We’re a team of go-getters and dreamers who hustle to create big, audacious change in our community and the world. Below you’ll find some of the smiling faces behind Allies.
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After leading Allies as a volunteer for three years, John managed the organization’s transition from a grassroots movement to a nonprofit in 2014. Under his leadership, Allies has supported thousands of trafficking survivors, successfully petitioned the Austin City Council to unanimously pass a slave-free city resolution, tripled the size of the Central Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking, and launched Lighthouse, an innovative software platform to identify victims and visualize data. John also forged a research partnership between Allies and the University of Texas, funded by the Texas Governor’s Office, and co-authored the groundbreaking study “Human Trafficking by the Numbers: The Initial Benchmark of Prevalence and Economic Impact for Texas”. He also serves as an expert witness in sex trafficking cases across Texas. John has a degree in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University, where he studied as an Ingram Scholar. He earned a Master of Political Economy from the University of Sydney in Australia as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. His cross-sector experience serving marginalized communities informs his work building solutions that protect the most vulnerable while also addressing the root-cause, systemic causes of their vulnerability. Outside of work, John is a backyard chicken farmer. He and his wife Rachel enjoy spending time outdoors with their four children and are active in Austin’s faith community.
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Torey Tipton is deeply passionate about seeking freedom and dignity for all people and leverages her policy and non-profit management expertise in pursuit of that goal. Torey believes in the power of collaboration to influence change, and the importance of innovation to solve the complex problem human trafficking presents. Torey joined Allies Against Slavery in 2015 as the Managing Director and currently serves as the Senior Director of People & Policy, where she is responsible for HR and data-informed policy insights. As a leader at Allies, Torey has helped guide the development of Lighthouse making it the first technology solution in the anti-trafficking field to combine victim identification, care coordination, data sharing, and trend analysis into one platform. Torey holds a Master’s in Public Service and Administration from the Bush School of Government and Public Service and a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Texas A&M University. She lives in Austin with her husband, Craig, and their dogs Rory and Ollie. During college football season, you can find her at Kyle Field every Saturday cheering on her Aggies.
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Becky Austen is passionate about blending her business and technology expertise with community engagement to drive impact and systems change. As Chief Product Officer, Becky leads strategy, development and deployment of the Lighthouse portfolio with our data and field partners. Becky came to Allies through the Leadership Austin Fellows program in 2019, where she was also a Social Venture Partner Fellow at Mission Capital. Becky previously worked at IBM, where she held a broad range of executive and leadership positions in sales education, marketing, strategy, business development, offering management and software development. Becky has served in leadership roles with numerous boards and committees, including the City of Austin Commission for Women, Impact Austin, Girls Empowerment Network, Nobel Women's Initiative, Philanos, Girlstart, Texas Advocacy Project, Austin Women in Technology, Girls Rock Austin and Austin Gifted. Becky is a graduate of Leadership Austin, Leadership Texas, and the UT McCombs School of Business Institute for Managerial Leadership, and has a BA in mathematics from Vassar College. Becky plays upright and electric bass in local bands, and enjoys traveling and hanging out with her husband Stacy and two daughters.
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Grace joined the team to help manage the development of the Lighthouse platform after serving on the Allies’ Board of Directors since 2014. Grace has a strong technical background, graduating with a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech. However, a desire to round out her technical side took her to Columbia University, where she received her M.B.A. Her studies have led her abroad to France, where she began her career in telecommunications at Orange/France Telecom, working with teams in Europe, Africa and North America. Upon returning to the U.S., Grace moved on from telecommunications to software and internet applications, working for companies such as Amplify (a subsidiary of News Corporation, formerly Wireless Generation), The XO Group (formerly The Knot), and most recently, Thomson Reuters. She has a heart for survivors of trafficking and served on the board of Restore NYC from 2010 to 2013.
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With the belief that we’re better when we work together, Tally serves as the Partnership Manager at Allies Against Slavery. She works alongside Lighthouse partners across the state to build community, support their success, and ultimately bring about lasting change for survivors. Prior to her work at Allies, Tally most recently convened community leaders and champions for early childhood education at The DoSeum, San Antonio’s Children’s Museum, as their Corporate Partnership and Events Manager. She brings a history of evidence-based study and trauma-informed research to the team, with a Masters of Social Work from The University of Texas. Her experience working with survivors of trauma and exploitation as a frontline social worker in emergency departments, experience as an anti-trafficking trainer across Central Texas, and passion for helping partners achieve their goals through collaboration and teamwork guide Tally on the road to success with Lighthouse partners. With a love for travel and the outdoors, you can find her camping, rock-climbing, and running off to the mountains with her dog, Hatch, every chance she gets.
Before her time at Allies, Quinn worked in digital marketing for Waco-based hospitality groups and Austin-based tech startups and SAAS companies. Having a diverse marketing background, she is adept at creating and managing digital content to build relationships for organizations and individuals. With a B.A. Communications Specialist from Baylor University, she has experience with both content strategy and development. She lives in Austin with her husband, Michael, and dog, Kodi. During her off-hours, you can find her in the pottery studio working on her ceramics business and only rarely writing in the third person.
