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Brenda Sandquist and the Mission Behind Xquisite
Compiled By: Claire Billings and Kaylie Jauregui
The soft chime of a bell rings through a local salon as the door swings open. A young woman steps inside and quietly takes a seat, waiting for her appointment. Across the room, Brenda Sandquist watches with gentle curiosity.
As the stylist begins working, Brenda notices something unusual. A large section of the young woman’s hair is missing—not thinning but completely gone. Brenda was told that this was the fourth time she had been in for the same extensions to repair the places where her hair was missing. Questions swirl in her mind. An illness? Stress? A medical condition? Later, she learns the truth.
The hair loss wasn’t caused by disease. It was the aftermath of sexual assault which had occurred from a buyer purchasing her for sex.
In that moment, the reality of how trauma manifests—physically, emotionally, invisibly—settles heavily in the room. Sexual assault is not just a headline or a statistic. It leaves marks people carry long after the moment itself has passed. Sometimes those marks are visible. Often, they are hidden beneath silence. “I am a strong believer that if you become aware of an injustice that stirs your heart, you need to do something about it,” Brenda says.
For Brenda Sandquist, that moment became a turning point.
“I am a strong believer that if you become aware of an injustice that stirs in your heart, you need to do something about it.”
At the time, Brenda worked as an executive in a local church. This encounter changed her life, and she had become more aware of the hidden struggles many people carry and felt a growing sense that she could no longer ignore them.
Not long after, Brenda went to Los Angeles and was trained in a unique outreach that gave gifts to women working in strip clubs, with no conditions to receive the gift. Inside the club, the flashing lights and loud music created an overwhelming atmosphere. But the moment that stayed with Brenda wasn’t the environment—it was a simple exchange.
She handed a small gift in a pink bag to a young woman. For just a brief second, the woman’s eyes lit up. That small sparkle of gratitude stayed with Brenda long after the night ended.
In that moment she realized something powerful: sometimes people just need to know that someone sees them. That single encounter planted the seed for what would eventually become Xquisite, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting survivors of sex trafficking, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, domestic violence and injustice.
Starting the organization required enormous bravery. Brenda made the difficult decision to walk away from the financial security of her job in order to pursue the mission full-time. There were no guarantees—only a belief that the work mattered. Brenda navigated financial instability and the constant challenge of finding a space where they could operate. She began working out of a small shared office space with others who shared their passion for helping survivors.
Despite the challenges, Brenda never lost faith in the mission. “When something is right,” she says, “it falls into place.”
In 2022, an anonymous supporter offered a stand alone building to Brenda and her team as a permanent home. With a larger space and growing community support, Xquisite was able to expand its reach and impact. Inside Xquisite’s building today, survivors are greeted not with paperwork or interrogation, but with kindness. Before anything else comes a compliment—a reminder of something many survivors have not heard in a long time. You are seen. You are valued. You are believed.
Brenda has learned to recognize the ways trauma lingers in the body. Survivors often sit with tight shoulders, clasped hands, and eyes fixed on the floor when they begin sharing their stories. “Believing someone’s story is very important,” Brenda says. “Just telling someone you believe them means a lot.”
Healing rarely happens overnight. Brenda often shares stories of women who once couldn’t tolerate something as simple as a hug without becoming overwhelmed. Yet years later, some of those same survivors return able to embrace the people who helped them rebuild their lives.
Those moments are why the work continues. Brenda often reminds survivors that their strength is greater than the pain they have endured. “A lot of the survivors we work with have been through incredible pressure,” she explains. “But diamonds are formed under pressure. We want every survivor to know they are a diamond. They are precious…they are Xquisite.”
Today, Xquisite is able to serve survivors through a mix of government grants and community donations, providing a safe place where individuals escaping dangerous situations can find support, resources, and time to begin healing.
Brenda’s mission also extends beyond the organization’s walls—she works with government agencies and law enforcement to improve policies and secure funding, while speaking to teenagers about internet safety, social media awareness, and recognizing the warning signs of exploitation. Her message is simple: awareness matters, and so does courage. Her message is simple: awareness matters, and so does courage.