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Women of Distinction

        vate lending and civil engineer- Kara Garland                                     the average age of the child being
           Kara Garland and her
        husband, Ryan, met with back-
                                                                                          9 to 13 years old. Most of them
                                                                                          are trafficked for at least three
        grounds in banking, finance, pri-
        ing. Soon they had what most                                                      years before coming to the atten-
                                                                                          tion of law enforcement.
        everyone strives for: a gorgeous   FOUNDER, SALVATION FOUNDATION                     “The main corridor for
        home in the hills, fruitful careers,                                              this problem is Interstate 15
        a thriving marriage and beautiful            By Jann Gentry                       through San Diego and Riverside
        children. But the challenge was                                                   counties,” she said. Her goal is to
        missing. The challenge of making                                                  launch awareness, starting within
        a difference in the lives of other                                                these counties. She also wants
        people—people they cared about   AFTER PARTNERING WITH HER HUSBAND TO START ONE OF THE   to create a taskforce of former
        and wanted to help.        MOST SUCCESSFUL INVESTMENT COMPANIES IN CALIFORNIA, KARA   trained law enforcement and/or
           So, Kara and Ryan offload-  GARLAND SEES A NEW CRUSADE ON THE HORIZON—A FOUNDATION   military special forces as “strike
        ed all their assets, pooled their   TO HELP EVEN MORE PEOPLE.                     teams” that would rescue current
        resources and moved into a home                                                   victims.
        in the city with one focus and one                                                   The vision continues
        drive, create Paradyme Invest-                                                    through the full gamut of the
        ments.                                                                            issue: prevention through aware-
           As a tireless worker and                                                       ness, helping those who become
        planner, Kara became the Chief                                                    victims by rescuing them and
        Operating Officer for their com-                                                  then offering them help for reha-
        pany, running most of the day-                                                    bilitation, counseling, education,
        to-day office details and handling                                                placement, whatever is necessary
        such departments as marketing,                                                    to bring the victim back into the
        human resources, business                                                         community as a healthy, vibrant
        development, investor relations,                                                  person.
        back office. She became the                                                          The startup funding for
        liaison with the public, orches-                                                  the foundation will come from
        trating seminars and workshops                                                    Kara and Ryan’s own company,
        for Ryan to speak to others about                                                 Paradyme Investments. Then
        what Paradyme had to offer. And                                                   Kara plans to go on speaking en-
        the company grew.                                                                 gagements, write articles, become
           Once they had reached the                                                      the ambassador—or the “face”
        benchmark of more than 1,000                                                      of the foundation, raise money
        transactions totaling over $1.5                                                   from other sources and continue
        billion, they had truly built a                                                   to be an advocate for the children
        successful company. “This is a                                                    who are victims, the majority
        family environment,” said Kara.                                                   of whom are foster or homeless
        “We value each person as family.                                                  children.
        We love doing what we do, and                Photo by David Colley                   It’s her heart that makes her
        we have a passion for helping                                                     uniquely qualified to handle yet
        others. When we look at pro-  in which Kara began to feel the   kept her emotionally off balance,   another huge undertaking. Like
        tecting our investors, it’s through   pull of doing more. Since she was   and prevented her from feeling   the others she partners with,
        the lens of their future, their   a little girl, her dream “role” was   like she could find help and a   there’s a passion, a focus, a thirst
        family, their legacy. Through full   to be wealthy enough to have the   way out. She didn’t have anyone   for helping others.
        transparency, we build the trust   means to spend her life helping   to rescue her, in that state of fear;   “I absolutely support her in
        our investors want, and we build   others.             she doesn’t want that to keep hap-  what she wants to do,” said her
        the ‘family.’”                 Through her community   pening to others. The worst part   husband, Ryan. “I know she can
           Now Paradyme has a      involvement, Kara had been   was that her abusers were people   make an astonishing difference in
        President, Vice Presidents, an   connecting with people who   that were close to her, people of   the world.”
        Operations Manager, Investor   could help her plan and put   authority that should be trusted.   “It has been such a pleasure
        Relationship Managers, Busi-  into place her next passion — a   She refused to let these occur-  to able to work with someone
        ness Development, their own IT   foundation for the prevention of   rences hold her back in life and   who has the heart Kara has,”
        Department, Marketing De-  human trafficking (especially sex   turned them into the fuel that   said Paradyme President, Doug
        partment, additional supportive   trafficking) and, one that would   has driven her to protect others   McAllister. “Kara’s goal is that
        staff, and a Board of Directors.   also help the victims of this   that need to have an awareness   she has to make a difference in
        The company is looking to open   appalling vice.       in life to learn the warning signs   people’s lives. In large part, it rep-
        more offices where their projects   Kara explains that she was a   and feel empowered enough to   resents the heart of Paradyme.”
        are throughout the United States;   victim of sexual molestation by   seek help.
        and even into a couple of other   a friend’s father as a child, raped   The FBI has classified San   You can contact Paradyme at
        countries, in addition to the   as a teen, by law enforcement   Diego as one of the top 13 cities   951 901 5304
        correspondent office in Monaco:   officers and molested by a doctor   nationwide for child prostitution.   or visit their website at
        Paradyme’s Monaco United Advi-  as a young adult. It was terrifying,   Some estimate there are about   http://ParadymeInvestments.com
        sors. This brings us to the time   she said. Her abusers isolated her,   8,000 victims per year here with

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