In 2018 I worked as the e-commerce and merchandising intern at The Exodus Road. The Exodus Road is an anti-trafficking organization based in the United States. Their focus is intervention but they also partner with aftercare organizations and facilitate education and awareness in the US.

When I started there, their small e-commerce store contained some t-shirts, and a few products from one of their prevention partners in Thailand. It received a maximum of 10 orders per month and the design and product offerings had not changed in at least two years. My goal was to curate new products from organizations employing survivors and at-risk groups, build a Pinterest marketing strategy, and turn the store into a viable stream of income and awareness for the organization.

From January-November of 2018, the store’s monthly orders tripled, I released two seasonal collections with 10 products each, and I marketed the site on Instagram stories and Pinterest using Hootsuite.

During my internship, I collaborated with the content writer to write a blog post about the benefits of fair-trade fashion as an anti-trafficking action.

Unfortunately, since my time working there, I have become aware of misconduct by members of The Exodus Road’s field team, and their founders. I am still passionate about the work of fighting human trafficking and I value what I was able to learn and experience while I worked for TER. However, the actions taken by members of the organization are directly contrary to their espoused values of standing for the dignity and value of every person. Therefore, I no longer endorse The Exodus Road, their leadership, or their mission.