Kara Napolitano is a human rights advocate and trainer specializing in human trafficking prevention and response. She holds a Master’s degree in International Development with a concentration in International Human Rights Law from the University of Denver. Prior to completing her graduate studies, Kara spent eight years working and volunteering across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, primarily with education-focused NGOs in post-conflict contexts, where she first encountered the complexities of human trafficking. She was appointed to the Governor’s Colorado Human Trafficking Council Prevention Task Force in 2018, the Equitable Access Task Force in 2022, and the Rural Training Task Force in 2026. And she currently serves as a commissioner on the Denver Crime Prevention and Control Commission. For the past several years, she has served as the Education and Partnerships Director at the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (LCHT) in Denver, leading training initiatives and educational programs. In this role, Kara has trained over 50,000 professionals across rural and urban Colorado, equipping them to recognize and respond compassionately to labor and sex exploitation. She collaborates closely with healthcare providers, law enforcement and legal advocates, professionals serving systems-involved youth, and other intersecting sectors to develop strategies that prevent exploitation, support survivors, and ensure accountability for perpetrators throughout Colorado communities.