Ashlee Heiligman, MSW

Global Director, GCA and Co-Founder, Sojourn Studio

Ashlee Heiligman serves as the Global Director of Global Child Advocates (GCA), leading an international team dedicated to protecting vulnerable children and strengthening families across Thailand, Myanmar, Tanzania, and the Philippines. With over 16 years of experience in child welfare and a background in U.S. social work, Ashlee brings both global expertise and deep compassion to the mission of preventing abuse, trafficking, and exploitation.

After moving to Thailand in 2009, Ashlee’s perspective on child protection was transformed. Through her work in communities affected by poverty and trafficking, she discovered that the same children most vulnerable to exploitation were often being placed in orphanages - two crises rooted in the same systemic challenges. This realization shaped her lifelong commitment to building family-based solutions that promote healing, belonging, and permanency for children.

Ashlee holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Work and is passionate about creating long-term safety through holistic, locally led initiatives. At GCA, she oversees global strategy, guiding a Christ-centered team that partners with governments, churches, and communities to implement innovative, evidence-based family engagement and child protection models.

Beyond GCA, Ashlee consults for international organizations, serves on the Faith to Action Advisory Network, and co-authored the Reimagine Orphan Care advocacy series. She is also the co-founder of Sojourn Studio, a social enterprise that creates dignified employment for women and girls from Myanmar, whose handcrafted porcelain jewelry is sold across the United States.

Based near Austin, Texas, Ashlee shares life with her husband and children - her daily reminder of why every child deserves safety, love, and the chance to thrive in a family.