Anne Basham

Anne Basham is the CEO of Ascend Consulting, a human rights advocacy firm, and is the Founding Chair of the Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking (ITHT), an international consortium of lawmakers and lived-experience experts with the shared mission of stopping human trafficking through partnership in policy solutions. Focused primarily on human rights issues such as human trafficking, foster care, domestic violence, religious freedom and education, Anne crafts legislation, policies, and appropriations requests to serve and protect the most vulnerable.

She also convenes of the ATIP (Anti-Trafficking in Persons) Policy Roundtable in the U.S. Senate which brings together leading anti-trafficking organizations and Members of Congress to advance policy solutions to human trafficking. She has also testified numerous times in Congress as well as at the United Nations.

Previously, Anne was in senior leadership at the Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) which provides more $2 billion in federal funding directed to nonprofit organizations and other projects serving victims of human trafficking, terrorism, sexual assault, and child welfare. She earned her Masters in Education from University of Virginia and began her career in the United States Senate. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Parliamentary Intelligence Security Forum.