World Summit 2009 Presenters

ROBERTA BASKIN, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST

Investigative journalist Roberta Baskin has won more than 75 journalism prizes, including three Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Journalism Awards, two George Foster Peabody Awards, the Investigative Reporters and Editors Award, the Radio-Television News Directors Edward R. Murrow Award, and numerous Emmys. But her proudest achievements are righting wrongs, changing laws, and transforming the way companies do business.

ELI F. BLEICH, CEO, mediagroup, inc.

As President and CEO of mediagroup inc., a motion picture production company based in New York City, Eli F. Bleich has more than 40 years of experience working in the development and production of documentary film. He began his career with CBS News in 1964, with projects such as The Warren Commission Report with Walter Cronkite, and In the Pay of the CIA with Mike Wallace. Currently he is a graduate student in Media Studies at The New School, in New York, where he is working on his thesis involving "media, myths, and memories" among the Inuit populations of the Arctic.

WENDY BROMLEY BODDEN, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT, STRATEGIST AND PRODUCER

Wendy Bromley Bodden is a veteran marketing and corporate sponsorship executive with over 20 years experience developing and leveraging strategic partnerships, primarily within the public television and IMAX industries. Her work - whether in media, arts, public or private sectors - is anchored in a solid grasp of marketplace dynamics and trends, the belief in the power of media and the arts to effect positive change, and the joy of collaboration towards a common goal, a common good.

MARIA PAULA SCHMIDT CARVALHO, REPORTER, TV Globo

Maria Paula Schmidt Carvalho has worked since 2000 as a reporter at TV Globo, Rio de Janeiro, as a reporter for national programs, writing about different subjects like politics, economy, literature, arts and human behavior. Apart from her job as a reporter, she is also a producer and presenter of a weekly program about arts and entertainment at TV Globo. She holds a strong sense of responsibility and belief that mass culture can be useful for democracy and social justice.

SANJEEV CHATTERJEE, PRODUCER, WRITER and CO-DIRECTOR, One Water

Sanjeev Chatterjee is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, and is producer, co-director and writer of a global motion picture project about potable water entitled One Water. He has taught classes in studio and field production, media and society, writing and documentary production at the University of Miami. In 2007, Chatterjee was honored with the Images and Voices of Hope Award of Appreciation for his documentary work.

JUNE COHEN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, TED Media

June Cohen has been responsible for bringing the legendary TED Conference online, and growing its audience from 1000 conference attendees to 100 million viewers worldwide. In 2006, she launched TEDTalks, the groundbreaking podcast series that first made the conference talks available to the world. As a result, TEDTalks have now been viewed more than 150 million times worldwide, and have become a powerful new platform for leading thinkers and doers.

JOHN DREW, BorderStories.org

In 2007, John was awarded a private grant to pursue a documentary project about the U.S.-Mexico border -  his first foray into video journalism. Within six months, John, along with colleagues Clara Long, Sophia Dengo and Ben Fundis, launched the site BorderStories.org, and traveled all 2000 miles of the borderline, shooting, editing and immediately uploading over 20 highly provocative vignettes that profoundly explore the contentious reality of U.S.-Mexico politics. 

JAKE EHRENREICH, ENTERTAINER

Jake Ehrenreich has been an entertainer his entire life. He is an accomplished musician, actor, playwright, singer, and comedian, and spent the last few years starring in his stage show A Jew Grows in Brooklyn. The show, which the NY Times described as "dazzling, funny and beautiful", ran to rave reviews in the heart of Broadway for 16 months, and now plays to sold out audiences across the nation.

MARGARET ENGEL, DIRECTOR, Alicia Patterson Journalism Foundation

Peggy is the director of the Alicia Patterson Journalism Foundation, which supports investigative journalists and photojournalists worldwide. Four-time Pulitzer Prize nominee Peggy Engel will speak about Kathleen Turner's recent reading of "RED HOT PATRIOT" a play about the legendary Texan columnist Molly Ivins she co-wrote with her twin sister, Allison.

DAVID FANNING, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, Frontline

David has been Frontline's executive producer since its very first season in 1983. Frontline on PBS remains America's only regularly scheduled investigative documentary series and has been honored with every prestigious journalism prize for producing hundreds of exceptional films. David will lead a conversation about the best possible future of journalism.

