Head of IN/LAB, Schibsted

Agnes Stenbom is the founder and Head of IN/LAB, Schibsted and the Tinius Trust’s joint venture navigating news futures, and an industrial PhD candidate in AI journalism at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. She is also the co-founder of the industry network Nordic AI Journalism and the Nordic AI in Media Summit (NAMS). Stenbom’s work is dedicated to ensuring trustworthy, innovative application of AI in editorial media and beyond.

Head of Audience Development, Daily Maverick

Alet Law is the Head of Audience Development at Daily Maverick, a leading South African investigative and news publisher. Her expertise lies at the intersection of editorial strategy, technology, and audience insights. She is a former JournalismAI fellow and has worked with newsrooms across the continent to explore the opportunities and challenges of AI.

Independent Research & Advisor

Alexandra Borchardt, a senior journalist, researcher, and university teacher with over 25 years of newsroom experience, including 15 years in leadership roles. She's an honorary Professor at TU Munich, Senior Research Associate at Reuters Institute Oxford, and former managing editor of Süddeutsche Zeitung. She authored EBU News Reports on AI and climate journalism, and serves on various media advisory boards.

Head of AI, Full Fact

Andrew has led Full Fact’s artificial intelligence team since 2019, developing technology to tackle misinformation at internet scale by serving the needs of fact checkers around the world. Andrew was previously the Chief Publishing Officer of the Office for National Statistics and prior to that spent a decade working in product and technology roles at the BBC.

Product Marketing Manager, Google DeepMind

Armin studied at the Norwegian School of Economics and at the São Paulo School of Business Administration. Prior to his current role at Google DeepMind, he worked in the outdoor apparel and management consulting industries. In his current role as Product Marketing Manager at Google DeepMind he oversees the Science projects as well as the Responsibility, Safety and Security efforts.

Editor in chief, dpa

Astrid Maier is Deputy Editor-in-Chief of dpa, Germany's largest news agency, heading the agency's strategy including AI initiatives. After graduating in China Studies from Cologne and Beijing, she began as a Financial Times Germany trainee and telecoms correspondent, later becoming technology correspondent for Manager Magazin. She previously served as Head of Companies & Markets at Wirtschaftswoche and Editor-in-Chief of professional network Xing.

AI Newsroom Initiative Lead, Code for Africa

Athandiwe Saba, a multi-award-winning investigative data journalist and Africa's leading expert at the intersection of AI, data, and journalism. She leads the AI Newsroom Initiative at Code for Africa, building AI capacity for newsrooms. Previously, she led Africa's largest OSINT investigative team, established South Africa's first data desk at Mail & Guardian, and served as a News Corp Fellow at the Wall Street Journal.

Head, Online Verification, VERA Files

Celine Samson heads the online verification team at VERA Files, a Philippine nonprofit specialising in fact-checking. She's a fact-checking trainer, information operations researcher, and manager of teams developing AI-powered news products. This year, her team won a grant from the JournalismAI Innovation Challenge for developing SEEK, an AI-powered fact-checking search assistant. She's also worked with Reuters, Graphika, and the Asian-American Journalists Association.

Head of Editorial Innovation, The Guardian

Chris Moran is the Guardian's head of editorial innovation, bridging Editorial and Product teams to deliver new features and products. As the Guardian's first Audience Editor, he developed their responsible reach approach and built a global audience. He co-created Ophan, the Guardian's analytics tool, led cultural changes in data-driven journalism, and serves as Editorial lead on generative AI.

Senior Programs Manager, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR)

Chukwudi Iwuoha, a Senior Programs Officer at the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), a nonprofit media organisation in Nigeria. With strong enthusiasm for AI and digital technologies, he has diverse experience spanning telecommunications, humanitarian efforts, and civil society. Trained in programming, database management and project management, he's passionate about leveraging technology to drive social impact and enhance media practice across Africa.

