Derek Ellerman

Derek Ellerman (born June 27, 1978) is an American social entrepreneur. He was a co-founder of Polaris Project, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that combats human trafficking and modern slavery. In 2004, he was selected as a Fellow by Ashoka. Ellerman is the co-publisher of the intersectional feminist website Everyday Feminism.

Educational background Derek Ellerman attended Brown University, graduating in 2002, with a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Neuroscience.

In 2002, during his senior year at Brown, Ellerman co-founded Polaris Project with Katherine Chon after reading an article in a local paper about a fake massage business, the conditions of which were close to slavery. Located in the United States, Polaris Project works to address and combat all forms of human trafficking, while providing programs and services to help all victims throughout the country.