Panayiota Bertzikis is a globally recognized advocate, author, and expert in trauma-informed practices, dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual and community violence. She is internationally sought out for her expertise on gender-based violence, providing training, consultation, and strategic guidance to governments, military organizations, nonprofits, and institutions worldwide. Her insights on survivor-centered care, trauma-informed practices, and systemic reform have made her a trusted advisor on sexual, domestic, and community violence across the globe.

Panayiota is the founder of the Military Rape Crisis Center (MRCC), the only international rape crisis center with four offices across three countries. MRCC provides direct services, advocacy, and resources to survivors while influencing policy and advancing institutional reform on an international scale.  It operated offices in active war zones, including Iraq and Afghanistan to offer support to their fellow service members. Today, the Military Rape Crisis Center has offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Phoenix, Arizona, as well as overseas near U.S. military bases in Germany and Japan. 

Panayiota is also the founder of the International Center for Survivor Justice  working on to address the enduring harms of conflict-related sexual violence, including the impact on women and girls who bear children as a result of rape and on the children themselves.

In addition, she founded Teal Lotus Yoga in 2007, which has grown into the largest collective organization offering trauma-based yoga to communities and individuals impacted by violence. Teal Lotus Yoga now serves over 40 communities with free and donation-based programs, and Panayiota collaborates with leading researchers to explore innovative ways yoga can support survivors of trauma.

Panayiota also founded Revolution for Peace, a social enterprise that provides survivors of gender-based violence in Southeast Asia and South America with employment opportunities in traditional crafts. Through this initiative, she empowers survivors economically while preserving and promoting local artisanal traditions.

She has advised on key legislative initiatives, including the Military Justice Improvement Act, the Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act, and drafted the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act, signed into law by President Biden. She served as an advisor for the Oscar-nominated film The Invisible War and regularly provides training to the U.S. Department of Defense, U.K. Ministry of Defence, Netherlands Armed Forces, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Panayiota’s work has been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including the Unsung Heroine Award from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, and recognition by the U.S. Congress, the President of the United States, and international organizations for her efforts with veterans and marginalized communities.

She has been featured in major media outlets, including The New York Times, Boston Globe, CNN, Glamour, Boston Magazine, and BBC. Her career embodies a lifelong commitment to survivor empowerment, trauma-informed care, global social justice, and the economic upliftment of survivors, carried out with integrity and inclusivity.