Trust your gut and believe in yourself. When I started this work I was young and sometimes timid. It took me time to really be confident in who I was, to trust my instincts, and to stand up to defend them.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kelsey Morgan.
Kelsey Morgan is the dynamic force behind EverFree as its co-founder and Chief Executive Officer. With 15 years of experience in the anti-trafficking space, Kelsey honed her expertise in creating transformative programs for human trafficking survivors, elevating evaluation standards, and fostering collaborative efforts to fortify the movement’s impact. She founded Willow International in 2010 and in 2021 launched EverFree, a global nonprofit dedicated to developing data-driven solutions that equip the global movement to end human trafficking.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Thank you for having me. My journey in anti-trafficking began over fifteen years ago. The issue completely broke my heart and changed my life. I accepted a job with an organization that was just starting to provide aftercare to young survivors of sex trafficking in East Africa. The girls entering the program had experienced so much trauma, so many needs. I wanted to provide the best care possible, so I started searching — what are the models, what are the best practices? What does the research say? The search came up empty. So, the team and I began building a model — we realized we needed to create the standard that had long been absent from the sector.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
This is a hard one — there are so many. Pretty early in the work, a 4-year-old survivor of trafficking was referred to our shelter with her two sisters, aged 7 and 11. I will never forget the day they joined us — they were so young. It was through their stories that we learned about the complexities of human trafficking and the importance of addressing the issue systemically. Their situation was not hopeless. Through a stable and loving environment, access to medical care, and education, they began to heal. Today, the girls are reunited with their mother, have graduated from school, and the oldest is now a mom herself. This issue, while dark and overwhelming, is not hopeless and each precious life is worth fighting for.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I first started in this field, I believed that to manage the weight of the issue, I needed to push aside my feelings. However, I quickly learned that it’s much better to allow yourself to feel the emotions that come with this work. A turning point for me was when I realized that not acknowledging these feelings was leading to burnout. It taught me the importance of embracing my emotions and allowing myself to grieve.
When people ask me how to do this work or how to sustain it, I always emphasize the importance of self-awareness. You need to know yourself and recognize your emotional triggers. For me, a key indicator that I needed self-care is when I stop feeling emotional or heartbroken by the things that should impact me. That’s my signal to check in with myself and ensure I’m managing the emotional weight properly.
So not really a funny mistake but a really important lesson that has allowed me to continue this work with the resilience needed to face such a dark issue.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
Human trafficking, or modern-day slavery, is the greatest human rights issue our world faces today. With over 50 million people deprived of their basic right to freedom, this $236 billion-a-year criminal industry has a devastating impact. At EverFree, we address this crisis through direct services for survivors and by identifying systemic changes needed for significant impact.
We’ve determined that data is really the missing ingredient in the fight against human trafficking. By understanding the issue through data, we can identify what works and scale those solutions. This data-driven approach allows us to adapt to the rapidly changing nature of human trafficking and implement systemic changes that extend beyond our organization.
Our work on the ground, combined with data insights, enables us to respond effectively to new challenges and drive larger, systemic change. This not only enhances our own efforts but also supports the global fight against human trafficking by providing valuable insights and tools to others committed to this cause.
At the core of what we do, we’re empowering survivors and communities and driving the global movement to end human trafficking.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
A recent story that stands out to me involves Sorena*, a young woman trafficked from Uganda to the Middle East. Upon her return, our Uganda-based team met her at the airport and brought her into our program, which offers comprehensive care. Sorena’s main priority was seeking justice, despite having numerous health, economic, and emotional needs. We provided legal support, accompanied her to court, and helped her secure justice, restitution, and regain custody of her children.
With her legal matters resolved, Sorena enrolled in our economic empowerment program, the Freedom First Institute, where she learned baking. Fast forward to this past January, she graduated from the program and started her own bakery, becoming a local celebrity for her exceptional products. Sorena now plans to hire other graduates from EverFree’s program so she can extend the same opportunities she received.
