Leadership Team

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Co-Founder and President

Jo has been involved in fighting sex trafficking since 2011, serving as Shared Hope’s top awareness speaker and trainer in the U.S. She was one of the first volunteer Ambassadors and later served on staff as the project manager for the Terry’s House in the Pacific Northwest, Director of Faith Initiatives and National Outreach. 

She retired from Shared Hope in 2023 and now spearheads national prayer teams to support direct service providers in their work with survivors and victims of trafficking. Her passion to protect children is rooted in being a mother, grandmother and retired educator.

Using her skills as a powerful motivational speaker for activists of all ages, she trained volunteer Ambassadors nationwide to share signs of grooming with community audiences. She managed the training and equipping of 1400 volunteers with the assistance of 12 Regional Coordinators.  Education is a powerful defense, and Jo is committed to reaching as many people as possible with information to stop the tactics of traffickers. As the National Outreach Director for Shared Hope she equipped teachers, counselors, school nurses, and church and community leaders across the nation to impact the issues that endanger their children and address the hidden reality of juvenile sex trafficking. Her emphasis to audiences across the nation is that no matter how small the action, everyone can have a role in protecting children from exploitation.

   Board Secretary Treasurer

Manna Ko is an author, TEDx Speaker, international speaker, transformational leader, speaker trainer, CEO and founder of several companies, and strategic partner to many others. 

Manna is affectionately known as Your Purpose Professor.™ Now with more than three decades of entrepreneurial experience, she has spoken to over 40,000 people around the globe, shared the stage with other renowned motivational and inspirational speakers, worked with hundreds of businesses and organizations, including a private writer’s group in Oxford, England. She has clients in more than 10 countries, has contributed to numerous educational, disciplinary, and advisory boards. 

Manna earned an MA in Psychology, a PhD in Philosophy with her second Doctoral Degree — an EdD in Leadership For Change, graduate certificates in the health industry, is an ordained leader with Third Day Churches. Manna lives a grateful life with her family and fur-mily (her dogs). 

  Board Vice President

Residing in Fort Worth, Scott is an influential business owner who is a vital part of the ministries in Mercy Culture Church. He was involved in the creation of Distinct Business a ministry of Mercy Culture that works to transform driven business leaders into “presence driven business leaders.” He serves within Distinct as a Group Leader for small business owners. Scott is on the leadership team of the Justice Reform group that exists to answer the cry for justice by bringing reformation from city to city.  He is also a part of a businessmen non-profit organization that funds Christian ministries. 

Scott is a mentor and powerful leader for those looking to establish their walk with Christ.  

 Founder & Executive Director

Since 2009, Nick has been involved standing against Human Trafficking with various organizations. He is an Emeritus Board Member of Shared Hope International, a Founding Board Member of the Rebecca Bender Initiative, and is presently the Board President of the Genesis Project. Nick is the Executive Director for Street Grace, overseeing their Demand Reduction Cyber Patrol program and serving as Program Director in the strategic partnership for the Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network overseeing Just Men Arizona. 

Nick is networked across the nation with anti-trafficking organizations, speaking to advocates at national conferences, state, and regional meetings. He actively recruits men as volunteers to engage buyers to disrupt demand. He has many years of experience dealing with men’s issues and human trafficking, having spoken with hundreds of sex buyers and those addicted to pornography. Nick uses personal experience to tailor his presentations to appropriate audiences.