Still growing

Alicia Tappan turns survival into purpose

By Cynthia Reeves / Photo by Kate Treick Photography

Daisies have a special place in Alicia Tappan’s heart.

Bright and unassuming, they symbolize innocence and new beginnings. But there is something else about daisies that resonates with Tappan, founder and CEO of Survivor Led Solutions: They are resilient. They can take root in difficult places, withstand harsh conditions and still bloom.

It’s an apt symbol for Tappan — and for the survivors she serves. Daisies have become a signature flower for Tappan, appearing on the cover of Brave Girl Diaries, the book series in which she shares her own journey from trauma to healing while helping others navigate theirs.

A human trafficking survivor herself, Tappan was 17 when she was trafficked by her high school track coach in Michigan. The trauma that followed sent her life down a path she never could have imagined. For years, she struggled with addiction, homelessness and healing before eventually finding purpose in the very experience that had once left her feeling broken.

Tappan says human trafficking is often misunderstood and is not limited to the images many people associate with it. Her definition is simple: “the exploitation of vulnerabilities” — someone taking advantage of another person’s weaknesses or circumstances. Those vulnerabilities can stem from age, poverty, financial hardship, family circumstances or countless other life experiences.

After moving to Northwest Florida in 2014 and meeting another trafficking survivor whose story sounded a lot like her own, Tappan began speaking publicly about her experience. That advocacy eventually led her into leadership in the anti-trafficking field and, in 2023, to founding Survivor Led Solutions.

Today, Tappan is a wife and mother of three boys and a Ph.D. candidate in forensic psychology, bringing together lived experience, education and professional expertise in her work.

She describes Survivor Led Solutions as an agency where survivor leaders develop professional and leadership skills while gaining “the credibility and dignity for them to tell their stories and change the narrative.”

That mission now has a home.

On July 31, Survivor Led Solutions opened its first physical location in Pensacola, the beginning of what Tappan envisions as a comprehensive advocacy center. The organization has worked with approximately 150 people nationwide and more than 25 women locally following incarceration or recovery programs.

At the center, survivors can work on everything from online education and resumes to entrepreneurial projects. Tappan’s larger vision brings service providers directly to the women instead of requiring them to travel from agency to agency. With space available for children, the model helps eliminate two significant barriers to receiving services: transportation and child care.

Through monthly “Adulting 101” workshops, volunteers and professionals share skills ranging from mental health and career development to meal planning and understanding warning lights on a car.

“Some of those things that feel like normalcy for healthy individuals are actually luxury,” Tappan said.

Next, she is working to develop two ambitious initiatives. The first is a Survivor Leader Certification Program designed to establish professional credibility and standards for survivors who use their lived experience to educate, consult and advocate. The second is trauma-informed care and risk-management training for businesses, helping organizations recognize trafficking, protect vulnerable employees and respond appropriately to trauma.

Tappan is also telling her story through Brave Girl Diaries, a three-part “professional memoir” series blending her experiences with evidence-based practices, reflection and practical tools. Book One focuses on prevention; Book Two, scheduled for release in December, turns to intervention — examining where intervention might have changed her own story and how professionals can better recognize warning signs.

For those wondering how to help, Tappan welcomes more than donations. She wants people to bring their knowledge, skills and professions into the center — to teach, mentor and help survivors build independent lives.

“I think the way we end trafficking is not necessarily this overarching thing,” she said. “It’s creating a safer community that we live in with people who are more informed.”

That brings the story back to the daisy.

What happened to the frightened 17-year-old Alicia could have defined the rest of her life. Instead, she grew through it — and now she is creating a place where others can do the same.

Fierce enough to survive. Fearless enough to tell the story. And determined to help someone else bloom.