Born to parents addicted to drugs and raised in 14 different foster care homes by the age of ten, T.  Ortiz Walker Pettigrew was then trafficked by a man who promised to care for her but instead beat and exploited her for seven years.  At the age of 17, through her own tenacious belief that she deserved a better life, and with the support of her court-appointed special advocate, Ms. Ortiz Walker Pettigrew was able to escape from the daily brutality and terror she was living.  A widely respected leader and outspoken crusader on behalf of trafficked and vulnerable children, Ms. Ortiz Walker Pettigrew was named one of Glamour Magazine’s “Women of the Year” as the “Bravest Truth Teller,” one of Time Magazine’s “Most Influential People” and one of Time Magazine’s “30 people under 30 changing the world.”  Today, she is a nationally recognized sex-trafficking/commercial sexual exploitation advocate, speaker, consultant, and trainer.