Katia Dantas is an international expert in child protection, with more than 20 years of multisectoral experience in preventing and responding to violence, disappearances, and exploitation of children and adolescents, both in physical and virtual environments. Founder and CEO of Educação Protegida, she also serves as a senior consultant for The Jane Group and represents the organization in the Brazilian Coalition to End Violence Against Children and Adolescents.

Her career includes work at international organizations such as the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), where she led global and regional initiatives, coordinated the Global Network for Missing Children, championed Law 13.812/2019, and oversaw policy, programs, monitoring, and evaluation. She was a member of the International Task Force for Child Protection and a speaker at international conferences on child abduction, abuse, and exploitation.

Katia holds a master’s degree in International Development Policy from Duke University, where she was a recipient of the prestigious Rotary World Peace Fellowship; a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UnB; a postgraduate degree in NGO Policy and Management; training in parenting mentorship; and continuing education courses in psychology, conflict management, child development, and digital marketing.