Eric Basu, former U.S. Navy SEAL Commander and CEO of Sentek Global appeared on Imagine Talks 2021 with Dr. Francis Kong. Aside from Eric’s extensive experience as a military specialist and CEO, he took the opportunity while appearing on the show to explain his work with our own organization Saved in America. Eric, who was also a finalist for Entrepreneur Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year and was named San Diego Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO, joined forces with Saved in America to fight against modern -day slavery, also known as human trafficking. 

The Numbers are Staggering

The beginning of Saved in America began after founder Joseph Travers heard about the tragic Brittanee Drexel case, where a young girl was kidnapped while on vacation in South Carolina. She attempted to escape her captors and was then recaptured, killed, and fed to the alligators to dispose of her body. This unthinkable crime, committed in the United States, led Travers to start an organization, whose main purpose and overarching goal would be to rescue girls just like Brittanee from suffering a similar fate. While many assume human trafficking is not an issue in the confines of America’s borders, it is actually growing and thriving, affecting nearly ½ a million kids yearly. 

How Eric Got Involved 

Eric was brought into the fold of the Saved in America organization through a mutual friend. Once Eric met the team and understood what goals they were trying to achieve, to rescue missing and exploited children, he said he immediately wanted to get involved. Not only did he personally offer to donate funds and hours of personal service, but he got his company Sentek Global involved, helping with surveillance needs along with other services. Eric is now on the board of advisors for Saved in America and is a big part of the team. 

San Diego Welcomes The Help

Eric is based in San Diego and met law enforcement and community leaders in this area. They shared the immense need that existed in the area, where one to two minors are reported missing each and every week. Of those missing children, around 60% will be approached by traffickers within their first 48 hours missing. These stats exemplify why Saved in America is necessary and why the work they and their volunteers like Eric accomplish is life-saving.