Breaking the Cycle: A Future Where Every Child is Safe | Ruthanne Mefford | TEDxSugar Land

NOTE FROM TED: This talk discusses child sexual abuse. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdf Every child deserves to grow up feeling safe. It time for communities to take a stand in the fight against child abuse... locally. Ruthanne Mefford is the CEO of Child Advocates of Fort Bend, a nonprofit agency located in Fort Bend County, Texas, serving over 3500 children and families who have experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect. Ruthanne was an executive in finance, marketing and strategic planning at Marriott International, Ocean Spray, IBM and early-stage start up companies. Ruthanne received her A.B. in Psychology from Stanford University and MBA from UCLA in Finance and Marketing. She is the former Chair of the Stanford Alumni Association Board, former President of the Stanford Club of Houston and has been recognized with The Stanford Medal and Award of Excellence. Ruthanne is active in her community and has been honored with the Most Admired CEOs in Houston, Top 75 Leaders in Houston, Impact Award by the Center For Houston’s Future, Women Who Mean Business Honoree, The Child’s Choice Award and Child Advocate of the Year. She is former Chair and current Trustee of The George Foundation. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx