Meet our Impact Days 2025 speakers, coming to Geneva in March from all corners of the world. More will be added as participation is confirmed!
Speakers
Ayoo

Miriam is an impact strategist and cultural producer based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has over a decade’s experience working at the intersection of art and activism, designing and implementing programs and outreach initiatives within a range of social impact areas and artistic mediums. She is currently serving as the co-coordinator of the Global Impact Producers Assembly (GIPA). Previously, she worked as the impact strategist/producer for award winning films including Softie (Kenya, 2020), Los Hermanos/The Brothers (Cuba/USA, 2021), and No Simple Way Home (South Sudan/Kenya, 2022). At the heart of her work is a commitment to centering and amplifying under-represented stories and voices.
Benouataf

Khadidja is president of Impact Social Club, the think tank for impact in France, and an advisory committee member of GIPA (Global Impact Producers Alliance). She trains film industry professionals and students internationally, acts as a panellist and runs impact workshops (Berlinale, IDFA, FIFDH, DOK Leipzig, Movies That Matter, Sunny Side…). She has designed award-winning documentaries’ impact campaigns and advised over fifty film teams on their impact strategies.
Blyth-Kubota

Tay Blyth-Kubota is Creative lead of UNICEF’s High-value partnership content. His specialism lies in creating films and multimedia content (including producing, directing, filming & editing) within the human rights and humanitarian sector. With close to 15 years of experience working with numerous NGOs, international organisations and national & international broadcasters, he is in his third year with UNICEF. He holds an MA(Cantab) in Anthropology from the University of Cambridge, and an MA in Filmmaking from the London Film School.
Fayed
With a background in television, Farah holds a B.A in audiovisuel studies. Her 8 years in television were equally split between entertainment and news channels. In 2012, Farah shifted her career into the film festivals’ industry and worked with the Dubai International Film Festival for its last 6 editions managing their Cinetech, a digital library for the sales and acquisitions of films. Farah also worked with the Malmo Arab Film Festival, moderating its film market’s pitching sessions. In 2019, Farah joined the team of Beirut DC, the association for Development and Cinema where she is currently the director of programs with a special attention to the impact program. Beirut DC’s impact program includes regional and local impact labs, an Impact Fund and the Impact Producers’ Fellowship among other intersectional programing.
Finneran
Patricia is founder Story Matters which provides strategy and produces programs for artists, organisations and funders around nonfiction storytelling and impact. Her prior roles include: Impact Fund Director at The StoryBoard Collective, Creative Producer, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program , Festival Director of Silverdocs: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival. She worked Doc Society, overseeing several editions of the Good Pitch. Clients and partners include: CPH:Dox, Documentary Campus, Double Exposure, FIFDH/Geneva, Movies that Matter and Sunnyside of the Docs.
Grøttjord-Glenne
Tone Grøttjord-Glenne is an award-winning Norwegian director and producer. In 2005, she established Sant & Usant AS with a vision to create strong visual documentary films. The company has produced and co-produced more than 40 films including titles as All that I am, Sisters on Track, Gunda, 69 Minutes of 86 Days, I am Kuba and Bravehearts. With a strong interest in creating change using documentaryfilms, Tone established an impact-company Educational Storytelling Publishing and Film, which focuses on creating tools for public services using a new method of learning; combining research, true story-elements and expert knowledge.
Kealey
Ellie is a documentary producer, videographer, photographer, and writer with over 15 years of experience. Having worked extensively in Central Asia, MENA, and East Africa. Ellie’s expertise spans high-impact documentary storytelling, visual production, and editorial work, strongly focusing on humanitarian issues and women’s rights. Ellie is currently a Video Producer and Editor for Human Rights Watch, previously based in Afghanistan and Beirut, documenting stories for humanitarian organisations and news outlets.