Eva first joined Allies as an intern in 2021 following four years in the Army as a Military Intelligence Captain. She came with unique experience managing and deciphering intelligence products in various environments across the U.S. and South Korea. Eva became a full-time member of the team in 2023 and in her position as the Lighthouse Data Manager, she ensures that the Lighthouse tool portrays trafficking data accurately and decisively. She has a BA in Political Science and Spanish from Cornell University and a MS in International Relations from KU Leuven in Belgium. When she is not using her detective skills for Allies, you can find her exploring new places in Belgium with her dog, Obi. She also plays on local softball and volleyball teams and enjoys watching and rewatching all the Marvel and Star Wars shows.
Megan is a dynamic professional with a proven track record in big tech. She spent six impactful years at Oracle, closing some of their first cloud deals and holding several business development leadership positions. In 2022, she joined hyper-growth unicorn, Airtable, building and scaling the pre-sales organization. Now, Megan brings her strategic savvy to Allies where she is responsible for fundraising, grant management, and donor engagement. Megan's passion lies in leveraging her expertise for social justice and impact, making her a valuable asset to our mission in the fight against human trafficking. With a degree in Corporate Communications & Entrepreneurship from the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University, she is dedicated to donor relations and working towards vigorous fundraising goals in support of our mission. Megan is a partner at The Austin Stone and involved locally with YoungLife and Community First! Village in Austin, Texas. On the weekends you can find Megan in a hot yoga class or running after her toddler, Woods, and dog, Charlie, with husband, Landan — both intense workouts.
Maddie joined Allies following four years as an Associate at Husch Blackwell LLP where she represented clients in complex commercial real estate transactions. While working in private practice, she helped spearhead a project with law students at SMU Law to collect and code data on federal human trafficking prosecutions. Maddie draws on her seven years of experience of working with human trafficking data to ensure that the Allies Lighthouse tool accurately portrays human trafficking data. She lives in Pula, Croatia with her husband Lukas, and on the weekends, you can find them exploring new beaches or exploring other spots in Europe.
As a passionate advocate for the potential social impact of data, Deniz joined Allies as a product analyst after completing her B.A. in Data Science and Political Science at UC Berkeley. Deniz’s academic journey included extensive research on illicit financial flows in the Middle East. Having experienced the inherent data gaps in the study of illicit networks through her own research, Deniz is inspired by the power of Lighthouse. To her role as a product analyst, Deniz brings a combination of data science skills and experience working at international think tanks in Turkey. During her off-hours, you can find Deniz attending contemporary dance workshops, rewatching her favorite drama series and walking along the Lady Bird Lake.
Dr. Vanessa Bouché is an award-winning thought-leader and scholar who has earned over $1 million in federal research grants. Her published work on human trafficking has taken her all over the world, sharing her expertise through consulting and speaking for dozens of organizations including the U.S. State Department, UN Office on Drugs & Crime, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Polaris, McCain Institute, and Thorn.
She received her B.A. from Columbia University, her M.P.Aff. from the University of Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs, and her Ph.D. in political science from The Ohio State University. She has formerly worked as an intelligence analyst, an Associate Professor at Texas Christian University, and currently serves as a Research Fellow at SMU AT&T Center for Virtualization, a Scholar-in-Residence for Allies Against Slavery, the Director of Research for Life After Justice, an Adjunct Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as a consultant for several other organizations.
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Known for her clear communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and compassionate nature, Sarah consistently delivers excellent support to our team at Allies. Sarah brings over 17 years of experience in relationship management, executive coordination, project management, and client care across various industries. She holds a degree in Elementary Education from Lynchburg University. Beyond her professional life, Sarah can be found spending time with her family and friends and pursuing her zest for life thru travel. Her experiences traveling abroad and volunteering at an orphanage in Tanzania have shaped her worldview and contribute to her compassion and global perspective.
Kyle is the Chief Investment Officer at Corrigo, an innovative investment management firm. Kyle brings over 25 years of executive experience leading diverse teams, managing complex global investments and executing on strategy and risk assessments in the public, private and social sectors. He is motivated to protect the dignity and inherent value of every person, and he is passionate about serving alongside our team here at Allies.
Tim O’Hara is Iodine Software’s VP of Client Experience, leading corporate and customer strategy to maximize client acquisition, retention, and health. Tim was previously a senior vice president with Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, where he was responsible for business operations and customer success for a software division that served over 1,200 hospital clients throughout the United States. In addition, Tim enjoyed a long career at The Advisory Board Company in a variety of executive roles focused on delivering client value. Outside of work, Tim volunteers extensively with nonprofits in the health and human sector, serving on the boards of SAFE Alliance and Allies Against Slavery and as a Social Venture Partner with Mission Capital. Tim has degrees from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he graduated with the highest academic record, and the University of Virginia, where he graduated as a Jefferson Scholar.
