Alezandra Canteros Russell, a recipient of the Mother Teresa Humanitarian Award, is a Latina activist, author, speaker and Founder of Urban Light, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the lives of young men affected by the human trafficking industry.

Alezandra was spurred to found Urban Light after a 2009 visit to Thailand where she witnessed firsthand the trafficking, violence and exploitation of young boys in Chiang Mai. Upon returning home from her two-week trip, Alezandra sold her engagement and wedding rings to raise capital to launch the first non-profit of its kind in Thailand and much of the world.

To date Urban Light has provided services to over 9,000 vulnerable young men and boys through an array of health, education, creative and recreational activities at its Urban Light Youth Center in Chiang Mai. By providing desperately needed services that directly address the needs of young men and boys, Urban Light is empowering at-risk young males to live a life outside the grasp of exploitation and trafficking.

Urban Light remains one of the only organizations working specifically on behalf of boys and young men who are so often overlooked, forgotten, and ignored in the global discussion of trafficking and exploitation.

Alezandra, who was forced to flee Thailand in June 2018 as a result of her activism work, continues to advocate across the globe for restoring the lives of boys served by Urban Light. In addition to her activism work, Alezandra has published multiple articles on anti-trafficking, Latinx culture, and social justice. Alezandra is in the process of completing her first children's book for Latinx parents related to generational trauma and positive parenting. 

SPEAKING TOPICS

Anti-Trafficking Topics: (Available in English & Spanish)

• What about boys? Shifting the global anti-trafficking dialogue to also include boys & men.

• Human trafficking & dating apps: How to protect yourself & your loved ones.

• How to avoid being catfished: A very real game played by traffickers and groomers.

• How parents can protect their children from online groomers & predators.

• Solidarity Checklist: A comprehensive guide on how to be a better ally to trafficking survivors.

LATINX TOPICS - Immigration - Child Welfare - Child Abuse Awareness (AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH & SPANISH)

• Unlearning harmful Latinx cultural norms.

• The myth of the 'model minority': Unpacking the unrealistic expectations placed on Latinx students.

• Be a man: challenging machismo amongst Latino men.

• Ending the 'chancla culture' within the Latinx community.

• The power of building community amongst 1st gen Latinx students on campus.

• Antes de que: challenging the cultural norms we grew up with as Latinx kids.

• Let's chat: colorism and gender inclusivity within the Latinx community.

• Latinx allyship: What does that look like?

• What does performative allyship look like and how we can be better allies towards social justice issues.

MOTIVATIONAL (AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH & SPANISH)

• How it took fleeing Thailand & losing everything to finally finding myself.

• When selling your engagement ring is the only option: How Alezandra started a non-profit across the world in Thailand.

• How I discovered what life was asking of me while standing in a red light district.

• How to tap into your inner activist.