Collaborative to Release First Community Report on Human Trafficking in Cuyahoga County

Sold-out event will feature nationally recognized survivor leader Alia Azariah and opening remarks from Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. Livestream access remains available.

CLEVELAND, OH, September 21, 2026: The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking will release the first community report to bring together available information about human trafficking in Cuyahoga County during a sold-out luncheon on September 24.

The State of Human Trafficking in Cuyahoga County examines what the community knows, what remains unseen, and what our community still needs to do to build a more coordinated response. It synthesizes public datasets, published research, program records, and information provided by members of Cuyahoga County’s Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition. It also includes early insights from the Collaborative’s research partnership with Cleveland State University and reflects nearly two decades of work alongside local partners.

“This is our community’s first effort to bring together what we can document while being honest about how much remains unseen,” said Kirsti Mouncey, President and CEO of the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking. “Until now, information has remained scattered across organizations and systems. For the first time, we are bringing together what we know, what we have learned, and what remains missing.”

The report challenges familiar assumptions about trafficking, including the belief that it is primarily driven by stranger abduction or confined to particular places. It describes how exploitation can develop through relationships, unmet needs, dependence, and control; why children and adults are identified unevenly; and why prevention must address both vulnerability and the demand and financial benefit that sustain exploitation.

“We cannot measure trafficking simply by counting the people who have been identified, and we cannot improve our response simply by adding isolated services,” Mouncey said. “We need a coordinated community system capable of recognizing exploitation earlier, responding across organizations, and preventing it before it occurs.”

Survivor Leadership at the Center

The luncheon will feature a keynote address from nationally recognized survivor leader Alia Azariah, Director of Collective Impact. Azariah brings lived experience and deep professional expertise in human trafficking, survivor support, and trauma-informed systems change. Her keynote will focus not only on what the community knows about human trafficking, but also on what it can do differently.

“Alia brings exactly the kind of expertise we want at the center of this conversation,” Mouncey said. “Her lived experience is part of her expertise, but it is not the entirety of it. She is a leader who has spent years thinking about what survivors need, how systems can do better, and what it takes to prevent exploitation in the first place. We are honored to welcome her to Cleveland.”

Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne will provide opening remarks, helping set the stage for a broader conversation about the roles communities, institutions, and systems can play in addressing human trafficking.

Event and Media Information

Event: The State of Human Trafficking: A Community Luncheon
Date and time: Thursday, September 24, 2026, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Windows on the River, 2000 Sycamore St., Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Opening remarks: Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne
Keynote address: Alia Azariah, National Survivor Leader and Director of Collective Impact
Featured release: State of Human Trafficking in Cuyahoga County

In-person tickets are sold out. Livestream tickets are $25 and remain available

About the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking

The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking works to empower individuals and communities to prevent human trafficking and support survivors through coordinated services, education, research, and policy advocacy. For more information, visit collabtoendht.org.