading comic books. Someone should write a comic book about human trafficking." Thomas knew instantly that this was the perfect way for him to make an impact on this crime. Thomas began partnering with experts to carefully craft prevention tools in the form of a comic books that would responsibly educate kids about human trafficking and equip them with the tools that would protect their lives. Since then, Thomas has taken his Abolitionista! comic book workshops to young people all over the country and taught them prevention skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. In addition to comic books, Thomas has created film scripts, podcasts, music, and social media posts as entertainment vehicles for trafficking stories that help children all over the world understand what human trafficking looks like in their own neighborhoods and empowering them with survival tools that are specific to the dangers they face where they live. By harnessing the natural power of popular culture, Thomas engages youth not only to safeguard their own lives, but also to be innovators in a global abolitionist movement that educate and inspire people to take action to eradicate trafficking in their own communities and around the world.
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Executive Director - Prevention
Wesley Powell has over 25 years of experience in Information Technology, business consulting and entrepreneurship and has founded and co-founded over 20 companies, including a predictive artificial intelligence trading firm, a live concert streaming and event production service and most recently, an industrial real estate development firm building industrial parks on Native American and indigenous lands around the world. He brings this world class experience to Saving Jane as the Executive Director of the Prevention program, where he is accountable for the delivery of the Prevention Mission: The education of young people to prevent their being trafficked.
Board members
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MICHELE SILVER
Chair
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Trudy Fountain – James
Board Member
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Kathyann Powell
Board Member
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Jon Drescher
Board Member
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Chair
Michele Silver attends the Urban Food Policy Institute at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health, managing several evaluation and research projects examining healthy food initiatives in low-income neighborhoods in New York City. She has worked with a number of agencies and organizations including city government, non-profits, small business, and local economic development, community development, and affordable housing. She holds a Master of Science in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from The New School.
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Board Member
As Atos' General Counsel, Trudy leads legal affairs as well as participating in Atos’ businesses and growth strategies. She is developing and empowering a cohesive, collaborative, diverse and agile organization embodying the highest standards of legal practice while contributing to the organization’s strategic goals and objectives. Trudy rejoined Atos five years ago as the Global Negotiations Leader after a four-year sabbatical to care for her father who was diagnosed with Dementia and her son who was diagnosed with Autism. She led and closed billions of dollars in strategic deals and helped create strategic global partnerships with some of the largest technology industry leaders. Trudy spent ten previous years with ACS/Xerox as SVP Deputy Global General Counsel/Head of Software and Business Management, where she led a 250+ person global department and was the primary corporate officer-in-charge of global commercial legal, software and contracts management.
Prior to ACS/Xerox, Trudy was the Lead Negotiator and Contracts Manager for Northrup Grumman Ship Systems, managing a 15+ person team. During her tenure at NGSS she led the negotiations of the largest multi-billion-dollar Navy contract at that time. That position followed a successful term as SVP of Legal and Regulatory Affairs for Park Place Entertainment (currently named Caesars), managing 125+ attorneys, contract managers, paralegals, and regulatory officers.
Trudy’s philosophy is leading by example with empathy and empowerment with a focus on Integrity, Care and Respect. You will hear her speak in multiple forums and fireside chats about her diverse team as a vanilla cupcake with sprinkles, gummy worms, fruit and chocolate shavings. She is a prolific advocate for the neurodivergent population, including youth. Having seven of her nine children with a neurodiverse gift she has learned the challenges of fighting for the level playing field for the “neurogifted”. She learned to conquer and excel with neurodiversity herself having three (3), Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. She has learned to make those neurogifts her Super Powers and encourages others to follow her example.
She resides in Dallas with her husband, nine children and rescue dogs. When not working, she likes to run, does Lagree fitness, and is a Pilates instructor. She enjoys and supports the arts as a member of the National Arts Club in New York.
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In addition to being the CEO and Founder of Saving Jane, Kathyann serves on the Board of Directors.
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Jon Drescher has been an educator for over 50 years. From 2010-2025 Jon was a Professor of Practice in the Graduate School of Education at Lehigh University. He was the Founding Director, and lead faculty member, of the Urban Principals Academy at Lehigh (U*PAL). U*PAL was masters degree program that developed urban school leaders by having them work in creative, and collaborative, teams. The coursework combined rigorous academics with seminars that incorporated: Improvisational Theater techniques, Visual Art of Observation activities, and work with jazz musicians on the importance of Leading and Following.
Prior to coming to Lehigh, Jon spent over twenty years as a Principal in New York City and Westchester County and four years as the Head of School of a K-12 Charter in Cambridge, MA. Jon also spent a number of years as a Group Leader at Harvard’s Principal Center, and almost ten years as an elementary school teacher in Brooklyn. Jon also wrote, produced and hosted “Exploring Science” for PBS television station WNYE as well as producing and hosting shows for New York Public Radio.