SETH FARBMAN, PRESIDENT, OgilvyEarth, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide

Seth Farbman serves as Senior Partner and President of OgilvyEarth, the sustainability marketing agency of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide. Seth's views on sustainability are simple: it is an economic and social imperative that has less to do with "charity for the planet," and much more with improving the quality of life for all its inhabitants. And since he believes the corporation is the dominant institution of the 21st Century, it makes sustainability one of the greatest business opportunities of our time.

KEITH HAMMONDS, DIRECTOR, The Ashoka News and Knowledge Initiative

Keith Hammonds is director of Ashoka's News & Knowledge initiative, a new program funded by the Knight Foundation to identify, seed, and connect social entrepreneurs whose innovations promise to better inform and engage change-making citizens. Hammonds most recently was executive editor at Fast Company magazine, where he helped shape editorial strategy across the magazine-and where he co-founded the Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Awards.

MICHAEL HEMINGWAY, CEO, Third Hunger

Formerly Ogilvy's lead on Dove's famous "Real Beauty" campaign, Mike is now CEO of Third Hunger, a not-for-profit firm created to connect people with the passion to make a difference to the people with the power to make a difference. Michael will return to lead a conversation on the next horizon in advertising and marketing.

[View an excerpt of Michael Hemingway and David Cooperrider's dialogue at IVoH World Summit 2008.

MIKE HUGHES, PRESIDENT & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, The Martin Agency

Adweek has called Mike one of the nine best creative directors in America. Ad Age, on the other hand, has listed The Martin Agency as one of the three best creative agencies in the world. "Which proves," Mike says, "that the rest of the agency is a lot better than I am." Adweek, incidentally, gave a one-word explanation for Mike's inclusion on their creative directors list: "integrity."

JEREMY IGGERS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Twin Cities Media Alliance

Jeremy Iggers recently ended a 20+ year career with the Minneapolis Star Tribune to become executive director of the Twin Cities Media Alliance, the non-profit organization that operates the The Daily Planet, an award-winning professionally edited local news website that combines original reporting and commentary by citizen journalists with the best of the neighborhood, ethnic and community press.

ED KING, ARTIST

Neo pop artist Ed King has been painting his whole life but it's the neo pop part that is quite new in his artistic vocabulary. Having found this style in 2003, it has become his most popular and best selling. The combination of the vibrant colors, the black outlines, and his signature stitching has won over the hearts and minds of South Florida. While Miami is his home base, Ed King has paintings, prints, and calendars in homes all over the world.

POLLY KREISMAN, EDITRIX and PUBLISHER, theLoopNY.com

Polly Kreisman is a nationally recognized, 15-time New York Emmy award winning Reporter and Producer with major market and network television experience. Most recently, Polly leveraged her veteran journalism skills into creating theLoop, a hyperlocal online news site for Westchester County, New York. In only one year, theLoop grew an audience of 30,000 viewers a month.

DAVID Y. LEE, CREATIVE DIRECTOR and             TONY GUGLIELMI, MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

The Waiting List

David Lee is a freelance photographer and Tony Guglielmi heads multimedia company JST Design. Their project, The Waiting List, shares the stories of those involved in the organ transplant process, with the ultimate mission of inspiring individuals to register as organ donors.

ERIC LERESTE, SENIOR PRODUCER, Enquête

Eric Le Reste is the Senior Producer for Canadian Public Television's weekly show Enquête, a specialized documentary based program in investigative reporting. Many of his documentaries have received prestigious awards, including the CBC National Television Prize for best Documentary in 2001. Although investigative journalism often focuses on the dark side of society, Eric has always made an effort to bring human values to the forefront of his work, trying to underline the bright side of humanity when it can be relevant to the stories.

MICHELE McLELLAN

Michele McLellan is a journalist and consultant who helps news organizations and journalism training organizations adapt in a rapidly changing new media environment. Michele is a 2009-10 fellow at the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism. Her project, "Civic Engagement 2.0" explores how people are using digital media to foster community debate and action as well as the implications of new practices for people who practice journalism.

VICTOR MERINA, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, Reznet

Victor Merina is the senior correspondent and special projects editor for reznet, a Web site that focuses on Native American issues and indigenous people. He also is a Senior Fellow at the USC Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism who has lectured and spoken at workshops from South Dakota to South Africa and at venues from Indiana to Indonesia.

GAYATRI NARAINE, SPIRITUAL WRITER, EDUCATOR AND SPEAKER

Gayatri Naraine has been a part of Images and Voices of Hope since its inception, working as one of the main organizers of the first IVoH Conversation in New York City in 1999 and helping to facilitate conversations in various locations around the world. Since 1980 she has been the Brahma Kumaris' representative to the United Nations in New York. She recently co-authored Something Beyond Greatness: Conversations with a Man of Science and a Woman of God, a search for what gives rise to acts of heroism and generosity.

