Community Against Sexual Harm

Sawan Vaden is the Executive Director of Community Against Sexual Harm (CASH) in Sacramento, where she has dedicated the past nine years to empowering and advocating for women impacted by sexual exploitation. Honored as Woman of the Year 2025, Sawan has been instrumental in expanding CASH’s reach and deepening its impact throughout the region.

Under her leadership, CASH has grown its supportive services, launched the Medical Safe Haven to provide trauma-informed healthcare access onsite, and secured vital funding to sustain and expand programs. Sawan leads a passionate team that offers nonjudgmental support, peer mentorship, harm reduction services, crisis intervention, and pathways to housing, employment, and recovery. Through street outreach, drop-in services, and community education, CASH works to shift the narrative around exploitation and offer real opportunities for healing and change.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Sawan is a devoted mother of three and brings her deep compassion, lived experience, and unwavering commitment to every aspect of her work.

City of Refuge Sacramento

Rachelle Ditmore is the co-founder of City of Refuge Sacramento, whose mission is to see dignity returned, lives restored, and those who once lived in darkness becoming the rebuilders of tomorrow. One of her favorite titles is simply being a mother. Her community has lovingly named her the “fairy godmother of Oak Park.” Her dream? To see the wonder return to spaces where hope was lost.

California Assembly Member

Maggy Krell is a Democratic member of the California State Assembly representing District 6. Before her election, she served as a Deputy and Supervising Deputy Attorney General at the California Department of Justice, where she led the Special Prosecutions Unit. Her work focused on major crimes including human trafficking, and she played a key role in the legal effort that led to the shutdown of Backpage.com—once the largest online marketplace for sex trafficking—earning national recognition for her contributions.

As a legislator, Krell continues to focus on trafficking-related issues. She authored Assembly Bill 379, the Survivor Support and Demand Reduction Act, which is intended to support trafficking survivors and increase penalties for those who exploit children. The bill has generated debate among advocacy groups, with concerns raised about its implementation and impact on survivor-led organizations.