Beginning a new job in the middle of a pandemic would be daunting for most people, but Tori Curbelo jumped enthusiastically into her new role as LifeWay Network’s Manager of Education, Training and Advocacy by quickly adjusting educational sessions for webinar and Zoom. “I’m very passionate about the subject of human trafficking and will use any medium to get the word out,” she says.
Raised in New York City, Tori recognized the impact of public service from an early age. Her mother is a social worker who fostered three children in addition to raising Tori and her sister. Tori participated in service trips offered by her Jesuit High School that further reinforced the value of helping others.
At the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, Tori chose to study political science, with a focus on the need for systemic social change. A year of study in Bologna, Italy, helped solidify her desire to find a practical, hands-on way of effecting change, which she found in the field of Public Health.
Prior to joining LifeWay, Tori worked to combat all forms of exploitation and human rights abuses, working with organizations such as UNICEF USA, Fair Trade USA, the International Rescue Committee, and Win. An extrovert with a passion for her subject, Tori has engaged audiences everywhere from the United Nations to Times Square. In 2015, she launched UNICEF USA’s podcast, Ending Human Trafficking Locally and Globally. She was drawn to LifeWay Network’s commitment to serving human trafficking survivors and looks forward to connecting with individuals around the urgency of ending human trafficking.
Tori holds a Masters in Public Health from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Italian from the College of the Holy Cross.