B.K. MOHINI PANJABI, SPIRITUAL TEACHER

B.K. Mohini Panjabi is a spiritual teacher, a world server. Her natural wisdom and powerful personality have touched and inspired millions of people throughout the world. She is the Brahma Kumaris' coordinator for North and South America, Latin America, and the Caribbean and the main representative to the United Nations in New York.

GEORGIA POPPLEWELL, MANAGING DIRECTOR, Global Voices

Georgia Popplewell is a media producer, journalist, editor and blogger from Trinidad and Tobago. She has worked in independent television in the Caribbean since 1989 and has written extensively on culture, music, flm and sport. In 2005, she started Caribbean Free Radio, the Caribbean's frst podcast. Popplewell is Managing Director of Global Voices, an international citizen media project founded at Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society.

MEREDITH PORTE, PRODUCER AND HOST, WLRN Television

Meredith Porte has been a producer and host at WLRN Public Television Channel 17 for over 30 years. She currently produces and hosts the award winning weekly arts and culture program on WLRN-Television entitled ArtStreet which airs on WLRN Public Television in South Florida. This show is now entering its eighth season. Meredith has also produced the award-winning Memories of the Night: A Study of the Holocaust, a documentary about teaching the Holocaust to people of multi-cultural backgrounds.

JUDY RODGERS, FOUNDING DIRECTOR, IVOH

Judy Rodgers has worked at the intersection of media, business, and education for over 30 years. She was founding director with Dr. David Cooperrider of the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit in the business school at Case Western Reserve University and she is also the founding director of Images and Voices of Hope. She recently co-authored Something Beyond Greatness: Conversations with a Man of Science and a Woman of God, a search for what gives rise to acts of heroism and generosity.

Zachary Rodgers is managing editor of The ClickZ Network, a business publication covering digital media and marketing. Since 2000, he's written extensively on topics such as the rise of social media, the evolution of news, and the impact of online advertising on consumer privacy. His stories have appeared in publications including:  Datamation, an enterprise technology publication; the Kauffman eVenturing series; TurboAds.com; and ChannelSeven.com.

Kim Spencer is President of Link TV, the independent non-commercial network devoted to global affairs, available in 42 million U.S. homes and worldwide on the Internet. A producer of more the 60 documentaries and current affairs programs, Spencer pioneered international satellite "spacebridges" and was a co-founder in 1982 of Internews Network, the organization that supports independent media in 70 countries.

DR. JENNYFER TOPLAK, ARTIST

Dr. Jennyfer Toplak is an enthusiastic young artist working in the medium of fine oil painting with a focus on "Hyper Realism". As a long time advocate of environmental awareness and re-focusing on this recurrent theme in her life, Jennyfer has embarked on a campaign to create awareness of environmental issues. Accordingly, she has developed a series of paintings that seek to entice the viewer to ponder the relationship between humanity and the environment, and motivate people to help save the planet.

JOAN TOWER, COMPOSER

Joan Tower's music is noted by a number of defining qualities: driving rhythms and colorful orchestrations influenced by the sounds and sensations of a childhood spent in South America, approachability for listeners and players alike, and her own performances as a pianist. She was the first composer chosen for a Ford Made in America consortium commission, Made in America, which won three 2008 Grammy awards, including Best Classical Contemporary Composition.

GERI WEIS-CORBLEY, FOUNDER AND MANAGING EDITOR, Good News Network

Geri Weis-Corbley is the founder and managing editor of the Good News Network. Her website is #1 on Google, in its 13th year of delivering positive news online. She began working in TV news in Washington, D.C. in the 1980's freelancing for companies like CNN, and has tallied 28 years of experience in TV and online news media to date. Gen. Colin Powell and Katie Couric both have recommended the Good News Network, while the Washington Post calls Geri the "Good News Guru".

JONATHAN YATES, CONDUCTOR AND PIANIST

Jonathan Yates has earned high praise as a conductor, solo pianist and collaborative artist for his musicianship, intellect and the remarkable variety of his musical endeavors. He made his professional orchestral conducting debut at 23, and currently serves as Music Director of the Camerata Notturna, a vibrant young chamber orchestra in New York City, and as conductor of the Sarah Lawrence College Orchestra and the 92nd Street Y Community Orchestra.