Marking
Known for award-winning films such as: Afghan Star (2009, Best Director and Audience Award at Sundance, Grierson Award for Best Doc on a Contemporary Issue and Prix Italia); Smash & Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers (2011) (currently under option for a new international drama series) and The Kleptocrats (2018) which played on BBC Storyville at The PM, the Playboy and the Wolf of Wall Street.
Marking also works as an Executive / Senior Producer on various premium docs and series inc Welcome to Earth (Disney+/Nat geo), Who is Gislaine Maxwell (C4) and The Accused (A&E). She EP’d Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, To Hell and Back Again and The Russian Woodpecker which have been recognised with an Academy Award nomination and several Emmy and Sundance awards.
Mason-Watts
Poppy is Chief Growth and Impact Officer at WaterBear: a B Corp-certified impact media platform using storytelling to drive change. WaterBear produces and distributes impactful documentary content and other media to drive tangible change across the world. At WaterBear, Poppy oversees three core business units: multi-channel marketing and platform editorial, impact strategy and campaigning and commercial development. She was also part of the founding team. Prior to WaterBear, Poppy held client-side roles at National Geographic and FOX, and has spent 14+ years’ working on global campaigns for FMCG brands such as Unilever, Accor Hotels and Carlsberg and TV/film launch campaigns like My Octopus Teacher, Genius and The Walking Dead. Poppy sits on the Netherlands board of the UN Global Compact and on the advisory board of the Aegean Film Festival.
Mosses
Sarah is the Founder & CEO of Together Films, a marketing and sales company serving the international film community from our offices in London & NYC. She has acted as the Head of Marketing for leading Film Festivals including Sheffield DocFest (Sheffield, UK), DOC NYC (NYC, US), Human Rights Watch Film Festival (London, UK & NYC, US), and the Athena Film Festival (NYC, US). She is passionate about serving filmmakers to increase their social impact, reach, and revenue for multi-award-winning titles like For Sama, Unrest, The Tale & Roll Red Roll. Sarah is a graduate of the prestigious Inside Pictures film leadership course and was selected for the Mayor of London’s International Growth Programme (including trade visits to NYC & LA). In 2023, Together Films expanded into international sales representation backed by the BFI’s Global Screen Fund. The debut slate includes Life After (Directed by Reid Davenport, premiering at Sundance 2025), and Your Fat Friend (Directed by Jeanie Finlay).
Nyambok
Prince (Austin) Nyambok II has a storied background mainly in: Strategic Communications, Media, Arts, Entertainment and Education. Circa. 2013-2018 he was the host of The Great Debaters Contest a national TV show that aired on Citizen TV and KBC Channel 1. Moreover, He was the Main Content Creator and moderator of Great Debaters Contest; Connect Edition a spin-off of the main show. Currently, Nyambok is the Communications Officer at DocA – Documentary Africa. Where, he’s notably been involved in the Co-design of the DocA Real Reel Impact Program (RRI) that seeks to holistically support documentary producers/filmmakers with their Impact Campaigns. Outside film, he is the founder of a noisy music company called MAD Royal Entertainment.
Perez-Rocha
Roberto Perez-Rocha is the Director for the International Anti-Corruption Conference Series (IACC) with Transparency International as its secretariat. Gathering around 2,000 people from circa 140 countries, the IACC is the world’s leading independent forum for all those committed to achieving social justice. In its last edition, Korea 2020, the IACC gathered in its virtual format more than 10,500 people from over 180 countries.
Plascencia
Michelle is a cultural organizer with more than 6 years of experience in film festival production and impact producer based in Mexico City. She led the first edition of the Good Pitch program in México 2020, as the Outreach and Partnerships Coordinator at DocsMX, a documentary film platform in Mexico City. Regional field building has established positive and productive relationships amongst filmmakers and organizers, which she aims to continue to support through workshops, forums, and overall creating spaces to recognize the power of thoughtful, ethical and fundamental storytelling processes as the social change ecosystem continues to grow in Mexico. She is also part of Impacta Cine, the first film & social impact collective in Mexico directed to work alongside filmmakers to design and implement impact campaigns.
