About me
I never set out to become a public speaker—but my story made sure I wouldn’t stay silent.
In 2002, at age 15, I was kidnapped from a friend’s front yard at gunpoint. For 18 hours, I gathered every detail I could while enduring the unthinkable, and when I escaped, I gave law enforcement the information that identified my captor—a man responsible for the murders of at least three other girls.
That experience shaped not just my survival, but my mission.
In the years that followed, I joined law enforcement myself—first as a school resource officer, then an investigator, and later as a victims advocate with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Those years taught me what it means to lead with empathy, trauma-informed awareness, and grace.
Today, I combine my background as both a survivor and a former law enforcement professional to speak, consult, and host conversations that drive change. Since 2011, I’ve shared keynotes and training across the country on topics like resilience, leadership through adversity, trauma-informed response, and survivor-centered support.
My work has expanded into media as well—I served as Executive Producer on the Oxygen documentary Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story, and my story was later adapted into the Lifetime movie The Girl Who Escaped, which became one of the top-streamed titles on Apple TV.
Whether I’m speaking to a corporate audience, first responders, or a community group, my goal remains the same: to help people move from survival to strength, and from trauma to transformation.
