Alezandra Russell

Born to Argentine and Peruvian parents and raised in the United States, Alezandra Russell is a first-generation US-American, activist, and founder who has spent over 20 years at the intersection of human rights, cultural identity, and systems change.

In 2009, Alezandra Russell stood in a red light district in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and saw something the anti-trafficking movement had been trained not to see: boys. She flew home, sold her engagement and wedding rings, and built Urban Light Foundation from nothing founding what became the only organization at the time in Southeast Asia dedicated exclusively to boys and young men who are survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation. Seventeen years later, Urban Light has reached over 17,000 individuals across Northern Thailand and remains one of the only organizations of its kind in the world.

Her work has never been without consequence. In 2018, she was forced to flee Thailand following government retaliation for her advocacy work exposing trafficking networks losing her home, her country of residence, and much of what she had built on the ground. She kept going anyway, and has directed Urban Light remotely ever since, across Italy, Mexico, and the United States.

Alezandra is a recipient of the Mother Teresa Humanitarian Award, recognized by Telemundo as an "Unstoppable Woman," and honored with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Victim Rights Award. Her work has been covered by Al Jazeera, Reuters, HuffPost, Business Insider, Inc. Magazine, and the Bangkok Post. She is a first-generation American of Argentine and Peruvian heritage, based in Italy, and speaks English and Spanish. She is currently completing a book on generational trauma and positive parenting for first-generation Latinx families, and consults globally on anti-trafficking strategy, survivor-centered programming, and organizational leadership.