About Us

Dr. Anne Friesen

Activist. Researcher. Chief Strategy Consultant.

Chief Strategy Consultant Dr. Anne Friesen has earned a Doctor of Education in Leadership and has more than 20 years of professional experience in social justice and human services. Anne is committed to fueling the engine for positive social and economic change in her community and communities worldwide.

For more than 12 years, she served as the Executive Director of Friend to Friend (a non-profit serving victims of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking) located in North Carolina. During her tenure there, she led community and regional efforts to improve the safety, health & well-being of homeless & displaced survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault & human trafficking. For more than 15 years, Dr. Friesen has worked to combat and reduce Human Trafficking victimization and exploitation by empowering service providers, first responders, and survivors throughout the world.

Anne is nationally recognized, award-winning in her fields, and passionate about effecting social and economic change.

Having spent more than 20 years supporting foundations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, advancing issues ranging from education/prevention to direct support services to survivors. Anne offers training and support to non-profits and brings broad and unique expertise in:

• Consulting & Supporting Non-profit Organizations in Leadership Transition

• Anti-Human Trafficking Consultant, Advocate, Speaker, Analyst

• Organizational Design, Strategic Planning, and Sustainable Growth Strategies Tailored for Health and Human Service Organizations

• Women Empowerment & Leadership Programming

• Survivor-Focused Advocacy, Support & Trauma-Informed Care

• Holistic Leadership Training and Consulting with Expertise in Health and Human Services

• Strategic Planning-Creating Non-Profit Long-Term Sustainability

• Trauma-Informed Human Trafficking Response Systems

• Evidence-Based Programming That Results in Self-Sufficiency for Women, Children, Men & Families in Crisis

• Creating Strength-Based Teams & Diverse Workplace Cultures of Positivity & Inclusion

• Best Practices for Crisis Intervention Response, Support, and Services for Human Trafficking Survivors

ACTIVITIES & AFFILIATIONS

Dr. Anne Friesen served a six-year tenure on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV), where she also served as Co-Chairperson. Additionally, she was a member of the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Coalition Against Human Trafficking. Currently, Anne serves as President of the Board of Directors for Springs of Living Water, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting women and children who are survivors of sex trafficking in Ethiopia. In her professional capacity, she is the Chief Strategy Consultant for Empowerment Now, a holistic leadership consulting agency that equips leaders to foster a more inclusive and just global community.

• 2016 Recipient of Moore County Citizen of the Year by the Rotary Club of Carthage (honoring community members who exemplify the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self”)

• 2019 Moore County Woman of the Year by the NC Community Foundation.

Anne is the author of

• HELP: Holistic Empowerment Leadership Program for Sheltered Victims of Interpersonal Violence;  and,

• The Empowerment Source: 10 Best Practices Principles That Empower Exceptional Advocates

Anne continues to present her research at conferences on human trafficking, trauma-informed/survivor-centered advocacy, and developing holistic empowerment leadership programming for survivors.

CERTIFICATIONS & EDUCATION

University of Kansas: B.A. and M.A.

Trevecca Nazarene University: EdD 

Harvard University, Kennedy School: Certification in Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Non-Profit Organizations

Duke University: Executive Education Program in both Non-Profit Management and Non-Profit Leadership