London: The Freedom Fund is pleased to announce the appointments of Grace Forrest and Natasha Dolby to its Board of Directors. Grace is a founding director of Walk Free, an international human rights group working to end all forms of modern slavery. Walk Free produces the Global Slavery Index, the world’s leading data-set on modern slavery. Natasha is co-founder of Freedom Forward, an organization working to prevent the commercial sexual exploitation of youth in San Francisco, and Vice-President of the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Foundation.

Grace has spent extensive time on the ground working with survivors and documenting slavery throughout South-East Asia and the Middle East, with a focus on the vulnerability of displaced communities. In 2018, she was awarded Nomi Network’s Abolitionist award. She is a founding member of the Asia Gender Network and is a 2021 finalist for Young Australian of the Year.

Natasha is a non-profit founder, executive, and philanthropist with a passion for addressing social justice challenges. Her experience in the non-profit sector over the last three decades spans the gamut of volunteer, grassroots staff, researcher, advocate, adviser and board member.

“We are very pleased to welcome Grace and Natasha to our Board,” said Alan McCormick, Chair of the Freedom Fund Board. “Their passion, knowledge and proven leadership working in the sector are huge assets to the Freedom Fund’s mission to end modern slavery.”

Grace Forrest, co-founder of Walk Free, said, “Walk Free is one of the Freedom Fund’s founders, and I’m so proud of the important and scalable frontline work they do. It is an honour to be joining this incredible organisation in this formal capacity.”

Natasha Dolby, co-founder of Freedom Forward, said, “I’m excited to work with the Freedom Fund in this new capacity, especially on a new hotspot to address the commercial sexual exploitation of children in my home country of Brazil.”

“We are delighted that Grace and Natasha are joining Freedom Fund’s Board,” said Nick Grono, CEO of the Freedom Fund. “Both have already contributed hugely to global anti-slavery efforts, and are passionate advocates of the Freedom Fund and its work. I very much look forward to working even more closely with them in the future.”

About:

The Freedom Fund is a leader in the global movement to end modern slavery. We identify and invest in the most effective frontline efforts to eradicate modern slavery in the countries and sectors where it is most prevalent. Partnering with visionary investors, governments, anti-slavery organisations and those at risk of exploitation, we tackle the systems that allow slavery to persist and thrive. Working together, we protect vulnerable populations, liberate and reintegrate those enslaved and prosecute those responsible.