Rachel Lloyd

founder and executive director, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services

Rachel Lloyd is the founder and Executive Director of Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), a nonprofit organization in New York that serves domestically trafficked girls and commercially sexually exploited girls and young women. Under Ms. Lloyd’s leadership, GEMS annually serves 250 girls through its direct services and 1,000 youth through education and outreach. In addition to speaking at events and conferences across the nation, Ms. Lloyd is nationally recognized for her advocacy against the commercial sexual exploitation of children and is actively involved in the effort to pass legislation to protect child victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation. Ms. Lloyd has been honored with the Reebok Human Rights Award and the North Star Fund Frederick Douglas Award, among others. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Marymount Manhattan College and a master’s degree in applied urban anthropology from the City College of New York.