Nomi Network

It was 15 years ago that Nomi Network officially became a nonprofit organization. 15 years of supporting women and girls to end cycles of exploitation, working with corporate and business partners to create new opportunities for economic empowerment. For a decade and a half, we have surrounded women with a network of support, life skills, and technical employment training so they can find income solutions that work for them. As we reflect on the past 15 years, we are proud to know that tens of thousands of women and girls today are safe because they are economically secure and free of exploitation. We look forward to sharing more about what we have learned and recognizing some of the individuals who have made it possible for Nomi Network to make an impact. We hope you consider joining us as we recognize this milestone and thousands of lives changed because of our commitment to ending human trafficking.? https://bit.ly/3UNCPLJ

Nomi Network received its largest federal grant to date for the "Build a Better Future: Youth Workforce Development Program" in Dallas. The Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crime, awarded the grant as part of its 2024 Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Human Trafficking program. Funding will support expanding Dallas County’s referral network to increase the identification of minor victims of human trafficking, connections to appropriate services to meet their needs and self-identified goals, delivering social/emotional skills and workforce development through our “Know Me” and “Know My Future” curricula, hosting education and workforce exposure events, and provide individualized wraparound case management. This grant is a testament to the incredible work being done in Dallas, Texas. We are grateful for the support and confidence in Nomi Network to provide the support and opportunities survivors deserve.

Diana Mao Kelly shares AI's role in advancing opportunities and reducing risk for vulnerable women by including diverse voices and leadership. After leading our Corporate Summit in September, she was able to attend TECH WEEK by a16z in Los Angeles and the Masters of Scale Summit. Hear from AI thought leaders and innovators, as well as her recommendations for connecting AI and the survivors of human trafficking. #AI #HumanTrafficking #Investing #Innovation #CorporateEngagement #Diversity

The Opportunity Youth Forum (OYF) at the Aspen Forum For Community Solutions (AFCS) is a network of over forty local collaborations in urban, rural, and tribal communities across the United States. Collaborating organizations build and scale reconnection pathways for opportunity youth or those who have faced significant life challenges. The goal is to achieve better education, employment, and overall well-being outcomes for opportunity youth. Teneshia Morgan, Director of U.S. Programs, is joined by JerMarkus Booker, Sr. Manager of Corporate Partnerships, and Dallas Program Manager, Melanie Riden. Together, they are engaging Opportunity Youth Forum site leads, youth leaders, funders, thought partners, and national leaders across many sectors to leverage Nomi Network’s impact not only in the state of Texas but nationally. At Nomi Network we leverage the knowledge and resources from our partner organizations to continually learn, improve, and scale U.S. Programs. Together, with OYF and other partners, we are addressing and changing the systems and policies that impact young people's lives. We’re grateful to the Aspen Forum For Community Solutions (AFCS) Opportunity Youth Forum for facilitating insightful discussions and providing funding opportunities, convenings, and other learning opportunities. Data, research, and evaluation support our work nationally. Photos: (left to right) 1: Erin Offord, Big Thought-Dallas, CEO/President Arienne Jones, Aspen Institute-Justice and Equity, Sr. Program Manager JerMarkus Booker-Nomi Network, Sr. Corporate Partnership Manager Melanie Riden-Nomi Network, Dallas Program Manager 2: Nathan Hora-National Youth Employment Coalition, Sr. Advisor for Federal Policy JerMarkus Booker-Nomi Network, Sr. Corporate Partnership Manager 3: Teneshia Morgan-Nomi Network, Director of U.S. Programs Erin Offord, Big Thought-Dallas, CEO/President Brian C. Rubin-Education Design Lab (Washington DC), Sr. Education Designer JerMarkus Booker-Nomi Network, Sr. Corporate Partnership Manager

Nomi Co-Founder Supei Liu is also the VP of Innovation and Expansion. Her role is pivotal in working with organizations and businesses to learn about new markets and entrepreneurship models in India and Cambodia. The goal is to take this knowledge to serve the needs of survivors and vulnerable women with new opportunities in the communities we serve. Supei started our very first program in Nomi Network Cambodia and continues this work today. This week, she is visiting the WELPS Training Center in India. The center offers entrepreneurship training for income-generating activities powered by solar energy. The Center is a public/private partnership between, JEEVIKA, Rural Development Department, Government of Bihar and SELCO solar energy company. Nomi Network has provided the Life Skills curriculum and a small pool of start-up funding for eligible women. Supei got to visit a chip-making business from this program. It is going to be a family affair. The wife who attends the training will be making the chips, and the husband will do the sales and marketing.?

