SHANDRA WOWORUNTU, Chief Executive Officer
Shandra Woworuntu is an international advocate and women’s‑rights leader in the global fight against human trafficking. A sought‑after motivational speaker, she raises awareness about human rights and survivor‑centered justice. She trains law enforcement, attorneys, social workers, medical practitioners, and corporate leaders, and she lectures at universities across the United States and internationally.
As a writer, Shandra has contributed to CNN, Glam, The Hill, and her curatorial essay on gun violence was published by MoMA’s Design & Violence. She is the author of Taste of Freedom: Recipes for Resilience, a cookbook benefiting Mentari, and the co‑author of Disturbing Anti‑Trafficking Norms.
Born in Manado, Indonesia, Shandra built a successful career as a banker and money‑market trader before political turbulence and religious persecution forced her to seek new opportunities abroad. Upon arriving in the United States, she was kidnapped and sold into the underground sex trade in New York and surrounding areas. After escaping, she collaborated with law enforcement to help arrest her traffickers. Drawing from her lived experience, she transformed her trauma into purpose, founding Mentari to mentor and empower survivors of trafficking as they rebuild their lives with independence and dignity.
As a lobbyist and policy advocate, Shandra has testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, New York City budget hearings, and multiple federal and state legislative bodies. She was a New Jersey State Commissioner and, in 2015, was appointed by President Barack Obama as a founding member of thefirst U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking to the Presidential Interagency Task Force.
Shandra is the 2017 national honoree of L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth and has received numerous awards recognizing her leadership and impact in the movement to end human trafficking.
Photo Credit: Emily Young Photography
Marti MacGibbon, President
Marti MacGibbon survived and triumphed over human trafficking, adolescent sexual assault/abuse/exploitation, domestic violence, complex PTSD, addiction, and homelessness. She’s an expert on trauma resolution and addiction recovery, holding five professional certifications in her specialized field. Marti is a renowned speaker and humorist, and is the author of two nationally award-winning memoirs: Never Give in to Fear and Fierce, Funny, and Female. Marti uses her personal story, clinical expertise, and comedic skill to entertain, educate, uplift, and motivate audiences. She received the 2015 IAIC Lifetime Recovery Advocate Award, for outstanding accomplishments in support of recovery and reducing the stigma surrounding addiction, mental illness, homelessness, and human trafficking.
Kathleen Moran, Vice President
Kathleen Moran is an outstanding advocate for ending human trafficking through prevention and public awareness. She supports and adheres to a trauma-informed and survivor-centered approach in anti-trafficking programs. At the heart of all services delivered she believes it is essential to include the voices of survivors. With 25 years of experience as a registered Nurse in a variety of areas, Ms. Moran has focused on the well-being of people. In 2010, she started volunteering for The Partnership for the Eradication of Human Trafficking (PEHT), a committee with the United Nations Association (UNA). In 2017, Kathleen became Co-Chairperson of PEHT, and she also joined the board of UNA, Southern NY District where she served until 2019. Assisting people through their journey of healing to reach their individual potential has been a lifelong passion. Kathleen received numerous awards for her work and for the past few years, Ms. Moran has been promoting the equality model in New York and globally.
RANDALL ROCA, Vice President
Randall Roca served for over 30 years in the city of New York as a Detective/ Investigator in the New York City Police Department. Previously as a senior rackets investigator for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, Randall assisted in the prosecution of numerous criminal cases. Fighting against organized crime for many years, Randall is very knowledgeable of the human condition.
Victims of crime in general suffer from emotional scars due to their traumatic experiences. Victims of human trafficking or modern slavery suffer from a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that is more complicated due to the hopelessness of their situation. It is not uncommon for the victims of human trafficking to be treated like criminals in the eyes of Law Enforcement. It is Randall's belief that there is a need to address human trafficking at the Law Enforcement level as well as increasing public awareness, resources development, victim services, mentorship, and survivor empowerment. Recently Randall received a 2020 Honor Roll from President G.W. Bush from Points of Light for his tireless work in helping survivors of human trafficking.
Chris Fitzhugh, Secretary
Chris Fitzhugh is a steadfast ally and advocate in the movement to end human trafficking. Since 2009, he’s worked alongside survivor leaders, including his wife, Marti MacGibbon, to support prevention through awareness and education, to dispel societal stigma, and to promote justice for victims and survivors. Chris participated in successful legislative advocacy in California in 2014, in support of a bill aimed at reducing child sex trafficking which was signed into law in 2015. From 2012 through 2016, Chris was a member of The Indiana Attorney General’s Anti-Trafficking Task Force, IPATH, Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans. He worked as a California realtor, and has a background in the music and entertainment industry, but is currently happily retired. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Sonoma State University and also studied at UC Berkeley. From 2011 through 2018, Chris and his wife Marti co-produced Laff-Aholics, a standup comedy benefit for recovery, at the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s Toby Theater. One hundred percent of the profits from the show went to non-profits in Indianapolis that provide housing and access to mental health and addiction recovery care for the community’s most vulnerable.
