We had the good fortune of connecting with Victor Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victor, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The last 8 years of my career as a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) changed me as an agent, a father and human being, As I continued to learn and grow in that space I felt if most men knew what I knew we could change the horrific crimes of human traffick. So we educate communities, businesses and government entities on the culture awareness of human trafficking with hopes to change the culture that created the problem and perpetuates the issues. I also wanted to create an organization that would help victims in their immediate needs so no victim would never be left I the cold after being identified as victim by law enforcement or service providers.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I bought the domain Quest2freedom (Q2F) when I retired from HSI in 2018 before I knew how or what I was going to do. For the first 6 months I worked for an organization called Erase Child Trafficking traveling around the country educating law enforcement department then I took advantage of an opportunity to work Team Security for the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club, which was an amazing experience but wasn’t feeding my soul.

I then had another amazing opportunity and became the Human Trafficking Coordinator for the State of GA for year, which took my knowledge and experience to a higher level working with passionate caring people like my supervisor, Amy Hutsell who was the Program Director Sexual Assault, Child Abuse and Human Trafficking Units.

When I returned to Miami in August 2021, I took a long vacation and in April of 2022 I heard a story of father who took his daughter to a NBA game when she went to the bathroom and the next time he saw his daughter was 10 days later after she was rescued from a hotel being sold for sex, which lead to me doing a human trafficking presentation for NBA Security Conference that same year. After the conference I knew I had to get back to my passion and purpose and did some inner work addressing my own trauma issues which gave me the focus to start Q2F.

I’m most proud of the victims we’ve helped, the people and other organizations we support and not giving up when times are hard.

What sets us apart is Q2F’s message on the solution to addressing HT, which is LOVE. We must redefine the word Love for what it really means. Most dictionaries and people define love on what they feel but Q2F have evolved to knowing that Love is all about what we do especially for ourselves. Love is the Sheild that addresses our insecurities and vulnerabilities, which is what traffickers seek to exploit. Just know that there are people saying they Love you but treating you like crap and there are people that say they Love the people that is treating them like crap. Note this, we can’t give what we don’t have and we can’t receive what we don’t know. I could go on but will stop here on Love.

This isn’t easy and if I had to do again I would would’ve organized the Q2F more before I spent so much of my retired money putting this together. Please know I’m not complaining because if I don’t believe in me who will.

Lastly I want the world to know that the tagline for Quest2freedom is Love is Everything, which was assigned before I evolved to realizing that Love is the answer to HT and all of the world ills. We all need to take a real journey of self care and love to address all our serious problems. Victim of HT and traffickers all come from the same homes dealing with unresolved trauma creating vulnerable issues that don’t let us reach our full potential of happiness, peace and Love.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
You arrived Thursday night, Friday morning we are working out either by 6 mile walk and run or a 17 mile bike ride. We’ll do late breakfast at Pura Vida (Edgewater), home to shower and a late lunch somewhere in the Design District, Merry Brickell Village, Coconut Grove Midtown, Wynwood or South Beach. I love Miami for the multitude of options. Return home to Change and do a Sunset Rooftop and Medium Cool Lounge night time entertainment. Saturday we are boating most of the day to come home change to do dinner at Prime 112 or Prime Italian then get a table at Dante’s Hifi. Sunday, we doing a short bike ride, doing lunch at Monty’s, a hotel pool or Lincoln Rd and catch the sunset at Smith & Wollensky to end the weekend watching a movie or Bodega if you still have energy to hang.

These above are things we could do but I don’t drink so most of my weekends are spent watching soccer or sports somewhere, hang Ing with friends somewhere but definitely watching sunsets and cruise ships from the outside bar at Smith & Wollensky.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow, where do I start! If I start from the beginning, I would give a shoutout to the International Law Enforcement Academy in Gaborone, Botswana for my first lesson on human trafficking. Then I would thank the men and women I worked with at The Office of the Special Agent in Miami, Fl Human Trafficking Unit who l learned from and rescued many victims of HT. I next will shoutout to my Co Founder Andre Thompson, my Board especially Alexa Olive (Bowa Studios) and my Contract Manager Gaby DeBellis, Quest2freedom’s volunteer accountant, Collette Reese, my friends and family who supports me during the days I question myself on this journey but mostly I would like to give a shoutout the survivors who trusted me and shared their truths to help me understand how to assist future victims in an honorable and respected manner.

Website: Quest2freedom.org

Instagram: @Quest2freedom

Linkedin: Quest2freedom

Twitter: Q2F

Facebook: Quest2freedom

Youtube: Quest2freedom

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