Alison Kiehl Friedman

Alison Kiehl Friedman is a single mom with a proven record on issues of human trafficking, security and civil rights. After graduating from Stanford, Ms. Friedman joined People For the American Way where she defended voting rights, an independent judiciary, and high quality public education. She went on to work for Congresswoman Jane Harman, managing complex security, infrastructure and transportation challenges surrounding major ports and LAX airport. Ms. Friedman co-founded ASSET, a nonprofit addressing issues of human trafficking in global supply chains, where she helped author the California Transparency in Supply Chains law, which served as a model for international landmark legislation. Her expertise in the anti-slavery field led Ms. Friedman to be recruited by the State Department at the beginning of the Obama administration, where she served as deputy director in the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. In that role, she managed more than 50 million dollars in federal grants and U.S. interagency processes to combat human trafficking. Ms. Friedman was instrumental in launching slaveryfootprint.com, crafting the Executive Order that ensured taxpayer dollars didn’t further incentivize exploitation, and front-line diplomacy with critical allies to promote freedom around the world. She has received numerous awards for her work, including her contribution to successful resolution of a hostage crisis in Pakistan. Ms. Friedman lives in Virginia with her daughter, Olivia.