Founder & Chairperson, Nest Center for Journalism Innovation and Development NGO

Dulamkhorloo Baatar is a Mongolian journalist and freedom of expression advocate who became Editor-in-Chief of The Official Gazette at 25, making her the youngest person to hold the position. She founded the Nest Center for Journalism Innovation and Development, established Mongolia's first IFCN signatory fact-checking center, and launched the open-source journalism platform Pluma.media to support freelance journalists.

VP, AI Labs, NPR

Erica Osher is NPR's Vice President of AI Labs, overseeing AI strategy and innovation to support NPR's public service mission. Previously VP at National Public Media, she co-founded NPR's AI Labs initiative, co-wrote AI guidelines, and led NPM Creative for 14 years. She executive produced award-winning podcasts including The Upload and holds MIT business analytics certification and accessibility credentials.

Global Innovation Programs Manager, News Partnerships, Google

Etan Horowitz is Global Innovation Programs Manager, News Partnerships at Google, leading industry partnerships to enable experimentation with AI technologies. Previously, he was Senior Lead Editor at Apple News, where he launched key features including Top Stories and push notifications. Before technology companies, Horowitz spent eleven years as a journalist with the Orlando Sentinel and CNN, working as a reporter, technology columnist, and senior mobile editor.

Strategy & Innovation Director, NPO

Ezra Eeman, Strategy and Innovation Director at NPO, the Dutch Public Broadcaster, and leads the WAN-IFRA AI in Media initiative. He serves as lead advisor to the 2024 JournalismAI Innovation Challenge, writes the weekly Wayfinder newsletter about media innovation, and authors the annual Wayfinder Trends Report. Previously, he was Change Director at Mediahuis and Head of Digital at the European Broadcasting Union.

Director, AI, Emerging Tech & Regulation, International Fund for Public Interest Media

Irene Jay Liu leads the International Fund for Public Interest Media's AI, Emerging Tech and Regulation work. Previously, she headed Google News Lab Asia-Pacific, developing programs for newsroom innovation and countering misinformation. A former investigative reporter and data editor at Reuters, she was a 2017 Pulitzer finalist. Earlier roles include the South China Morning Post and Times Union.

Head of AI strategy, Reuters

Jane Barrett is Head of AI Strategy at Reuters, leading teams to develop and deploy AI in the newsroom and client-facing products. She works with TR Labs on R&D and integrating AI solutions into workflows. Previously Global Editor for Media News Strategy, she led multimedia transformation, served as EMEA business editor, and reported in Italy and Spain. She's a board member of the World Editors Forum.

Head of AI, Newsquest Media Group

Jody Doherty-Cove leads a team of AI-assisted journalists and is helping to oversee the safe integration of AI technologies into Newsquest's 150+ titles across the UK.

Executive Director, El Toque - Mas Voces Foundation

JJosé J. Nieves, a Cuban journalist in exile since 2019, now based in Miami. He leads elTOQUE.com, a transnational newsroom using AI to monitor Cuba's informal economy and fight disinformation. As Executive Director of Mas Voces Foundation, he supports Cuba's independent media. A Newmark Fellow and Knight Fellow, he received the LASA Media Award in 2023 for contributions to independent journalism.

CEO, Verified News Network

Kelly Tidwell is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation with Cherokee lineage. Through VNN, he aims to amplify Indigenous voices in Oklahoma's news ecosystem. An energy sector leader for over a decade, he entered news entrepreneurship after meeting his wife Brittany Harlow and her passion for community journalism. He also works as a consultant and data scientist.

Product Director, Financial Times

12 years leading product teams and 3 years building her own businesses crystallised Liz's passion to create change through technology. Her work has spanned applying AI to financial, property, health, and education products. Currently, Liz is leading a product team that looks after all editorial technology CMS, analytics and a new team with a mission to bring focus to and accelerate the development of AI products at the FT.

