Melissa Holland

Melissa Holland serves as the Founder and Executive Director of Awaken, a nonprofit whose mission is to increase awareness and education surrounding the issue of commercial sexual exploitation and to provide housing and restoration for its victims. Melissa holds a license in Marriage Family Therapy from the University of Nevada, Reno. Melissa believes strongly in responding to God’s call to seek justice for the oppressed, and is passionate about uniting the community in the fight to end the sexual exploitation of women and children.

Jen Robinson

Jen holds a B.A in Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is currently working toward an MBA at the University of Nevada, Reno. She and Melissa Holland co-founded Awaken in 2011. Jen is currently co-chairperson of the Prevention committee on the State of Nevada’s Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Coalition.  Jen enjoys building strong, trust-filled relationships with the women and children Awaken serves. She is dedicated and passionate, and truly believes she will see commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking eradicated in northern Nevada and around the world.

Annika Huff

Annika Huff is a survivor of sex trafficking. Annika’s trafficking took place in Nevada. She was the first survivor under the new Nevada law to get a jury trial against her trafficker, ending with him being sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Annika has partnered with many organizations to create educational materials including; video trainings, booklets, podcasts, public awareness materials, and in-depth in-person trainings. She also served on Nevada’s first survivor advisory board.  Annika was a contractor with The Blue Campaign for Homeland Security, field training with Truckers Against Trafficking, and has worked for Dignity Health since 2016 telling her medical specific trafficking story as well as providing training in human trafficking 101. She’s a trainer with Runaway Girl INC. connecting communities and service providers together to better protect and serve their youth. She speaks and trains publicly to educate the community on the issue of human trafficking across the country. She has testified for statewide human trafficking bills.