This story sticks out because so often in development work, organizations think they know better and design paths based on their knowledge. Our work really flips that idea upside down, showing that by asking survivors what’s most important to them, we achieve more effective and efficient outcomes. This young woman’s story is such a beautiful case of that, demonstrating that when we support and empower survivors, we enable them to transform their communities and stop cycles of exploitation.
*pseudonym
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
The anti-trafficking sector is underfunded and under-resourced. According to the latest Trafficking in Persons Report, “Globally, government investment in digital technologies for anti-trafficking efforts remains low, despite significant potential.” The report emphasizes this potential for technology to greatly strengthen, streamline, and unify effective solutions. Through technology, like our Freedom Lifemap, we can connect survivors with vital services, support organizations in improving the efficacy of their programs, and use data and insights to unite global efforts to prevent and stop exploitation. The potential is massive — but we need the resources and funding to fuel this work.
We also want to see stronger actions towards accountability and transparency for corporations. This means codifying protections against exploitation to ensure supply chains, tech, and all industries have protections in place to prevent exploitation. And of course, there needs to be rigorous enforcement — this could look like heftier penalties for corporations that fail to report trafficking or fail to comply with fair labor standards and workplace conditions.
As a community, we have the power to change the narrative and systems. For too long, survivors have been excluded from conversations around policies and the care they receive. Narratives are dominated by sensationalism and “rescue” stories — grossly ignoring survivor voices and how they define freedom. Together, we can amplify and center survivor perspectives, ensuring freedom that goes beyond the exit from exploitation, allowing survivors to heal and thrive.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example? In short, great leaders create more leaders.
I believe leadership is working with your team to define and set a vision and then empowering the entire team to lead. A sign of a good leader is a strong team that can operate independently and stand on their own, where each member is recognized for their leadership work and abilities. True leadership is about building a team that carries out the vision, accomplishes it, and are seen as leaders in their own roles.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why.
Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead had a great impact on my life. When speaking about great leaders, our culture usually portrays vulnerability, empathy, and curiosity as weakness. Yet these traits are actually what make great leaders. It took me time to realize that leading from my heart and leaning in with empathy and curiosity were my greatest strengths. And for all the ladies reading, these are gifts that often come naturally to us — don’t let the world tell you they make you weak.
Work smarter, not harder. Prioritize your 3–5 most important goals at the beginning of each week and put your focus there.
Allow yourself to grieve and accept what you are feeling. The work we do is quite heavy. When I first got started, I tried to push my way through it. I stopped grieving and feeling in an attempt to protect myself, but it backfired. When we cut ourselves off from grief and sadness, we actually make matters worse. I ended up in a pretty severe burnout state. Since then, I’ve become intentional about grief. I allow myself to be heartbroken by the things that should break my heart, and to celebrate all the incredible stories of redemption and hope.
Trust your gut and believe in yourself. When I started this work I was young and sometimes timid. It took me time to really be confident in who I was, to trust my instincts, and to stand up to defend them.
When you’re in startup mode, you wear so many hats and work feels like a juggling act. It’s inevitable that balls will get dropped. Put systems in place early and be kind to yourself. If you’re not good at creating systems, surround yourself with those who can.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
This is an easy one… I would inspire a movement to end modern slavery. We are at a critical juncture in the world where modern slavery is deeply embedded in our economic systems. It’s going to require a collective effort of people who genuinely care to rise up and make a change. I want to inspire as many people as possible to see that the world is a better place when everyone is free and to work towards achieving that freedom for all.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I’m not really a favorite quote type of person, but hope, generosity, and gratitude are key components of my life that I come back to time and time again.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
This is going to sound pretty random at first, but the cast of The Greatest Showman, including Hugh Jackman and Zendaya. When that film came out, survivors at our programs just couldn’t get enough of “A Million Dreams”. In a dream scenario, it would be amazing for the cast to hear about our work, how meaningful that song was to the young girls at our Safe Home, and to be ambassadors for our cause. In addition, I’d love to sit down with the major philanthropic family foundations like Yield Giving, Ford, and others who could make significant contributions to ending modern slavery.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/everfreeorg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everfreeorg/
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Kelsey Morgan of EverFree Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.