Kelly Wallace is a member of RAINN’s Speakers Bureau, a co-host of the upcoming podcast Voices of Survivors, and a survivor of incest.

Kelly first disclosed the abuse when she was 8-years-old. She told her mom what was happening between her and her grandfather. Her mom reacted in a way that was supportive by telling her that she believed her and that she had sensed something might be up.

Jann Simmons is Native American, a mother, a grandmother, a speaker, a podcaster, an author, and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

Jann first shared her story before a packed audience when she and her daughter were guest speakers at a national conference. At the conclusion, she was surprised to receive a standing ovation. At a book signing afterward, she was approached by a young man asking if he could talk to her for a moment. He went on to say he was a counselor but was considering quitting his job since he didn’t feel he had an impact on his clients.

“Not everyone has a chance to write a book, but we need a place to tell our story; A place where the microphone is ours.”

Nelson Hincapie is a husband, father, Colombian-American, and president and CEO of the Voices For Children Foundation. He is also a survivor of child sexual abuse. “I don’t think it’s talked about at all. I think that for heterosexual men to be abused in their childhood by adult males it is a source of great shame and deep wounds."

Kaylee Conway was sexually abused by an extended family member. As with most children experiencing sexual abuse, she didn’t have the words to understand what was happening at the time. “To me, there was always this elephant in the room. I wanted to talk about it, but didn’t know how. I thought that because they didn’t ask, they didn’t want to talk about it. I blamed a lot of my extended family members for not bringing it up, but I wasn’t ready for that conversation either.”

Dedeker Winston is an author, relationship coach, podcast host, and survivor of intimate partner violence. “What I want on a T-shirt or maybe my gravestone is the phrase ‘no jerk is worth it.’ You are worth so much more. Every single person is worth so much more than putting up with abusive behavior.”

Nicole is strongly connected to her Peruvian heritage and is dedicated to her faith community. She is also a survivor of child sexual abuse. “I don’t know if anyone can understand this, but my faith healed me. I just know that I’ll be okay. I’m no longer just trying to survive, life is about living everyday to your greatest potential.”

Desarae Garcia is a social worker, mother, podcast creator, storyteller, and survivor of child sexual abuse. “I’m a huge advocate for people to be trauma informed. If someone tells you they’ve been abused, believe them. If it’s too much for you to handle, find someone else who can help.”

Samantha Lynn is a musician, member of the LGBTQ community, and survivor of sexual violence. "Music is how I talk about what happened. Every time I share my story in a performance, people come up to me after to say they’re survivors, too. It’s so healing to know you’re not alone."

Elise Roberts is a professional dancer, dedicated friend, and visual artist in her spare time. She is also a survivor of intimate partner violence. As a teenager, Elise experienced depression, bullying, and self-harm. “You are not a victim, you are a victory. Remember— you’ve made it through 100% of your bad days. You made it this far, you can keep going.”