Shrestha
Subina Shrestha is a filmmaker and a journalist who likes to push boundaries in storytelling. Her work ranges from print stories in the New York Times, to short fiction in virtual reality. Her news coverage on Nepal’s earthquake and its aftermath earned her multiple awards including an Emmy nomination. Subina has been speaking, hosting and moderating at national and international conferences that focus on gender, development and journalism. She was nominated for the Rory Peck Award for her camerawork while undercover reporting in Myanmar during cyclone Nargis. She was a 2017 Nieman fellow at Harvard and a 2019 Global Media Maker fellow at Film Independent and a 2022 Ochberg fellow at the Dart Center in Columbia University. Devi, her first feature documentary, premiered at HotDocs in 2024.
Vaksdal Brattabø
Ingfrid Vaksdal Brattabø, is a researcher at the Oral Health Centre of Expertise Western Norway. She leads the interdisciplinary research project “Children at Risk and Oral Health”. Her research focuses on child maltreatment, child protection, interdisciplinary collaboration, health service research, oral health, behaviour and decision research. The aim is to increase knowledge and competence, create a more integrated and supportive environment for children at risk, ensuring they receive the necessary dental care and protection.
Brattabø is an active member of several interdisciplinary networks, collaborating with children’s advocacy centers and child welfare services to strengthen and coordinate services for children at risk.
Veres
Agi Veres is the Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Geneva, overseeing efforts to advance global development goals. UNDP, as the UN’s lead development agency, operates in 170 countries, striving to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, and promote sustainable development, democratic governance, peacebuilding, and climate resilience.
In her role, Agi leads a multidisciplinary team to strengthen connections between UNDP’s global initiatives and the diverse actors in International Geneva. This collaboration involves partnering with governments, NGOs, academia, the private sector, and civil society to design integrated solutions for global challenges.
Whipham
Sandra Whipham is one of the five co-directors of Doc Society. She heads up the Democracy Story Unit, which will bring storytellers into an ecosystem with academics, activists, journalists and social scientists to think together about what narratives about democracy are most needed and most effective. Previously, Sandra managed the BFI Doc Society Fund, distributing National Lottery funding to UK filmmakers. She has also been a producer and commissioning editor at Channel 4.
Wolfson
Jenni Wolfson is a fierce human rights advocate and a trailblazer in the art of storytelling for social change. As the CEO of Chicken & Egg Pictures, her strategic vision has evolved the organization into a powerhouse of support for women and gender-expansive documentary filmmakers. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and BAFTA, an Aspen Ideas Fellow, and a Dial Fellow of Emerson Collective, Jenni has been honored with the Women’s Media Center Lifetime Achievement Award and DOC NYC’s Leading Light Award.
Wutholen
Executive Producer, Director and Journalist at dev.tv, Founder of the Young Activists Summit Marina Wutholen has built over 20 years of experience in video production. She serves as the Director of dev.tv, a non-profit production NGO specializing in sustainable development and human rights. Marina Wutholen filmed in the DRC, Kenya, Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Her reports have been broadcast by BBC World News, Al Jazeera and TV5MONDE among others. In 2019, Marina Wutholen initiated the ‘Young Activists Summit (YAS)’ which is organized by dev.tv, the United Nations and Swiss TV (RTS). World-renowned public figures have taken part in the Summit, including Angelina Jolie, Dr. Jane Goodall, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, Prince Albert II of Monaco, and the climate activist Vanessa Nakaté.
2025 Impact Lab Tutors
Fifer
Hollie – based on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in ‘Australia’, land that has never been ceded- is a cultural strategist and nothing brings her more joy than working alongside and for documentary filmmakers to unlock the potential of their stories for change. At Doc Society, Hollie develops funds, convenings, networks and initiatives to strengthen our field and is one of the cheekiest members of our team.
