Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Thigpen.
Leah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey has been anything but traditional! I’m a survivor of child sex trafficking, and at 19 years old, I shared my story on a national platform for the first time… *The Oprah Winfrey Show*. At the time, I had no idea how God would use some of the most painful parts of my life to help change the world.
Over the years, my journey has evolved from sharing my story to helping build solutions for children across the Nation. I have discovered a love for leadership, developing people, and creating organizations that serve the most vulnerable in our society. The organizations I’ve been blessed to lead over the years partner with youth and their families as they transform their own lives. I’ve always believed that survivors of human trafficking are resilient, resourceful, and powerful beyond measure. We are not the heroes in their stories…they are.
Today, I have the privilege of serving as CEO of Traffick911, a North Texas nonprofit serving youth who have experienced sex trafficking, children who are at high-risk of being exploited, and their families.
I’m also a wife and a bio mom to a beautiful two-year-old little girl and a bonus mom to 5 daughters and 1 son, which has given me an entirely new perspective on life and leadership.
Looking back, I can see God authoring my story. It hasn’t been a fairytale, but I’m grateful that my story didn’t end where it could have. And I’m even more grateful that I get to be part of helping other young people discover that their story is still being written and beautiful days are yet to come.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh, absolutely not! Ha! I don’t know many people who have walked through severe trauma without bumps and slumps along the way.
Healing from PTSD has been part of my journey, but so has learning not to let my “survivor” experience become my entire identity. For a long time, people knew me because of what happened to me, and I have fought to do the work of discovering who I am beyond that story.
I’ve also had to navigate the challenges of leadership, learning to trust my voice, making difficult decisions, standing in my authority, and accepting that growth requires seasons of discomfort. And as a woman of color, I’ve had to learn how to navigate spaces where I didn’t always feel like I fully belonged or like I was truly accepted for who I am.
One of the biggest lessons God has taught me is that my worth isn’t determined by the voices of others…it’s determined by His voice and what He says of me. With my identity firmly built on the truth, it’s easier to live loved and to not be continually fighting to earn worth that has already been established.
The road has been rough. And yet, I wouldn’t trade the wisdom I’ve gained along the way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I serve as the CEO of Traffick911, a North Texas nonprofit that works with youth who have experienced sex trafficking and those at high risk of exploitation. What makes our work unique is that we don’t just respond to trafficking. We walk alongside young people and their families through the often messy, complicated, and nonlinear process of healing.
Our team provides 24/7 crisis response, showing up when a young person is identified as a victim of trafficking, often during some of the most frightening and vulnerable moments of their life. But that’s just the beginning. Our advocates provide long-term, individualized support, helping youth navigate everything from safety and healthy relationships to education, emotional well-being, and rebuilding trust. We also work directly with caregivers because we recognize that healing doesn’t happen in isolation. Families need support, too.
My own expertise sits at the intersection of lived experience, trauma-informed practice, program development, and organizational leadership. I’ve spent years working to help systems better understand the realities of exploitation and what survivors actually need to heal and thrive.
One project I’m especially proud of is *Becoming Me*, an intervention developed with survivors, for survivors. It’s designed to help young people explore identity, recognize their worth, understand the impact of trauma, and begin imagining a future beyond what they’ve experienced. I’m passionate about moving beyond simply telling young people they’re valuable and actually giving them the tools and opportunities to discover that for themselves.
As a CEO, I’m equally passionate about building healthy organizations and developing strong leaders. The quality of care we provide to young people is directly connected to how well we support, equip, and lead the people serving them. I take that responsibility seriously! Just ask my team.
What sets me apart is that I bring both personal understanding and executive-level perspective to this work. I can sit in conversations about survivor healing and trauma, but I can also sit in conversations about strategy, organizational sustainability, and systems change. I’m very proud to be both a survivor and a CEO. And I believe we need both perspectives at our agency if we’re going to create lasting impact.
Ultimately, I’m most proud of the fact that our work isn’t just about helping young people survive what happened to them. It’s about helping them build lives where exploitation is no longer the defining chapter of their story.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
This is tough because despite the childhood trauma I endured, there were a LOT of great moments that I’ll never forget and are foundational to who I’ve become.
But if I had to choose one, it wouldn’t be a moment…it would be a person. And I’d choose my great-grandmother (Ashlyn Aurora Albright). She passed when I was 14 but I had plenty of moments with her prior to that that showed me she was truly a source of love unlike any other in my childhood.
I distinctly remember spending time with her at church, at her beauty salon where she worked until she was in her 80s, and picking fresh vegetables out of her beautiful garden. She taught me about rainbows, flowers, and speaking graciously, and that being present with me was one of her biggest priorities. She gave me her undivided attention and a tender loving care that was a reprieve for me when things with my parents were often chaotic.
She is proof of the great impact that ONE caring adult can have on a child.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://traffick911.com
- Instagram: @traffick911