Ima Matul, Treasurer
Ima Matul Maisaroh is a survivor advocate, mentor, consultant, and international speaker with over 20 years of experience in the anti‑trafficking movement. A co‑founding member of the Mentari Human Trafficking Survivor Empowerment Program, she also serves on the board of the Human Trafficking Legal Center and has played key roles in building survivor‑led initiatives nationwide.
As a founding member and former manager of the Survivor Leadership Program at CAST, Ima helped shape the LA Survivor Network “Resilient Voices” and the National Survivor Network (NSN), strengthening survivor leadership across the country. A survivor herself, she has dedicated her life to creating a national community of survivor leaders and advancing policies that center lived experience.
Ima has consulted widely on developing Survivor Leadership Programs and collaborated with the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVCTTAC) to create a curriculum on Survivor Professional Development.
Her advocacy has taken her to local, national, and international stages. In 2012, President Barack Obama recognized her as a hero in the abolitionist movement during the Clinton Global Initiative. She later served on the first U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking (2015) and spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
In addition to her advocacy, Ima works in medical administration while continuing her consulting and mentorship. Her resilience, leadership, and unwavering commitment to survivor empowerment have made her a transformative force in the fight to end human trafficking.
Metta Murdaya, Board member
Metta Murdaya is an innovator who founded JUARA, a skincare & wellness line based on Indonesian herbal traditions, with offices in New York, Jakarta, and Singapore. She also works with PT. CCM, a diversified Indonesian conglomerate focusing on future business strategy and human capital talent management.
Metta graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1997 with a double bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science and Architecture and received her MBA from NYU Stern School of Business in 2002 in Finance and Management. Metta has a background in operations, consulting, general management in branded consumer goods, working in, and with, large companies including Home Depot and Nike, and small companies were consulted for women and minority-owned businesses.
Now, she is an active member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO). as a previous mentor with Endeavor working with fast-growth entrepreneurs, she has a passion to develop leadership talent.
Metta was a Previous-Chairman and current Board Member for the South East Asian Leadership Academy (SEALA) Program and Board Member for Solve Education an education technology software company. She is also a certified acro-yoga instructor.
Joycelyn Francis, Board member
Joycelyn Francis is a NASM Certified Fitness and Nutrition Coach on a mission to change a million lives through movement. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, she knows the power of fitness firsthand. Ms. Francis used fitness in her life to prevail over the mental and emotional trauma she experienced so that she could propel herself into the life she deserves. Her effectiveness in helping other women entrepreneurs (and men) on their healing journey, using fitness as a tool, ties into her knowing intimately just how intertwined our emotions and waistlines really are. From Joy's purview changing the world, literally means "Changing one feeling at a time, with One workout at a time”.
Hailing from the beautiful twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Joy's fitness aptitude was honored by the Trinidad and Tobago Military with the "Fittest Female" training instructor title in 2016. Today, her services span a variety of creative outlets including online fitness courses and challenges, personal training packages, group class pop-ups, etc. Joy's platform of promoting emotional freedom through fitness has helped her take her message to large stages, garnering renown as a respected voice on women's rights and mental health topics. Hiking trails around her NJ residence, her church family fitness ministry, and outdoor adventures with her husband and boys all bear witness to her commitment to the movement, on and off the clock.
Paola Martinez, Survivor Leadership Team
Paola Martinez is a front-line leader; she believes that the well-being of survivors is our focus as they reintegrate as contributing members of society. Whether you’re an immigrant, part of the LGBTQ community, or other minority groups, that in the past haven’t been fully recognized it’s important that people that have been trafficked obtain identification status
Lidya Indayani Umar, Ambassador for Indonesia
Lidya Indayani Umar is an advocate and attorney whose humanitarian work centers on protecting and empowering victims of gender‑based violence, especially women and children. With a career rooted in justice, compassion, and survivor‑centered practice, she has become a respected speaker and educator on human trafficking, trauma‑informed approaches, and victim‑centered service delivery.
Lidya has dedicated her life to supporting survivors through every stage of recovery and reintegration. Her work focuses on education, skills development, and job placement assistance—pathways she believes are essential for restoring dignity, independence, and long‑term stability. She is widely recognized for her ability to bridge legal expertise with deep empathy, ensuring survivors are heard, protected, and empowered.
Her leadership and impact have earned outstanding awards from government agencies, local authorities, and international NGOs, honoring her commitment to justice and her tireless advocacy for vulnerable communities.
