Hutchinson, a former co-founder of Bridge Investment Group, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based real estate investment firm, retired in 2017 to focus on the crucial cause of combating human trafficking. Since then, he has been on more than 60 missions to rescue victims of this heinous crime.
In the midst of this, he produced ‘The Sound of Freedom’, a film aimed at inciting a global conversation about human trafficking. Despite receiving considerable pushback from mainstream media and Hollywood, the film has successfully touched audiences around the world, including Latin America, where Hutchinson is currently based.
Hutchinson’s journey to this cause began when he was recruited because of his specific financial skillset and capabilities. The pivot to a successful financial career in the fight against human trafficking was sparked when a Homeland Security agent needed $50,000 to rescue children in Cartagena, Colombia.
This mission ended up being much bigger than expected, rescuing more than 100 children in one day in various locations. From then on, Hutchinson participated in more than 70 covert rescue missions in 15 countries, rescuing countless victims.
The problem, according to Hutchinson, is much bigger than many people realize. He shared that human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise globally, earning traffickers about $150 billion a year. Hutchinson compared it to the transatlantic slave trade, stating that there are more people enslaved today than the total number of slaves during the 300 years of this infamous trade.
Hutchinson and Berquist explored the question of how such a massive problem remains so unknown. Hutchinson suggested the answer lies in who controls the narrative, noting his struggle to bring “The Sound of Freedom” to audiences. Despite initial interest from major Hollywood studios, Hutchinson and his team decided to privately finance the film to maintain control and ensure its release.
The success of ‘The Sound of Freedom’ shows that there is a demand for truthful and hard-hitting content that exposes the realities of our world. As Hutchinson and Berquist agreed, raising awareness about human trafficking is an important first step in combating this global problem.
Watch the full episode here:
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