Advisors
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Dr. Rosario V. Sanchez
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GERALD NEBEKER
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JEFF BERGSTEIN
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Shandra Woworuntu
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Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri
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Advisor - Human Trafficking SME
Dr. Rosario Sanchez graduated from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey completing her dissertation on “The Elopement Process of Adult Survivors from Sex Trafficking during Adolescence.” Dr. Sanchez research centers on the sex trafficking of minors and other typologies of human trafficking. She is an expert, author, and lecturer on forensic nursing and human trafficking, and has earned honors for her work. Dr. Sanchez goal is to bring awareness, prevent, respond, and create policies to fight human trafficking globally alongside survivors and victims.
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Advisor - Nonprofit SME
Dr. Gerald Nebeker is a social enterprise entrepreneur. Considered an expert in nonprofit governance, he has served on many local and national nonprofit boards. Dr. Nebeker has helped many nonprofit organizations incorporate, establish relevant missions, and monetize them through relevant strategic plans. He founded RISE, Inc. in 1987, which has grown into a large multi-state nonprofit organization supporting children, youth, and adults with developmental disabilities.
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Advisor - Outreach
Mr. Bergstein spent 36 Years with Arrow Electronics (25 Billion Technology Distributor) in a myriad of Sales, Management and Executive Jobs in Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain and was responsible for 100 Million Dollar Sales Operation as well as managing major OEMS and Export/Brokers.
Prior to his work with Arrow, he was Director of North America Sales for Chicago Miniature Labs, a Major Lighting Mfg.
Currently, he is very involved in the Startup Technology Community in the 5 Boroughs of New York City as a Mentor and on the Advisory Board for Second Muse.
He mentors startups for several NY accelerators and serves on various advisory boards.
Mr. Bergstein holds an MBA in Marketing Management from Pace University.
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Item descriptionShandra is the founder and CEO of Mentari Human Trafficking Survivor Empowerment Program, Inc. As a survivor leader, Shandra has testified before the United States Senate, Committee on Foreign Relations Ending Modern Slavery Senate. Testified as a witness and expert for the State of New Jersey. Testified at the City and borough in New York. She consulted with numerous governmental bodies in the United States, Indonesia, Mexico, UN- ICAT, UN-Women, UNODC, WHO, and the OSCE-ODIHR. In 2011, Shandra co- founded a survivor leadership program called “Voices of Hope” in New York. From 2013- 2017, she was The State of New Jersey Commissioner on Human Trafficking. In 2014, Shandra participated in the first Federal Survivor Forum Listening Session at the United States White House and she was appointed by former President Barack Obama to be a member of the first United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. Since 2017, Shandra became a survivor advisor to the ODHIR-OSCE based in Europe on the Human Trafficking National Referral Mechanism publication. Shandra has been honored by multiple government and non-government organizations and has been a motivational and inspirational speaker at events for institutions around the world. She was a 2017 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth National Honoree and she was one of the years of 2020, and 2021 Top 100 Most Influential Asian Americans in New York politics and policy. In 2022 Shandra received recognition as one of The 2022 Power of Diversity: Asian 100 New York’s Asian American trailblazers. As a member of the International Survivor Advisory Council to the ODHIR-OSCE, she was appointed became the chair in 2021. Shandra is a human trafficking expert witness, specifically on Illicit Massage Parlor and organized crime. Shandra the author of Taste of Freedom, recipes for resilience to benefit survivors of trafficking. Shandra is “WHY SLAVERY?” Ambassador to the United Nations and live in New York with her family.
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Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri is a futurist, filmmaker, systems architect, and anthropologist working at the intersection of culture, ecology, education, and equality. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Shakti Regeneration Institute, advancing women- and Original Peoples–led education and bio-cultural systems governance, and Founder and CVO of Open Origin, developing large-scale green energy infrastructure.
Her work bridges storytelling and systems change—mobilizing film, media, and global convenings to align scientific innovation, Indigenous knowledge, and capital toward regenerative futures. She serves as a Convener of the Science Summit at the United Nations and has led initiatives across the UN, Davos, COP, and Climate Weeks worldwide.
A two-time Cannes Gold Lions award-winning filmmaker, shortlisted for an Academy Award, and recipient of the CNN Exposé Award and Tribeca Disruptive Innovation honor, she is known for her work addressing human trafficking, advancing peace, and supporting planetary health, with exhibitions at the Smithsonian and Centre Pompidou. Mentored by David Bowie, and a collaborator with leading cultural figures including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Keanu Reeves, her work continues to shape narratives that influence culture at scale.
A Princeton University Visiting Lecturer, TEDx speaker, UN Women’s Entrepreneurship Distinguished Fellow, and Max Mark–Cranbrook Global Peacemaker, she is building the infrastructure layer for planetary resilience.
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