Anya Schiffrin

Anya Schiffrin is the director of the Technology, Media, and Communications specialization at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a senior lecturer who teaches on global media, innovation and human rights.

She writes on journalism and development, investigative reporting in the global south and has been published extensively over the last decade on the media in Africa.

More recently, she has become focused on solutions to the problem of online disinformation, earning her a PhD (with honors) on the topic from the University of Navarra.

She is the editor of Women in the Digital World, (Routledge, April 2023) Global Muckraking: 100 Years of Investigative Reporting from Around the World (New Press, 2014) and African Muckraking: 75 years of Investigative journalism from Africa (Jakana 2017).

She is also the editor of Media Capture: How Money, Digital Platforms and Governments Control the News (Columbia University Press 2021.)

Dr. Schiffrin’s work with economist Haaris Mateen on the valuation of news has been cited in the Atlantic, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, and many other publications.

She is a leading thinker and commentator on AI, publishing, media sustainability, mis- and dis-information, and media impact.

Peter Warwick

Peter Warwick is President and CEO of Scholastic Inc. – the children’s and educational publisher, based in New York.

He was born in the UK and completed a doctorate in African history, before beginning his career in publishing educational and academic books for and about Africa.

He joined Thomson Reuters in 1998 based in Sydney, Australia, and managed the company’s legal and tax businesses in Asia Pacific. He moved to New York in 2000 and managed businesses for the company in both New York and Minneapolis-St Paul, as well as serving as Chief People Officer.

Elizabeth Freeman

A seasoned marketing executive, Elizabeth has provided insight and strategic direction to leading brands in financial services, retail, technology, and other industries. She has held senior positions at global communications companies including IPG, Omnicom, and WPP. She also served as Senior Vice President of Brand Strategy at Reuters, Ltd. prior to its merger with Thomson.

Francesco Bongarrà

Francesco Bongarrà (Palermo, Italy, 1974) is an Ambassador at large of the Republic of San Marino and the Chairman of the OFCOM of the most ancient Republic in the world. Since January 2024, he is the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in London. As an experienced reporter, Francesco was previously the Chief of the Parliamentary service of the Italian news agency ANSA, for which he was a correspondent in Berlin, London and Buenos Aires. For San Marino, he served as Permanent Representative at the International Maritime Organization in London and as non resident Ambassador to Perù.

Bongarrà lectures Parliamentary and Political journalism and Crisis communication at the LUMSA University in Rome. He is a Knight of Magistral Grace of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and a Great Officer of the Order of Saint Agatha in San Marino. A Law graduate at Palermo University, he is a Visiting Scholar at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow at Bayes Business School.

Before ANSA, he worked at the Osservatore Romano, The Times, Reuters, BBC, as well as serving as Head of the Press Office at the Municipality of Palermo.

Jaya Adapa

With nearly 20 years of experience in the tech and media sectors (ex-Google, YouTube, Sony), Jaya is passionate about driving positive global impact through the intersection of technology and social change. Currently serving as the Senior Vice President at Futerra, a renowned sustainability and social change agency, Jaya leads media and content for Global top clients on addressing the global climate crisis with a lens on equity and justice. Previous roles include Global Head of Social Impact and Sustainability at YouTube, Principal and Chief of Staff for Google Android, and Director of Business Operations at Sony PlayStation.