Houston is a Senior Director with BluWave where he leads research and operations activities. Prior to BluWave, he was a management and strategy consultant at Bush Consulting Group, North Highland, and IBM, serving clients in the Financial Services and Media industries. Houston received his MBA from Columbia Business School and his BSBA from Vanderbilt University. He is passionate about helping Allies Against Slavery protect freedom and dignity.
Sherry has dedicated much of the last 15 years to making the world a better place through her work with a variety of organizations. She is the Founder and Director of the Kate Reardon Memorial Scholarship Fund which sends inner-city kids with a passion for the arts to Buck’s Rock Camp, a sleep-away camp specializing in performing and creative arts in northern Connecticut. Additionally, she donates her time as a college counselor to first-generation Americans who are also the first in their families to pursue higher education. Formerly, Sherry was the Chief Administrative Officer of Push Against Cancer, a fundraiser for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which was founded by Paul Newman to let kids with critical and terminal illnesses “raise a little hell.” She has extensive experience in fundraising for nonprofits. Her career experience in strategic marketing & planning, management consulting, and customer service gives her a great foundation for helping Allies Against Slavery achieve its goals. Sherry has an MBA from Columbia Business School and completed her undergraduate degree at Clemson University after attending Swarthmore College. She lives with her husband in southern Connecticut and is excited to bring awareness of Allies and its mission to new markets throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic.
Krista Endsley is the Chief Executive Officer at LINQ and former Chief Executive Officer for Abila and Cantata Health, all private equity backed companies, with more than 20 years of experience in leading teams in the software industry for both large and mid-sized companies. LINQ serves the K-12 education sector, enabling administrators to delight their staff, parents and students. At Abila, formerly Sage Nonprofit Solutions, Krista served as the General Manager and Senior Vice President leading the transition from a business unit within an international conglomerate to an individual private company. Krista’s leadership blends analytical acuity with a warmth and determination to foster emergent talent, leadership and creativity in every individual. She is motivated by the passion of her team members. Combine that passionate leadership with more than 20 years experience in leading teams in the software industry for both large and mid-sized companies, and the result is the perfect recipe for employee engagement and high performance teams.
David Lawrence is an attorney and partner with Rigby Slack Lawrence Berger Akinc Pepper + Comerford, PLLC where he practices commercial litigation. David graduated with honors from both the University of Texas McCombs School of Business with a BBA in Finance and from The University of Texas School of Law. David was recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thompson Reuters in 2021 and as a Texas Rising Star by Thompson Reuters in 2012-2017. In 2021, David was named one of Austin’s Top Attorneys by Austin Monthly Magazine.Throughout his nearly 20 year legal career, David has consistently provided pro bono legal services to individuals and non-profits. David’s dedication to pro bono legal service has been recognized several times, including being named the pro bono attorney of the year for Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP’s Austin office. David first became involved with Allies by providing pro bono legal services and was later asked to join the Board where he continues to serve.
Tina has spent over 15 years working in the intersection of social good and technology by building impactful partnerships with global NGOs, foundations and the private sector. She currently leads Dropbox’s social impact efforts where she is supporting nonprofits that defend human rights around the world through the Dropbox Foundation, and strengthening employee engagement programs through volunteerism and product donation. Under Tina’s leadership, Dropbox launched the ESG program including its first sustainability goals.Prior to Dropbox, Tina worked at a number of nonprofits including NetHope as Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships where she developed public-private partnerships with large tech companies such as Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Box and Okta that wanted to help support the world’s largest nonprofits by solving the toughest humanitarian challenges including disaster response and refugee crises. Tina served as Senior Membership Officer at the Global Philanthropy Forum, a community of philanthropists and social investors to advance international causes. Tina has also contributed to pioneering efforts in impact investing by benchmarking Fortune 500 companies across environment, social and governance performance.Tina holds a MBA, MA in International Policy and a BA in Asia-Pacific Studies. A transplanted Canadian living in San Francisco, she enjoys exploring the Bay Area and chasing after her two young sons.
Kathy spent 20+ years working for Austin technology start-ups, but her career has spanned various industries — education, entrepreneurism, and human resources. Most recently, she was the Senior Director of People & Talent for Bazaarvoice, a leading software company in Austin. She served in a leadership role in human resources with a focus on employee relations, HR business partnerships, and corporate culture and giving. Kathy was the driving force behind Bazaarvoice’s employee engagement and community involvement.Kathy’s commitment and desire to help others has remained constant throughout her career. In 2011, Kathy was instrumental in founding the Bazaarvoice Foundation, dedicated to motivating and propelling the next generation of entrepreneurial youth. Her corporate experience spans shepherding Bazaarvoice through an IPO, along with a number of acquisitions, and the opening of numerous domestic and international offices with 3 different technology firms. In 2015, Kathy was asked to participate in a SXSW panel focused on Social Good, entitled: “Elevate: How Businesses & Entrepreneurs are Taking Social Good to the Next Level.”Kathy is now retired from corporate life and, when she isn’t doing volunteer work, she enjoys reading, Pilates, spinning and exercise walking. She was the board chair of I Live Here I Give Here and is current Board Chair of Red Oak Austin. She and her husband Chad enjoy motorcycle trips.
