In the heart of North Texas, where highways intersect and industries thrive, so too do the hidden networks of human trafficking. But thanks to the leadership of Ashleigh Chapman and her team at Engage Together, a growing coalition of communities, nonprofits, and government agencies are strengthening efforts to fight back—with strategy, data, and collaboration.
Ashleigh Chapman, founder of Engage Together and CEO of Altus, is no stranger to complexity. A seasoned advocate in the global fight against human trafficking, Chapman is helping communities go beyond good intentions to build sustainable, data-informed solutions. Her work was recently spotlighted at the May convening of the Five Stones Task Force in Tarrant County, where hundreds gathered to assess the state of anti-trafficking efforts across 17 counties in North Texas.
Mapping the Problem, Mobilizing the Solution
For the past year, Chapman’s team—supported by a workforce of 40 staff, interns, university partners, and global tech firms—undertook a massive effort to analyze the state of anti-trafficking response in North Texas. What emerged is a comprehensive data platform that reveals not only the strengths and gaps of existing efforts, but also the vulnerabilities that traffickers are actively exploiting.
“We’re not just assessing response in a community. We’re assessing risk,” Chapman explains. “Because people are trafficked based on the risk they are experiencing and those vulnerabilities.”
The findings are as sobering as they are actionable. One rural county, Jack County, was identified as having the highest youth vulnerability in the region—despite having far fewer resources than larger counties like Dallas or Tarrant. This disconnect underscores a key truth in the anti-trafficking movement: risk does not discriminate by population size, and traffickers go where vulnerabilities are unaddressed.
The Difference Between Available and Accessible
One of the most profound insights Chapman shared during the event is the critical difference between available and accessible resources.
“We often hear people say, ‘Well, we have a shelter,’ or ‘We offer resources,’” she notes. “But the real question is—can those who need it actually access it?”
Barriers like distance, lack of awareness, cultural stigma, or limited operating hours can turn a theoretically available service into a practically useless one for a victim. And when resources are out of reach, traffickers remain one step ahead.
Making resources accessible means:
- Communicating services clearly to vulnerable populations
- Locating services within reach of at-risk individuals
- Coordinating support systems so survivors are not left navigating alone
Chapman’s reminder is powerful: availability is not the same as accessibility. We need both.
Introducing S.P.A.C.E.: A Strategic Framework for Communities
As communities and organizations look for ways to engage, many ask the same question: How do we decide what to do? The impulse is often to just dive in, but Chapman says, “There is a space between getting fired up and actually taking action.” The answer lies in a strategic pause—a framework she calls S.P.A.C.E., which stands for:
- S – Strategy: Understand your community’s comprehensive plan for fighting trafficking. It’s more than awareness or recovery operations—strategy includes everything from prevention to long-term restoration.
- P – Possibilities: Before launching something new, explore existing solutions. What’s already working locally or in other communities?
- A – And
- C – Context: Consider the local community context. What works in one city might not work in another. Solutions must be tailored to each community's needs.
- E – Engage: Only now should you take action—by enhancing current work, supporting others already doing the work, or filling a gaps if there really is one and you are uniquely positioned to fill it. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
This model has guided the work of Engage Together in North Texas and beyond, helping entire regions move from disjointed action to cohesive strategy. It’s not about doing more—it’s about doing what works.
Scaling a Movement of Freedom
Chapman’s work with Engage Together is part of a larger vision funded through the Eagle Freedom Fund—the first venture capital fund dedicated to ending human trafficking through innovation. By investing in technologies and platforms like Altus, the fund supports not only frontline response but the infrastructure required to scale impact across cities, states, and nations.
“We’re already working in multiple states,” Chapman shared. “And we’re looking for more.”
How You Can Get Involved
Whether you’re a policymaker, church leader, business owner, or concerned citizen, there’s a role for you in this fight. Start today by exploring the findings and recommendations of the North Texas project at:
