Sparsh Ahuja is a documentary filmmaker and the founder of Project Dastaan, a peacebuilding venture connecting 1947 Partition witnesses from India and Pakistan to their ancestral homes via VR. He is a 2020 National Geographic Explorer, the youngest-ever recipient of the CatchLight Fellowship, a 2021 Webby Nominee, and has been shortlisted for the Alexia Foundation Student Grant and Lucie Emerging Artist Scholarship. Sparsh graduated as a FitzRandolph Scholar in PPE at the University of Oxford and currently works as the Partnerships Director of the National South Asian Heritage Month Campaign.

Bassam Al-Qadhi -Yemeni journalist and trainer from Aden, Yemen, is the founder and the chairman of the Humanitarian Journalism Foundation, and is the correspondent of the Middle East International newspaper in London. Al-Qadhi is also an investigative journalist with Al-Ayyam newspaper issued from Aden, and a producer and collaborator with several digital platforms such as Sawt Ensan, Yemeni Felix, Manasati30, Al-Mashhad Net, South24 and others. Al-Qadhi has more than eight years of journalistic experience with local and international media, and he has three years of experience as a coach in various press arts, including humanitarian journalism, sensitive journalism, peace journalism, health and medical journalism, human rights journalism. Al-Qadhi is the Winner of the second place award in the Migration Media Competition in Yemen 2021 organized by the International Organization for Migration. He holds the third place in the Journalism and Science Competition in the Middle East and North Africa for the year 2021 of the German Cultural Center in Cairo and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Jeff Baraka is a freelance Broadcast and Digital Journalist in Chicago, covering Music, Arts & Culture. His current independent media project has been awarded by National Geographic and Chicago DCASE, and recognized by the International Center for Journalists. He's also a Chicago Cultural Ambassador, and his 12-year media career is preceded by an extensive urban arts background (as an artist and administrator). His relevant professional experience also includes voiceover/narration, A/V production, and branded content creation. Jeff comes to Congress '21 actively seeking opportunities as a presenter for major projects, and he's particularly intrigued to hear the Spark of Inspiration session featuring one of his role models, Jeff Goldblum.

Koval Bhatia is a director and producer based in India. She is the founder and creative head of A Little Anarky Films, a production company that develops and executes non-fiction across formats. After having written, directed and produced hundreds of projects over the past ten years, she is presently focused on creative documentaries and factual entertainment. She has made several journalistic and editorial short form documentaries for BBC, Discovery Channel and global institutions, and directed/produced a limited TV series for National Geographic Channel (India) in 2021. She is currently producing a feature length documentary that has been funded by Sundance, IDFA, Hot Docs, Catapult Film Fund and Chicken & Egg Pictures. After graduating from Eurodoc 2021, an International Documentary Training Lab, she is looking for exciting new projects to produce globally. She is also presently collaborating with fellow filmmakers in India to develop a collective for independent filmmaking, focused on women.

Jeffrey Dobereiner, PhD, is an anthropologist turned science-factual TV producer. Five years ago, he stepped back from his field research on ancient Maya cities to help produce the first season of Native America, an Emmy-nominated PBS docuseries on the indigenous world. Now, across development, field, and post, he transforms complex ideas into compelling TV for networks including National Geographic, Travel Channel, and TLC. Beyond TV, his non-fiction storytelling includes reporting for the NPR podcast Radiolab, writing for nationally circulated magazines including Sky and Telescope, and consulting for media organizations such as A+E Networks.

Nicole has combined her background in mineral engineering with her love for content creation. With these skills, she crafts powerful stories that connect people to each other - and to our planet. Previous work includes producing and hosting Discovery to Recovery podcast for geoscientists, with over 25,000 listens. She's currently an Associate Producer at Avo Media.

Edmund started his career in documentary and factual television in Montreal, and has since worked on numerous projects from Canada, Australia, the United States, the UK, South Africa, and Kenya. In his current role with Wildbear Entertainment in Australia, Edmund has taken a leading role in developing and producing content for Wildbear’s history documentary slate. Prior to his time at Wildbear, Edmund worked as documentary researcher, editor, archive producer, and music supervisor; often collaborating with Montreal based company Eyesteelfilm, and the National Film Board of Canada. He is passionate about finding and producing compelling factual stories that have contemporary relevance, and can engage a broad audience.

Lucas Kavanagh is a science communicator, media producer, and co-founder of Vancouver-based Avo Media. With a background in earth and ocean science, he specializes in telling complex stories though videos and podcasts. He has produced Double Blind (2015-2016), a weekly science news podcast and Science Telephone (2020-2021), a mashup of science communication and improv comedy. His video work includes short documentaries The Rarest Drug on Earth (2018) and Groundswell (2019) as well as a Webster-nominated series on COVID-19 for The Tyee (2020). He is also a regular freelance writer for the popular YouTube channel SciShow. His online portfolios can be found at www.lucas.fyi and www.avomedia.ca.

Emma Keane is a producer originally from rural Ireland and now based in Dublin. She graduated from the National Film School in 2015 majoring in producing. She has worked in both Ireland and Australia in a variety of roles across factual, documentary, drama and commercials. She has been working exclusively with Animo TV for the last two years in the role of producer across a number of their factual programmes. Emma’s passion for social issues and social histories are greatly influenced by her rural upbringing and queer identity, and she is currently developing two original factual documentary series for broadcast.

Jesse is a founder of Avo Media, a Vancouver-based creative agency with a focus on education and science communication. A designer, animator, writer, and musician, he's produced science and political explainer videos, short documentaries, and podcasts. He uses his experience in film, audio, and visual arts to express complex ideas in engaging ways to wide audiences. Jesse hosts the scicomm podcast Science Telephone, which bring comedians and scientists together to explore real research in a fun, accessible way. He's also directed several short films, including the award-winning sci-fi short Iteration 1.