A passionate believer in prevention, Lidya emphasizes that safeguarding children, youth, and adults through education and awareness is the most holistic way to eradicate human trafficking. Her mission is clear: build informed communities, strengthen protective systems, and ensure every survivor has the opportunity to heal, grow, and thrive.
Doreen Beatrice, Ambassador for Women Empowerment
After an accomplished career spanning business and the arts, Doreen Beatrice has devoted the past several years to developing meaningful solutions to human rights injustices. Her passion is empowering women and advancing their rights, dignity, and opportunities. Her work focuses particularly on supporting efforts to protect women and children from exploitation, with an emphasis on gender-based violence and human trafficking.
Doreen believes that Mentari’s mission and vision closely align with her own values and life’s work. She is committed to contributing to a world where women and children are protected from exploitation and where survivors are empowered to rebuild their lives with safety, dignity, independence, and opportunity.
Through her advocacy, leadership, and community engagement, Doreen seeks to support meaningful, sustainable change and to strengthen efforts that advance women’s empowerment and human rights.
Mutunda Malichi, Ambassador for Zambia
Mutunda Malichi was born in a humble family and is motivated to ensure that what he went through as a child does not repeat itself on other children. Malichi is a founder of the January 4th Academy aiming to bring together and foster help for vulnerable children born on 4th of January as a criterion to help out children born from child mothers with no known responsible fathers. He was born, grew up, and worked in rural areas of Zambia experiencing the worst poverty levels being endured by his people that led the into vices such as prostitution, human trafficking, and early marriages for girls. Malichi is now involved with Mentari USA in developing new ways to end child sex and general human trafficking that has characterized most rural areas of Zambia.
Malichi has worked with humanitarian organizations for 7 years ensuring access to water and sanitation services to rural dwellers, this gave him a clear understanding of the poverty levels people are going through leading them to be engaged in vices that lead them into human and sex trafficking. In 2022, Malichi joined the national fight against child marriage and has since collaborated with a number of organizations that are fighting both child marriage and sex trafficking.
Malichi has also been engaged in advocating for SDGs especially those focusing on gender equality, peace, and justice for all, and also poverty reduction as a way to meet the Vision 2030 that the country has set. He is looking for partners that will support the agenda to sensitize school children, and victims of child marriage and sex trafficking by involving parents; cultural and traditional; and civic leaders to meet this objective. In a culture where issues of sex are rarely discussed, the HIV infection rate is at 30%, Malichi intends to go on a national advocacy and campaign journey and become a lonely voice in fighting this scourge.
With statistics soaring high in child marriages, sex trafficking, and gender inequalities, Malichi is determined to ensure that the National Vision 2030 is achieved. He is privileged to partner and volunteer with MENTARI USA to bring these statistics down. In achieving this, Malichi is engaging lawmakers to enact sufficient laws that provide for stiffer punishment for perpetrators of sex and human trafficking including child marriages and early sex.
Caroline Pugh-Roberts, Ambassador for International Program
Caroline Pugh-Roberts is an advocate and survivor leader, educator, and policy advisor with extensive experience supporting survivors and advancing anti-trafficking efforts in Canada and internationally. Since 2017, she has served with The Salvation Army, developing survivor-centered programs, providing direct support, training law enforcement and service providers, and building cross-sector partnerships.
Caroline has contributed to human trafficking training and policy development with Canadian governments, the RCMP, medical professionals, police services, and community organizations. She developed Cornerstone Dignity, an exit and aftercare program supporting survivors toward safety, healing, and independence.
Her contributions have been recognized with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, Hope Award, John Robinson Award, and Shine the Light Award.
Aleksandra Okpala, Artist
Aleksandra Okpala holds a Master of Laws and brings over six years of global experience in gender‑based violence, institutional accountability, and social innovation through her work at UNFPA. She supported initiatives across more than 150 country and regional offices, helping translate policy, strategy, and new ideas into action. She currently serves on New York City’s VOICES Committee under the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender‑Based Violence, continuing her advocacy for women’s rights and survivor voices.
Her commitment to women’s rights is both personal and shaped by the stories she has encountered in her work. These experiences strengthen her resolve to help build a world where women and girls are safe, valued, heard, and free to shape their own lives.
Aleksandra’s approach is grounded in community‑ and survivor‑informed principles and a belief that lasting change must happen at every level—from shifting social norms and behaviors to strengthening institutions and transforming the systems that allow harm to persist. She is especially interested in innovative pathways for advancing that change and in how emerging technologies can be used ethically for social good.
Creativity has always been part of who she is, whether through painting, sewing, DIY projects, or giving old things new life. She also finds inspiration through travel, learning from the people and cultures she encounters and carrying that curiosity into how she creates and works.