After eight years investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases for the U.S. Department of Justice—and training law enforcement around the world—Victor Boutros followed what he describes as a calling. In 2016, with no safety net, he co-founded the Human Trafficking Institute to combat modern slavery. The organization now operates in the United States, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, and Belize, helping Uganda prosecute traffickers at nearly 10 times the global average. This year, HTI launched HTI Texas, a multi-year initiative strengthening the state’s response to trafficking threats.
In his full-length 2026 Dallas 500 Q&A, Boutros shares his strategies for building community, what he’d change about the nonprofit sector, and the book he thinks every leader should read.
Birthplace: “I was born in Dallas, where my parents immigrated from Egypt. They were both first generation immigrant doctors, and our family owes so much to the city of Dallas for becoming our home.”…