There are many barriers to education and access to information for vulnerable women and girls.?The Technology as Accelerator Panel at the Nomi Network Corporate Summit united technology and AI experts to explore the evolving digital landscape. Technology has revolutionized human trafficking. Panelists spoke about how generative AI has created more tech-based tools for exploitation. It has also inspired innovative use to capture evidence for prosecution, purge images associated with sexual exploitation, and identify hot spots for trafficking. AI has the potential to level the playing field and make it easier for women with significant barriers to access specific sectors. “AI can democratize knowledge,” said Helen (Chen) Foo, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Stellar. “Anyone can get every bit of knowledge.” At Nomi Network, we work in remote areas and in places where resources and opportunities are few. AI can be a powerful tool for workforce training, skill development, and reskilling, especially with the latest Generative AI breakthrough. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a type of AI that can create new content, such as text, images, videos, music, and code. Sue Xu, Managing Partner at Amino Capital, shared how AI increases access to markets and the ability to create new products for women in remote areas. She said, “With AI agents, women and girls can have 100 ideas and make 100 products.” Educating women and girls on the warning signs of human trafficking and online safety while providing space to use AI to explore entrepreneurship and career pathways is critical, especially for vulnerable women and girls. In short, while technology brings challenges, it can unlock doors of opportunity for vulnerable women and girls. #NomiNetworkCorporateSummit

Diana Mao Kelly joined a powerhouse panel at TECH WEEK by a16z. Moderated by Sue Xu, partner at Amino Capital along with Brandon Saito, from Wells Fargo the topic was The Rise of Family Offices and Their Impact on Generative AI Investments.’ The panelists discussed in part the growth and influence of family offices to make transformative investments. They and Diana emphasized the power of giving back as a lifelong commitment and the promise and power of generative AI to address critical issues like human trafficking and poverty. Other panel members included: ? Larry Li Managing Partner at Amino Capital; Forbes Midas Seed Lister in 2023, 2024, and Top 5 AI Trendsetter in 2024; Early investor in Chime, Weee!, Replit, Rippling, Webflow. ? Desiree Pierce, Senior Lead Family Office Relationship Manager at Wells Fargo Family Office ? Michelle C Lee, Philanthropist and Personality & Identity Formation Coach ? Mark Eibel, CFA Director of Client Investment Strategies at Russell Investments

This year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) theme was “Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together for Advancing Peace, Sustainable Development, and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations.” During that same week, Nomi Network was honored to host our Corporate Summit at the Delegates' Dining Room at the United Nations. “Partnership is in the DNA of the UN Global Compact. We know that we can do so much more working together than any of us can do independently,” said Angus Rennie, Interim Chief of Staff, United Nations Global Compact. “The innovative approach Nomi Network has in working with companies is a great model for collaboration with lasting impact. Your focus on economic empowerment is in line with the work of the UN Global Compact.” He went on to speak about the Forward Faster initiative, which is a challenge for companies to increase their ambition and commitment in key areas, such as to pay living wages across their organizations by 2030. As an organization dedicated to creating economic opportunities for survivors and women at risk of human trafficking, we show our commitment to leaving no one behind, especially vulnerable women and girls, as they build better futures. Read more at our blog: https://lnkd.in/gJ35FRe4.

To celebrate International Day of the Girl Child, we celebrate the potential of all girls. Every girl deserves access to opportunity, safety, education, and support to grow into tomorrow’s leaders and change-makers. This poster was created by a youth in our Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) in Jharkhand, India. Through her art, she has already made an impact as a changemaker. It was entered into a government-sponsored competition celebrating the theme "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" (Save Girls, Educate Girls). It was awarded second place! Put every girl in first place by investing in their potential today to build a better tomorrow. The poster's image is of a girl child, illustrating how education is freedom while child marriage is like slavery. She chose to draw a bride with tears and chains to symbolize the bondage of early marriage. The tree has different branches with slogans on the value of girls written in Hindi and is beautiful poetry (see below). She also included the local helpline phone numbers to encourage girls to get support. 1. ?? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ??? English Translation 1: A country that respects women is like heaven on earth. 2.??????? ??????? ?? ?? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ????-???? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? English Translation 2: The girl child is a precious gift from nature, and one must not disrespect them. Parents who give identity and life to a girl must be revered. 3. ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ??. ?? ???? ????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? English Translation 3: She is a woman. She can create life. Who are you to destroy the one who creates life?

The 2024 Nomi Network Corporate Summit brought actionable insights and a clear call to action for strong Corporate and Nonprofit partnerships. Attendees heard from C-Suite leaders, such as Matthew McCarthy, technology and AI experts like Diya Wynn, United Nations Leaders like Kirsi Madi, and Ambassadors-at-Large for Monitoring and Reporting on Human Trafficking John Richmond and Susan Coppedge. Read about some of the highlights of the day here. Stay tuned as the conversation continues. Become part of the Network today at https://lnkd.in/eit-4eh4