St. James Parish, Wilmington Speaker Series: Becca Stevens

Becca Stevens is a speaker, social entrepreneur, author, priest, founder, and President of Thistle Farms. As an entrepreneurial leader, she has established 10 justice initiatives and has raised over $65M in funding. Stevens leads important conversations across the country through speaking, advocating, preaching and writing. She walks the line between pragmatism and poetry in her message that love is the strongest force for change in the world.

Stevens founded Thistle Farms in 1997 with a single home for survivors of trafficking, and addiction. Almost twenty-five years later, it is a global movement for women’s freedom. Today the Nashville flagship includes a residential program that serves as a national model for women’s recovery, and three justice social enterprises that provide jobs to survivors—amounting to $4M in earned income last year. Stevens developed the Thistle National Network to provide tools, workshops, and conferences to support young organizations wanting to follow its holistic model of recovery. There are now 92 organizations, providing over 500 beds to survivors, in its network. She also created Thistle Farms Global Shared Trade which supports 1,400 artisan survivors through 39 partners in 21 countries.

Additional enterprises Stevens has helped establish include the Center for Contemplative Justice and Larkspur Conservation in the U.S., as well as Escuela Ann Stevens and Sibimbe in Ecuador, Moringa Madres in Mexico, and Love Welcomes in Greece.

Stevens has been featured on PBS NewsHour, The Today Show, CNN, ABC World News and in The New York Times. Her many awards include CNN Hero, White House Champion of Change, Humanitarian of the Year by the Small Business Council of America, Tennessee Human Rights Outstanding Service Award, and induction into The Entrepreneur Center’s Hall of Fame, and Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame. Becca attended the University of the South and Vanderbilt Divinity School, receiving alumnae distinction awards from both. Stevens has also been conferred multiple honorary doctorates.

Stevens speaks to a broad range of non-profit, religious, and business audiences—often in bare feet to show solidarity with those she serves. Drawn from 25 years of leadership in mission-driven work, the courageous stories of women survivors, and wisdom from nature and healing traditions, Stevens inspires and motivates audiences everywhere with practical and loving steps to inspire change in individuals and communities. Her latest book, “Practically Divine,” released September 2021 on Harper Horizon.