She has worked as a documentary director and impact producer and her films have screened in over 35 countries including at IDFA, CPH:Dox, Hot Docs, the UN Human Rights Council and the National Portrait Gallery of Australia.
Hollie currently serves on the Board of the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) and the Castlemaine Documentary Festival (CDoc).
González
Erika Gonzalez Ramirez is the co-director and impact producer of the film “The Illusion of Abundance”. She has been on an impact tour with the film for more than two years, including 130 film festival selections in 40+ countries and 35 awards at some of the world’s largest human rights and nature rights festivals. “The Illusion of Abundance”, highlights the fundamental role of women in defending nature and territories. Erika is a collagist, journalist, filmmaker, and feminist, deeply committed to women’s rights.
Kempas
Ben Kempas founded Film & Campaign in 2014, believing in the power of documentary film to spark conversations, ideas, and change. He creates unique impact campaign strategies – grounded in his background in award-winning filmmaking and powered by innovative digital tools. Film & Campaign is run by a European team rooted in Scotland and has worked with clients in 25 countries.
Lietaert
Matthieu is an impact producer with 15 years experience. First, he turned his PhD thesis about corporate lobbying into The Brussels Business and impact campaign for ARTE, RTBF and ORF. He is also the author of Nos chers Paradis for ARTE, an audiovisual letter made by 800 citizens that premiered at COP21 in Paris. He is now on a two-year impact tour with The Illusion of Abundance, which has received awards at 21 film festivals.
Magsanoc-Alikpala
Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala co-founded the film production company Storytellers International Inc. and is the President of Filipino Documentary Society (FilDocs). As a Filipino producer, she’s produced a verity of renowned documentaries such as Delikado and Call Her Gand (Call Her Beautiful) that were screened across the world at different famous film festivals such as the Human Rights Watch Film Festival or the Los Angeles Pacific Film Festival. Kara has also produced award-winning television specials and documentaries like “Batas Militar” (Martial Law). To date, it has been the highest rated documentary broadcast on Philippine Television and has swept all major awards in the Philippines. She is a contributing producer for ARD German TV, ARD German Radio, Cable News Network (CNN) Hong Kong and Atlanta bureaus. She is a member of the Good Pitch2 Southeast Asia Team in Jakarta. She has produced documentaries for the History Channel, and the Australian Broadcasting Company. She has reported for the Public Broadcasting Service and Voice of America.
Schröder
Vivian Schröder is an Impact Producer and Field Builder. Together with the Human Rights Film Festival Berlin, she has been co-curating its Forum programme for four years and hosting and co-creating the Climate Story Lab Berlin in 2020. Next to advocating for impact campaign work in Germany, she teaches the subject and produces impact campaigns. Campaigns she currently works on are Total Trust and Not Just Celsius. She is a member of GIPA.
Thomas
Leslie Thomas is a feature narrative and documentary film producer/director, human rights campaigner, Emmy-award winning art director, and architect. Recent films and campaigns include The Sharp Edge of Peace (producer), about Afghan women peace negotiators, The Prosecutors (director/producer), featuring the work of human rights lawyers prosecuting former military combatants for sexual assault as a war crime, as well as the narrative micro-budget feature Thursday’s Child (director/producer). She is co-founder of MIRA Studio and the founder of ART WORKS Projects, which works with photographers and artists to bring attention to human rights abuses.
Wanja
Emily Wanja uses storytelling to drive social change. She collaborates with organisations, people, and communities to envision a more climate-just world. As an award-winning impact producer, she engages with stakeholders in policy, civil society, foundations, and colleagues in the media ecosystem and communities. She consults with organisations to develop impact strategies using storytelling. She previously served on the Climate Justice Resilience Fund Advisory Council and the Global Impact Producers Alliance Committee. She is on the steering committee of ECCA (Entertainment & Culture for Climate Change) for the UNFCCC, the board of STEPS & Open Planet advisory board among others. She is the Director of African Programs at Doc Society.