Executive Director of Product, The Atlantic

Mariah Craddick a product strategist leading product strategy at The Atlantic, focusing on subscription growth and retention. She previously held product management roles at The Wall Street Journal, McClatchy, and Crain Communications, and wrote for Ebony and Jet magazines. A fierce advocate for mentoring, she offers guidance through organizations like ONA and teaches at CUNY's journalism school.

Technical & Publications Manager, openDemocracy

Matthew Linares runs digital projects for openDemocracy. As a coder and technical architect, he searches for technical solutions to the challenges of the infosphere. Leading on the CopySwap audience growth project for JournalismAI, he brings long experience of connecting the dots to give media organisations a boost through innovation.

AI Correspondent, Financial Times

Melissa is the FT's AI Correspondent. Her stories focus on the cutting edge of AI research, how it is changing our society and businesses. Prior to joining the newspaper, she was a senior reporter for AI at MIT Technology Review, and Politico's AI Correspondent in London and Brussels. She was named Finnish Science Journalist of the Year in 2025 and in 2024 one of 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics.

Co-founder & journalist, Tama Media

Moïse Mounkoro, a journalist based between Mali and France and the Chief News Producer at TV5Monde, the global French-language television network headquartered in Paris. Engaged in the fight against disinformation, he also serves as Editorial Advisor for Tama Media, a pan-African digital platform that developed “Akili” the first chatbot that combines artificial intelligence with professional fact-checking journalists to tackle disinformation targeting French-speaking Africa.

Executive News Editor, Digital Development and AI, BBC

Nathalie Malinarich is the Executive Editor for Digital Development and AI at BBC News, where she drives innovation to grow and engage audiences. She leads work across editorial and production workflows, exploring how artificial intelligence can enhance storytelling, improve newsroom efficiency, and deepen audience engagement - while safeguarding the trust at the heart of BBC journalism.

CEO, CalMatters

Neil Chase, CEO of CalMatters, the nonprofit newsroom explaining California policy and politics. He was previously executive editor of The Mercury News and East Bay Times, and has been an editor at The San Francisco Examiner, The Arizona Republic, CBS MarketWatch, and The New York Times. He also taught at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and worked in advertising and marketing.

Publisher & Co-Founder, The European Correspondent

Philippe is responsible for The European Correspondent's reader-centric strategy, continuously developing the product including design and infrastructure. He previously worked for the foundation for direct democracy, coordinating campaigns in Switzerland and developing strategies to involve young citizens in democratic processes. He created "Crowdlobbying," a digital platform for citizen lobbying, built Switzerland's largest school newspaper, and served as Republik magazine's vice-president.

MSc, Organisational and Social Psychology, London School of Economics

Phoebe Connelly is a journalist and technologist studying organisational social psychology at the London School of Economics. At The Washington Post, she led AI strategy and innovation initiatives and directed Next Generation Audiences efforts. She pioneered The Post's Twitch presence and oversaw award-winning video coverage. Connelly contributed to teams that won the Pulitzer Prize for January 6 coverage and the 2020 Alfred I. duPont silver baton award.

Founder & Chief Product Officer, Factivo

Ritesh Mehta is Founder of Factivo, an AI platform empowering newsrooms for digital journalism. He's also COO of Scroll.in, India's leading independent news site, and co-founder of Stck.me, a creator publishing platform. Previously, he spent 16 years at Google and Facebook leading media-technology initiatives. With two decades building products and revenue models, he's dedicated to helping quality journalism thrive.

Chief Technology Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Newtral

Since 2018, Rubén Míguez has been Chief Technology Officer at Newtral, leading technological and scientific vision. An AI expert focused on teaching machines to fight fake news, he holds a PhD in Computer Science from Universidade de Vigo and an Executive MBA. Over the past decade, he's worked in R&D as a researcher and product manager, developing AI solutions across sectors.

Founder & Creator, YESEO

Ryan Restivo was a 2022-23 Reynolds Journalism Institute fellow who created YESEO, a free Slack app installed in over 650 workspaces that helps journalists with SEO best practices. YESEO partnered with The Oglethorpe Echo in the JournalismAI Innovation Challenge and was a 2024 Online Journalism Awards finalist for Excellence in AI Innovation. Ryan has over 15 years of digital media experience.

