Nic Dawes is the executive director at The City, a nonprofit digital news platform that serves the people of New York. He was previously the deputy executive director at Human Rights Watch in New York, where he oversaw the organisation’s strategic planning, as well as day-to-day operations and programme. Dawes has also worked as the chief content officer at the Hindustan Times in India, and editor-in-chief at the Mail & Guardian in South Africa. His journalism accolades include Sikuvile, Mondi, Taco Kuiper and National Press Club awards.

Kanya Ndaki is the director of communications at The Aurum Institute and has 20 years of media and communications experience; thirteen of which were as an award-winning journalist and editor. Ndaki was previously the head of communications at the South African National Aids Council where she was in charge of providing strategic communication support to the body’s units and structures. Prior to that, as regional editor for UN humanitarian news service Irin News (now The New Humanitarian), she covered humanitarian and development issues and co-founded PlusNews, Irin’s dedicated HIV/Aids news service in 2001.

Mia Malan is the executive director and editor-in-chief of the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism. Malan founded Bhekisisa in 2013 and has won over 20 African journalism awards. She’s a former fellow of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University and serves on the board of directors of the Centre for Science & Technology Mass Communication at Stellenbosch University. Malan is also an advisory board member of the Women in Media Network of the Graça Machel Trust.

Hoosain Karjieker is the chairperson of the board of M&G Media Limited and the former chief executive officer at South Africa’s Mail & Guardian newspaper where he contributes to the strategic vision and direction of the organisation. He is also a significant shareholder. Karjieker has spent about 30 years in various roles at media organisations across the country and served two terms as president of the Print and Media Digital Association of South Africa. Prior to this, he served as the deputy chairperson of the board of the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation.

Vinayak Bhardwaj is a health economist at the Wits University School of Public Health. He was formerly the deputy head of mission for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) South Africa and has previously worked in journalism, funding of journalism and in public health. He has extensive experience working for donor organisations, including Open Society Foundations, Omidyar Network and the Ford Foundation. Bhardwaj has also started up a health technology company aimed at connecting diabetes patients with nurses and other forms of support.