Christy Ivie

Christy Ivie is a strategist, speaker, and advocate dedicated to eradicating human trafficking and exploitation. She founded Christy’s Cause in 2015 with a mission to end child sex trafficking through education, awareness, prevention, and justice initiatives.

As the Founder and Architect of WeCare@FGCU, a first-of-its-kind digital badge program at Florida Gulf Coast University, Christy equips frontline professionals in healthcare, education, law enforcement, hospitality, and nonprofit sectors with trauma-informed tools to identify, respond to, and report trafficking. She also co-authored One Story, Many Voices, a resource designed to help educators recognize and support children impacted by exploitation.

Christy’s leadership has included hosting annual human trafficking symposiums, producing the Real Talk video training series with national experts, updating systemwide human trafficking policies for Lee Health, and developing continuing education initiatives such as WeCare for Nurses. She has cultivated hundreds of volunteers, mentored emerging leaders, and built donor partnerships that fuel lasting impact.

Her personal story of overcoming complex trauma fuels her passion to create safe, hope-filled environments for vulnerable children and families. As a survivor of thirteen years of sexual exploitation by her father, Christy experienced firsthand the devastating silence of professionals who suspected her abuse but never acted.

“Their paralysis reinforced the manipulative narratives my abuser used to maintain control. My hope is that through educational programs like WeCare, professionals working with at-risk populations will be empowered to take the right action—actions that can change and even save lives.”

Known for her warmth and authenticity, Christy speaks internationally as an Ambassador for Convoy of Hope, bringing a survivor-informed, trauma-aware perspective to advocacy and professional training. Through Christy’s Cause, she continues to champion prevention, equip professionals, and amplify survivor voices—so every child can live free from exploitation and thrive in safety, dignity, and hope.