Koby is an associative producer at Avo Media, a documentary, educational, and branded content production company specializing in communicating science and complex concepts in a clear, engaging way. He has been communicating science since accidentally joining The Ubyssey, UBC’s student newspaper, in 2014. During his time at the paper, Koby founded the science section, serving as the section's editor for two years. Koby has written and produced science journalism for The Ubyssey, WBUR, and NPR. After transitioning to focus on video, Koby has worked with Geering Up UBC and Actua—two of Canada’s leading STEM outreach organizations—producing documentary and education videos from across Canada and the Arctic. Koby holds a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Science from the University of British Columbia. When not communicating science, Koby can usually be found exploring the backcountry or trying not to spill his green tea on a book.

Niba of @NotesByNiba hosts and produces videos about science. Based in Ramaytush Ohlone land (San Francisco, CA), she explores plant science in cosmetics, fashion, and skincare on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. @NotesByNiba. She also hosts videos for @SciShow Tiktok, @FeministBookClub Tiktok and the @Seeker show, Impact of Everything on YouTube. She received degrees in Genetics, Toxicology, and Diversity Studies at UC Davis, where she also researched the effects of climate change on crops. She received her M.S. in Genetics from Duke University, where she researched the genetics, form, and function of plant roots. Niba is a 2021 AAAS Mass Media Fellow and 2020 Jackson Wild Film Fellow. In her free time she enjoys petting cats (whether they belong to her or not), weird chip flavors, comics, and adding to her plant collection. Learn more about her work here: www.notesbyniba.com

Sabrina grew up in two worlds; schooling in New Delhi, India and spending holidays travelling the world. This sparked a lifelong interest in wildlife and capturing the stories of others. Her dad gave her a Sony Handycam when she was 12 years old and ever since then she set off on the path of being a content maker but breaking into the industry wasn’t easy. Along the way she worked at the British Red Cross, the Edinburgh Fringe and The Sun Newspaper. Sabrina now has over 12 years of experience working in the TV industry, most recently developing ideas for the BBC NHU and True to Nature. There’s nothing more she loves than coming up with original ideas, researching the latest science and designing treatments for a range of blue-chip, specialist factual and cross-genre ideas. A Broadcast Hotshot, Wildscreen and RTS diversity speaker, she is still navigating the complexities of being a BAME member of the TV community. Above all else, Sabrina strives to find impactful stories, that can be told with insight, intimacy, and compassion.

Kamil Skalkowski is a Warsaw based producer and production manager. He has been working in film industry for over 15 years. He started in OSCAR nominated Studio Filmowe Kalejdoskop. For last 10 years he has been a Vice-president of Kalejdoskop Film. His works are mainly documentaries. Recently he produced feature historical documentary “The Antarctic syndrome” by Piotr Jaworski, which was presented at ‘New Horizons’ Polish Days Goes to Cannes’. He has collaborated with: Polish Public Television, TVN Discovery Chanel, National Audiovisual Institute. His films were shown around the world (IDFA, Al Jazeera IFF, Seoul SeSIFF, NY Film Festivals, MexDocs, Krakow IFF).

Participated in: Berlinale Visitors Program, When East Meet West, Nordisk Panorama, Kyoto Filmmakers Lab, Doc Lab Poland: Start, Go, IMPAKT, New Horizon Studio+ and Biennale College Cinema. Vice-chairman of documentary section of Polish Producers Alliance, member of Polish Filmmakers Association, Documentary Association of Europe, Expert for Polish Film Institute.

Gowthami Subramaniam is a researcher, writer, documentary producer and director. She is passionate about history, intersectional social justice, women liberation, environment, holistic health and travel. She has travelled to 14 countries and loves to experience and indulge in different culture, food and people. She had produced and directed historical research oriented documentaries named "Arasiyal Arasiyar" with Kalaignar Seithigal on untold stories of sixteen women reformers of the Madras Presidency. She is presently producing a documentary on "Maternal and neonatal health impacts and eco-grief of Climate Change" in association with Earth Journalism Network, a project of Internews. She is also scripting stories on child abuse, trauma and maternal health rights. She is open for collaborations on all types of stories that has a social impact.

Katie Taylor serves as the Executive Director/Founder of Film School Africa. After being included into the WGA—she made the jump into casting and eventually became an associate casting director working with numerous studios for producers/directors like Adam Sandler, Alexander Payne, Ben Stiller, Marc Forster and Steven Spielberg. Katie cast the short film Short Term 12 for director Destin Daniel Cretton—which went on to win Best Short Film at Sundance in 2009. Katie had a quickly growing Hollywood career but moved to South Africa to launch FilmSchoolAfrica.org—training students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. She served as EP/subject of the documentary “Film School Africa” directed by Nathan Pfaff, which went on to win awards in Barcelona and at The African Film Festival in Dallas. She is currently producing, Windward, a true-crime/adventure documentary feature about 6 men who set sail during a yacht race and were never heard from again.

Beldeen Waliaula is a media professional specializing in Health and Science reporting feature writing and podcasts. She also specializes in depth human interest driven stories geared towards social impact, societal awareness, while providing solutions. Has a bias towards digital storytelling and data based reporting. She currently works at Standard Media Group based in Nairobi County.

Sam Wilton is a Producer for the Gibson Group, New Zealand. A hands-on filmmaker who specializes in science, natural history, social issues, food, and culture. Born in London, Sam cut his teeth on a run of impressive documentaries and popular factual shows including: BAFTA Nominated ‘Grayson Perry’s Rites of Passage’. Nowadays he combines that love of program-making with a drive to get shows off the ground in NZ and internationally. Productions he’s worked on can be found on the BBC, Channel 4, Netflix, and TVNZ.