Meet Rob Morris, The Leader Who Fights Human Trafficking From The Hallway

There, he saw the girl who would change the course of his life.

While standing shoulder-to-shoulder with predators, he saw a young girl with the numbers ‘146' pinned to her dress.

“There was still fight left in here eyes,” he said. “It was like she was asking us ‘What are you going to do about all of this?'”

This is what Morris describes as his ‘waking up moment,' something many social entrepreneurs experience, a moment that requires engagement.

In his case, it was her, the girl with the unforgettable numbers, who would become the foundation of an organization committed to caring for young children just like her.

Today, 16 years later, Morris is the co-founder and president of Love146, an organization working to end child sex trafficking and exploitation. The organization operates advocacy and survivor care programs around the globe, long regarded as a leader in the anti-trafficking movement.

With a brand and message revered by many, it's clear things are working at Love146. One of those things? Morris and his leadership.

In a Facebook post shared by his team last October, Morris can be seen sitting at his desk in the hallway at the organization's headquarter office in Connecticut. Morris, who refuses a traditional office setting, sits in the hallway surrounded by couches, available for his team to sit, think and question alongside him.

When asked why, his answer is simple.

“It makes more sense for me to be where everyone else is. I need to see their facial expressions and whether or not they've had a hard day. We tackle a really dark issue day in and day out, and it's important for me to know how people are doing and to be present for them,” Morris says.

Defiant hope

As all social entrepreneurs know, mission-oriented work takes grit. From the gut-wrenching moments of sadness and joy, this work is emotionally taxing even on it's best day. And when you're leading an organization fighting child trafficking and exploitation, the work can feel dark — because it is. 

In 2016, the International Labour Organization estimated that more than 40.3 million people are enslaved worldwide. Of those enslaved, it's estimated that as many as 1 in 4 are children.

“Some people tell me I'm optimistic, but I don't think that's what it is,” Morris says. “I know too much and I've seen too much to be optimistic. Here, we choose to use the term ‘defiant hope.'”

Morris explains that where optimism is often passive, defiant hope is the opposite — it's aggressive, it requires action, and it defies common sense.

“When defiance is connected to hope, it means seeing the horrific things happening in the world of child trafficking and exploitation, but insisting it can change, potentially, even, by our action,” Morris says.

Going back to his ‘why,' Morris says the best example of defiant hope is seen directly through the children Love146 works with every day.

“When these kids choose to wake up and live another day, that's an act of defiant hope,” he says. “I can't promise them with integrity that everything will be okay, but as long as they want us on the journey with them, we will be there persevering alongside them.”

The perseverance learned from survivors is what Morris now embraces organizationally.

“There's an unspoken pressure that charities feel to only tell the success stories, victories and triumphs,” he says. “People often want to hear the fairytale ending, but the harsh reality is that's not true — it's not real life. Life is joy, mess, despair and hope, and it's no different for the kids we serve.”

‘Don't give up'

Acknowledging the unrealistic pressures of the nonprofit sector, Morris has learned to bring hope to his team through transparency and accessibility.

“I have to be present. I have to be in the mess of it all and not removed from it,” Morris says. “That goes with defiant hope — we need that hope to be exchanged between everyone in the organization. And to do that, we have to be in the mess together.”

It's here, working together, that Morris says a mutual exchange of defiant hope can be found. Because as many leaders know, we don't have all the answers. And what the best leaders know, is that the answers we're lacking often reside in the minds and hearts of those on our team.

One day, Morris got one of those answers.

Sitting at his hallway desk, Morris remembers feeling discouraged. In a simple but profound response, a team member said to him, “What if our story isn't about success, triumphs or victories. Our story is about not giving up.”

This moment stands out as a second waking up moment for Morris, who has transformed the organization's culture to one of perseverance, marked by a commitment to not give up even on the dark days. And on those days?

Morris can be found at his desk, shouting ‘Don't give up!' to those passing by, an encouragement echoed in the compassion and perseverance of the organization, whether survivor, advocate or president. 

“At the end of the day, I ask myself, ‘Today, was I about the things that mattered?' and ‘Did I love well today?' and if I can answer those questions personally and organizationally, I know we're on the right track,” Morris says.

January National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.