Vanessa is a creative and bold advocate for survivors of violence around the world based in the US. She grew up in the Philippines and is a survivor of sexual abuse. Vanessa has served as one of the survivor leaders in the advocacy group, “Standing Together to Advocate Rights”, in Manila.

Vanessa works for the Global Programs team in IJM. Prior joining the team, she worked as an Account Executive in an Information Technology company based in Washington DC, where she worked closely with US government offices for its technology needs and purchasing efforts. She also served as an Aftercare Fellow helping to build the Global Survivor Network, then worked interim as a Campaign Coordinator with IJM Advocacy & Mobilization and Constituent Experience team in 2018. She grew up and earned her Bachelor’s degree and license in Social Work in the Philippines.

Vanessa enjoys learning multimedia arts and creating videos. In her free time, she loves to explore coffee shops and try neighborhood restaurants (so far, her favorite is still Korean and of course, Filipino food).  

Vanessa is a founding member of the Leadership Council for the Global Survivor Network, an international group of survivor leaders who desire and pursue safe communities through justice systems that protect the most vulnerable. She says, “Survivors’ voices need to be an integral part of developing programs and policies. As a part of the Leadership Council of the Global Survivor Network, I hope to continue to serve my fellow survivors and empower them to share their own expertise and talents to impact and unite leaders worldwide to end modern slavery.”   

Caroline Beidler, BA, MSW is an author, recovery advocate and founder of the storytelling platform Bright Story Shine. Her new book Downstairs Church: Finding Hope in the Grit of Addiction and Trauma Recovery is available for pre-order. With almost 20 years in leadership within social work and ministry, she is the Membership and Outreach Manager for the Association of Recovery in Higher Education, where she works with collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) and collegiate recovery communities (CRCs) and students in or seeking recovery from addiction across the globe. She is a team writer for the Grit and Grace Project and blogger at the global recovery platform In the Rooms. Caroline lives in Tennessee with her husband and four year old twins where she enjoys hiking in the mountains and building up her community’s local recovery ministry.

Through her consulting work, speaking engagements and writing, Caroline has worked with churches, legislators, non-profits, universities, federal agencies and others to create innovative models that empower communities and people in recovery. Some of her areas of expertise include: communications, adolescent and collegiate recovery, social and peer support, grant writing, and asset-based community development. Caroline was the former Chair of the Prevention Committee for the Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and other Drug Abuse by Governor’s Appointment, and has participated on many state and national coalitions and committees. Caroline has a passion for young people in recovery and founded two programs for college-aged youth in recovery: Live Free – Student Wellness and Recovery (now Badger Recovery), and Connect House Sober Living Foundation, Inc., a recovery residence for college-aged women, which completed a successful merger with the Aaron J. Meyer Foundation. In 2015, she won the Texas Research Society on Alcoholism, John T. and Patricia A. O’Neill Addiction Science Education Award for her research on stigma and social support for recently deployed Veterans.

Dr. Jordan is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and a certified peer recovery specialist (CPRS).

She is the founder of Jordan Peer Recovery (JPR). JPR is a nationally-approved training provider for culturally responsive peer recovery curriculum. She is also a professor at University of Maryland’s Bowie State University – a member institution of the University System of Maryland. She is the former Executive Director of Organizational Excellence for Volunteers of America Chesapeake and Carolinas.

Dr. Jordan is the CEO of Peerfinity, LLC, a leader in delivering personalized, culturally responsive, tech-enabled peer support to individuals diagnosed and treated for the chronic disease of addiction and mental health conditions.

Dr. Jordan is a subject matter expert on culturally responsiveness. In addition to teaching multicultural counseling for over 10 years in collegiate settings, she has presented on international platforms on race relations and has been on the front line advocating for cultural diversity and training amongst the peer recovery and behavioral health workforces. In addition, she created a proprietary educational system for developing cultural responsiveness. This system has been used in agencies throughout the U.S. for peers and other behavioral health professionals.

Dr. Jordan has been on the frontline of combating the opioid epidemic. In 2019, Dr. Jordan provided expert testimony to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on peer recovery and technologies to address the opioid epidemic. Jordan Peer Recovery has received multiple awards from the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulations and sub-awardee for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) and the Baltimore Population Health Workforce Collaborative in training close to 3000 peers who are on the frontline of the opioid epidemic in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and across the U.S.

Sheilah (she/her/hers) is a woman in long-term recovery who embraced recovery and wellness in December 2015 through a variety of pathways including 12-step, Recovery Dharma, medication, advocacy, and Harm Reduction. A lifelong native of New Jersey, Sheilah wholeheartedly believes that the journey to recovery and wellness is unique to everyone. She has made it her personal and professional mission to help eradicate stigma around Substance Use Disorder, illuminate the merit of multiple pathways of recovery, and to advocate for anyone experiencing a problematic relationship with a substance or behavior. A tireless advocate, she serves on various grassroots committees and task forces throughout New Jersey. She was featured on an episode of “Here’s To Your Health” with Dr. Drew and recently toured the country on the Mobilize Recovery Across America 2022 bus tour. Sheilah is a mother of three children, and she loves the beach, yoga, and her dog.

