Dashamir Pettway
Dashamir Pettway (She, Her) was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Dashamir implements her passion and resilience from her lived experience to her work. Dashamir is pursuing her BA for a Social work Degree and a minor in Law at Wayne State University . She advocates for social justice and is committed to making a positive difference in her community. She is determined to use her education and lived experience to create meaningful, lasting change.
Dashamir was a former National Youth consultant, a Youth Catalyst Team member, and is a Training and Capacity Building Manager with Youth Collaboratory. She is now starting her consultant journey with her firm I Am Living. Drawing upon the knowledge she acquired
regarding trafficking patterns, the psychology behind perpetrator networks, and her own personal lived experience. Dashamir developed a unique expertise in understanding the darker corners of sex trafficking. This newfound insight ignited a fervor within her, and she resolved tom put her knowledge to use by establishing a consultant firm dedicated to combating sex
trafficking. She has expertise in foster care, youth homelessness, the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, mentoring youth impacted by trafficking, and youth leadership program design and implementation. Dashamir has been involved with many local advocacy programs, including a Youth Advisory Board,
where she supported other young leaders and advocated for change in the youth homelessness
system. She is also currently involved with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) working with the Department of Division of Victims Services, in which she is a signed-on consultant working for the Division of Victims Services under a grant relating to Improving Outcomes for Children and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking. In addition, she is a
member of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and serves on a
council to improve, address, and implement the Michigan Homeless Policy.
Through her work with Youth Collaboratory, Dashamir has worked to advocate and promote policy change and has conducted significant advocacy work at the national level, providing in-person and virtual training, resources, and technical assistance to organizations both locally
and nationally to assist them in establishing authentic relationships with young people and preventing and addressing sexual exploitation of youth and young adults, and Black girls.
Dashamir was a former National Youth consultant, a Youth Catalyst Team member, and is a Training and Capacity Building Manager with Youth Collaboratory. She is now starting her consultant journey with her firm I Am Living. Drawing upon the knowledge she acquired
regarding trafficking patterns, the psychology behind perpetrator networks, and her own personal lived experience. Dashamir developed a unique expertise in understanding the darker corners of sex trafficking. This newfound insight ignited a fervor within her, and she resolved tom put her knowledge to use by establishing a consultant firm dedicated to combating sex
trafficking. She has expertise in foster care, youth homelessness, the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, mentoring youth impacted by trafficking, and youth leadership program design and implementation. Dashamir has been involved with many local advocacy programs, including a Youth Advisory Board,
where she supported other young leaders and advocated for change in the youth homelessness
system. She is also currently involved with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) working with the Department of Division of Victims Services, in which she is a signed-on consultant working for the Division of Victims Services under a grant relating to Improving Outcomes for Children and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking. In addition, she is a
member of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and serves on a
council to improve, address, and implement the Michigan Homeless Policy.
Through her work with Youth Collaboratory, Dashamir has worked to advocate and promote policy change and has conducted significant advocacy work at the national level, providing in-person and virtual training, resources, and technical assistance to organizations both locally
and nationally to assist them in establishing authentic relationships with young people and preventing and addressing sexual exploitation of youth and young adults, and Black girls.