A Soft Landing for the Trafficked

SEASON 2, EPISODE 3: CONTENT TRIGGER WARNING
This episode includes discussions about sex trafficking, commercial sex exploitation, and pimp culture. So, if this is something you want to skip, you should skip it. Listener discretion advised.

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month so I’ve been interviewing a variety of nonprofit leaders—Founders, CEOs, and Executive Directors—who run organizations addressing the horrible evil of human trafficking.

Today’s guest is Natasha Paradeshi, the Co-Founder of The Landing, a drop-in center for survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in Houston, Texas. Whether providing them with an advocate, reaching out to them in the red light district, the folks at The Landing intend to meet people where they are—wherever it may be—and support them throughout their journey.

In this interview, Natasha will share how she became interested in nonprofit service while she was a college student, and how her heart was stirred to action when she learned about the horrors of human trafficking at a conference. One of the gaps she recognized was the lack of identifying victims of human trafficking, so she and other co-founders “established their first (and only…so far) “Drop-in Center” in a red light area of Houston.”

At The Landing, they seek to meet people where they are, honor their inherent dignity and worth, and walk alongside them on their journey. This organization was started out of the deep faith of the founders, and so as you might expect, it comes up. Whether or not you share her faith, you will LOVE hearing Natasha’s story and her passion for serving and identifying victims of human trafficking. The Landing offers “a fair, just, and healthy culture of inclusion, diversity, and empowerment for all victims of human trafficking.”

As heavy as this topic is, I’m still excited for you to meet this amazing woman who is making a tangible difference in the lives of victims of human trafficking—even if they don’t yet realize they are being trafficked. You’re going to love Natasha Paradeshi, co-founder of The Landing in Houston Texas.

📌 Check out our Pinterest board for information about Human Trafficking

🎧 Click here to listen to this episode:

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About Natasha Paradeshi

Natasha Paradeshi serves as the Board Chair and is a Co-founder of The Landing, Houston’s first drop-in center for survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. She believes that this model helps increase trust with survivors, giving them greater access to and hope for freedom. While serving as the Executive Director for four years, she was responsible for strategic direction, development, program oversight, and community engagement.

Natasha now enjoys working with her husband, Sunny Paradeshi, at Solace Media, a marketing agency they started together specializing in design, video production, storytelling and websites. They love creating quality marketing materials so businesses and nonprofits can focus on their missions and reach their goals.

Natasha graduated from the University of Southern California with a Master of Public Policy degree and from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree in Spanish. Between undergraduate and graduate school, she spent a summer riding her bicycle from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska with the organization, Texas 4000, raising money for cancer research.

Natasha enjoys maintaining an active lifestyle and dreams of doing a triathlon. In fact, she worked as a personal trainer while trying to start up The Landing because she loves helping others stay healthy (which looks different from person to person!).

Natasha is also involved in “Just Ride for a Just Cause,” a bike ride which raises money for anti-trafficking organizations in the Houston area. She is passionate about creatively filling gaps in society so that more people are able to access the services they need.

Currently, Natasha is working alongside her sister on a documentary, Mind Games, about the more stigmatized types of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Their hopes are for people to know there is help out there and that they’re not alone. Her favorite Bible verse is Micah 6:8 – “This is what the Lord requires of you – to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”

Natasha enjoys spending time with her husband and their 3-year old son…and she is expecting a baby girl in March 2021!

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🔗 Connect with The Landing:

• Website: https://www.thelanding.org/
• Donate: https://thelanding.org/give/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelanding_hou/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLandingHOU
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQGWhaXMbLHbz5cg6hoGkQ

🙌 Connect with Natasha Paradeshi:

• Email: natasha@thelanding.org
• Org email: hello@thelanding.org
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-paradeshi

📢 Also Mentioned in This Episode:

• Curriculum: Ending the Game (Intervention Curriculum for Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation)
• Book: What Makes a Leader Great: Discover the One Key That Makes the Difference by Russ Crosson
• Organization: International Justice Mission: https://ijm.org
• Organization: Just Ride for a Just Cause
• Film: “A Film about OCD”: https://ocdfilm.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindgames_film/
• Solace Media: https://www.solace.media/

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”