About Voice for the Silent

At Voice for the Silent, our vision is a world free from the horrors of human trafficking—a world where every individual’s voice is heard, their dignity upheld, and their freedom protected.

We believe in empowering survivors through education, fostering awareness to dismantle stigma, and creating a network of support that amplifies resilience and recovery. 

By bridging the gap between advocacy, prevention, and mentorship, we aim to inspire systemic change and build safer communities for generations to come.

Our commitment is to not only fight against exploitation but to stand alongside survivors as they reclaim their voices, rewrite their narratives, and lead the way toward a brighter, freer future.

 Leah McSpadden, the founder of Voice for the Silent, is a survivor, advocate, and a human rights legal professional in training dedicated to ending human trafficking and empowering others to reclaim their voices.

Leah’s journey began as a survivor of child sex trafficking, a harrowing experience that shaped her unwavering commitment to justice and change.

Over the years, she has transformed her pain into purpose, leveraging her lived experience and education to raise awareness, educate communities, and support survivors in their healing journeys.

Her vision for Voice for the Silent is rooted in her belief that every survivor deserves to be heard and supported. Through education, mentorship, and advocacy, Leah aims to dismantle the systems that allow trafficking to persist and inspire a global movement to eradicate this crime.

Leah’s dedication to her mission is matched by her resilience, empathy, and tireless work ethic. She is not only a voice for the silent but a beacon of hope for survivors and communities alike.

Bebé Ellison went undercover in environments where human exploitation was actively forming, placing herself in real danger to understand trafficking as it truly operates not as it is imagined. She observed grooming, coercion, and manipulation in real time, gaining firsthand insight that most advocates only read about.

Her rare dual perspective seeing trafficking both structurally and through the lived experience of survivors reveals a critical truth: tactics are the same across affluent communities, foster and runaway populations, and Indigenous and marginalized communities only the camouflage changes.

Today, Bebé channels this knowledge into education, advocacy, and prevention. She equips schools, organizations, faith based groups, and civic leaders with the discernment, language, and ethical grounding to recognize trafficking early and respond in trauma informed, survivor centered ways. Her approach is uncompromising, unsensationalized, and rooted in the truth: silence protects the abuser, not the survivor.

Bebé Ellison brings credibility, depth, and actionable insight to every audience—helping communities interrupt harm before it becomes irreversible. 

Sherice brings a wealth of experience and compassion to our team. She is fully educated in Community Service Case Management and completed formal training in Addictions and Community Service Work.

With a strong background in mental health support and developmental services, Sherice has extensive expertise in trauma-informed care, crisis response, and first aid.

She is actively engaged in frontline support, and has educated the public on trauma and abuse. She is dedicated to empowering survivors and fostering community resilience as an ally to others' efforts in this space.

Carrie Ferri is a dedicated community leader and seasoned professional in social work adjunct fields, where she has spent years navigating the complexities of human services and community advocacy. Her professional background provides the foundation for her role as a mentor and role model, offering a bridge between institutional support and the raw, lived realities of the women she serves. 

As a survivor of sexual assault and the mother of a human trafficker, Carrie possesses a rare and profound “360-degree” perspective on the cycles of exploitation. Her journey is a testament to the power of radical honesty and the refusal to stay silent in the face of systemic darkness. By sharing the unique pain and complexity of her family’s experience, she provides a vital roadmap for other families caught in the crosshairs of trafficking, helping them move from shame to strategic action.

Carrie is a fierce advocate for the vulnerable and a steady hand for young women seeking a path toward resilience. Through her leadership, she proves that our most difficult chapters can become the manual for someone else’s survival, ensuring that the next generation of women never has to walk the path of recovery alone.