Publisher, Nawaat

Foreign Policy Top Global Thinker (2011). Publisher, working at the intersection of Public Interest Media's innovation, fundraising, strategies and infoactivism.

Head of AI Lab, Scroll Media

Sannuta Raghu, an award-winning Indian journalist heads Scroll.in's AI Lab for News and Journalism. She and her colleagues are building Factivo, a versioning platform to repurpose news across formats, and created the Directory of Liquid Content to standardise digital journalism. Since 2016, she's scaled Scroll.in's video newsroom for platforms with millions of users. She's a Reuters Institute and ICFJ Knight Fellow

Consultant & Project Manager, Independent

Sebastián Auyanet is an Uruguayan media strategist and consultant with two decades of industry experience. He has partnered with over 40 digital outlets across the Americas and Europe to design data-driven engagement strategies, diversify revenue streams, and bolster organisational resilience. Recently, he served as project manager for community-focused AI initiatives, including the JAIC supported Guaraní AI project for El Surti (Paraguay).

Digital Verification Editor, Reuters

Stephanie Burnett is the digital verification editor leading the Reuters Fact Check team, which examines online misinformation across 15 languages. Before joining Reuters, she was a senior editor with Deutsche Welle, Germany's international public broadcaster. She previously led Euronews' digital news team in France, served as Storyful's Australia bureau chief, and worked as a journalist in Hong Kong.

Director, Gubbi Labs

H. S. Sudhira is a researcher with a PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. He established Gubbi Labs, a private research collective working on sustainable ecosystems and liveable settlements. Passionate about communicating science to the public, he created Research Media Services in 2014, set up the Science Media Centre at IISc, launched Research Matters, and regularly writes on science for newspapers.

Chief AI Officer, Bayerischer Rundfunk

Uli Köppen is Chief AI Officer for German Public Broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk, leading AI strategy and overseeing journalistic data and AI teams working on algorithmic investigations and innovative digital products. A Nieman Fellow 2019 at Harvard and MIT, she participated in the Online News Association's Women's Leadership Accelerator 2022. Together with her colleagues, she has won national and international awards.

Media Innovation Journalist, News Machines

Ulrike Langer is a German-American media innovation journalist, based in the U.S. since 2011. Her niche is how media companies innovate and development new business models. She is the freelance U.S. correspondent for the German B2B news publishing magazine Kress Pro and the author of the bilingual AI@media newsletter News Machines. Ulrike is a co-organizer of the international Chefrunde Study Tours for German media executives and a regular speaker at European media conferences.

Director of journalism, Agencia Mural de Jornalismo das Periferias

Vagner de Alencar is a Brazilian journalist, co-founder, and director of journalism at Agência Mural, a nonprofit amplifying underrepresented community voices in São Paulo. With over a decade of experience, he leads innovative journalistic products combining community-driven reporting with social impact. He holds degrees from Presbyterian Mackenzie University and PUC-SP, and was a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow at Arizona State University.

Founder, Unbias The News and Ai.Human.Story

Wafaa Albadry, an award-winning journalist and media innovation leader with over 15 years of experience across Europe and the Middle East. Currently pursuing an MSc in Cyberpsychology, she founded AI.Human.Story, a platform for responsible AI use in newsrooms. During her decade at Deutsche Welle, she led women's empowerment initiatives and co-developed anti-disinformation tools. She co-authored "Unbias the News" and serves on journalism committees.

Director, CITEZW

Zenzele Ndebele is a journalist and media entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in investigative journalism in Southern Africa. He founded the Centre for Innovation and Technology (CITE) in Zimbabwe, focusing on public interest journalism. A newsroom innovation pioneer, he led CITE to become one of Africa's first media houses integrating AI into news production, introducing AI presenter Alice in 2022.