Kay has been featured in both print and broadcast media outlets around the world, including, KYW News radio Flashpoint, Recovery Today Magazine, Jersey’s Best Magazine, The Star-Ledger, Bucks County Courier Times, Burlington County Times, the Intelligencer, The Numinous Podcast, Sober Curious Podcast, Sober As A Mother Podcast, and Barbershop Conversations Podcast.

She has also been featured in a documentary produced by Penn State University, which is entitled, The Story Powered Initiative and is about addiction and recovery. Kay will be featured in an upcoming documentary this year produced by ABC and PBS entitled, ATTENTION MUST BE PAID Women Lost in the Opioid Crisis.

Kay has a partnership with Brown’s Super Stores, Inc., which operates Shop Rites chains, where she conducts hundreds of meet and greet events and has distributed more than 100 boxes of Naloxone in 16 Pennsylvania supermarkets. Kay was honored as the 2022 “Shero” for her community service by WDAS, a Philadelphia radio station and a division of iHeart.

Mandy is a public speaker on panels, podcasts and providing workshops to raise awareness and de-stigmatize experiences of trauma, mental illness and substance use disorders. Professional coach trainer for the internationally recognized training provider The Coaching Academy (London), Mandy is a specialist in behavioral health and habit change.

Originally from England, Mandy has lived in France for the past 18 years with her husband and two children. She successfully runs her coaching practice both in French and English, working internationally with individuals, agencies and treatment centers.

After 15 years of bouncing in and out of recovery she’s committed FULLY to sobriety, with 4 years of continuous sobriety under her belt and is on a mission to help others discover their own path to recovery to experience the gifts of living an amazing sober life!

Emily helps women find freedom, joy and abundance in sobriety. Her signature virtual program is called Recovery Revival which is a 3 Month Sobriety Group Coaching Journey for women that supports them on a holistic path to sobriety incorporating connection, extreme self care and learning mindset shifts so that they can build work on self forgiveness, building confidence and get clear on a vision for the future. The participants are having wild success and the friendships created are truly priceless.

In addition, she hosts a FREE Sober Girls Book Club on Tuesday nights which is open to the public and held on zoom of course! Emily also hosts in-person retreats which is her favorite way to connect! She also loves to connect on Instagram, so send her a message and say hi! She WILL reply!

She has worked in the clinical & mental health fields for over 15 years and has completed over 20 years of coursework in the fields of trauma, addiction & recovery and has over 17 years of administrative & management experience.
Lisa hopes to share her story, her mission, and her deliverance with all, while educating professional & faith-based communities on the importance of inclusion for people like her.

Not forgetting where she comes from, her life is an open book as she leads by example humbly displaying the Brilliant Light of Jesus Christ which led her out of darkness.

Ana graduated from the University of California Riverside with a BA in Philosophy, received her MSW with a concentration in families and aging from California State University Los Angeles in 2010. She has a Certification and a AS in Substance Abuse and Alcohol Counseling from Mount San Antonio College. Ana is a 2021 Fellow graduate from the National Hispanic and Latino Executive Leadership and Fellowship Program, and she is currently a Doctoral student at the University of Southern California and is expected to graduate in 2024.

Ana came to the United States in 1985 from Guatemala not speaking a word of English and has been living in California ever since. She has 23+ years in recovery and strives to help others not only with substance abuse issues but also other mental health issues as she fully understands that these issues more times than not go together hand in hand. She is happily married and has 2 beautiful girls. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and helping others.

Annalice Argyle a recoverist passionate about accelerating gender recovery and wellbeing TRAC UK The Recovery Advocates WOMEN ONLY RECOVERY WOW ‘Women Only Wellness’ GATHERING

In short, my mission is to Empower, Educate and Advocate. I am passionate about accelerating gender recovery and wellbeing. I too have a vision and part of this is that my service will no longer needed but for now creating an event such as #WOW will help me become fully sustaining without the need for difficult to find funding and the red tape that brings. My message is that women can and do overcome adversity and reclaim their lives and to continue to be the change they aspire to be. If I can do it, so can you. TRAC UK The Recovery Advocates WOW! Women Only Wellness Gathering 2023 Women Only Recovery Lobster Recovery cic www.tracuk.uk.

Degree in Pedagogy (UFF), Technical Course in Tourism Guide (SENAC) and Advice on Chemical Dependence by UNIAD (in partnership with the Center for Studies of the Department of Psychiatry at UNIFESP) are part of my training path. I have given lectures at companies and schools (public and private), including Wilson Sons, H. Strattner, ISQ Brasil, BR MED, Instituto Nossa Senhora da Piedade, Colégio Santa Marcelina, Colégio Israelita Brasileiro A. Liessin, Escola SAP, Polo Educacional Sesc, Remanso Fraterno, Colégio Universitário Geraldo Reis – Coluni-UFF and Colégio Estadual Hilário Ribeiro.