The EngageMedia Team

Airani supports the Finance and Operations team to ensure that the organisation’s finance and administrative systems meet the highest standard. She provides logistical and administration support to the program team, most especially for Indonesia-based events.

Born in Indonesia, Airani started working in 2008 as a content writer and journalist for the Visit Indonesian Year event. In that same year, she worked as an administrative assistant for the Kotak Hitam Forum, an independent organisation that focuses on research, workshops, and documentary film production for social change in Indonesia.

In 2015, she joined the documentary production house Banjarsari Film, where she worked as an assistant producer responsible for pre-production design and planning and as an Administration Coordinator for the film, ‘Di Kaliurang’.

Yaya works closely with the organisation’s Finance, Operations, and Administration team to ensure that the organisation’s support systems meet the highest standard, and provides logistical support to the Malaysia team.

A spreadsheet enthusiast from Kuala Lumpur, Yaya has worked in finance, auditing, and accounting since obtaining their ACCA degree from BPP University in the United Kingdom.

Yaya is a staunch advocate for the rights of Malaysia’s queer community, in particular for their equal treatment and access to justice. Their advocacy began while working in corporate, having experienced and recognised firsthand the disparity in treatment between those in power and the marginalised.

While they are driven by the pursuit of their goals, Yaya is equally motivated by a good cup of coffee sipped amid nature, with a camera on the other hand to capture the breathtaking views.

Ashraf oversees and supports EngageMedia’s digital safety initiatives in South and Southeast Asia, and supports the management and maintenance of the organisation’s technical systems.

An information security expert based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Ashraf has been affiliated with different human rights networks across the world since 2008, and has worked with human rights organisations supporting digital protection for civil society groups, media organisations, journalists, bloggers, and activists. Today, he continues to support activists fighting for freedom of expression.

Ashraf graduated from Islamic University, Bangladesh, and started his digital security career volunteering with a gender and women’s rights group. He previously worked as a community manager with Safety First for Girls, and helped local activists to create a safe blogging atmosphere across Bengali cyberspace. Ashraf was also a Digital Integrity fellow with HIVOS, and had worked to localise digital security tools and resources in Bengali.

Debby supports the implementation of EngageMedia’s digital rights initiatives, working closely with project leads on coordination and logistics, communications and outreach, and monitoring and reporting.

A human rights activist from Batam, Indonesia, Debby spent the last six years advocating for refugees’ rights in Indonesia before joining EngageMedia. She holds a Master of Laws in Human Rights from Central European University in Vienna.

Debby’s undergraduate thesis on human smuggling in the country’s Rote Island led to an engagement with the West Java Province Government in Pangandaran, which had her sharing how refugees and asylum seekers are victims of transnational organised crime happening in its waters. She has also contributed to a number of national journals on human rights and irregular migration.

Aside from migration, Debby is also interested in the intersection of business and human rights, particularly on how trade-related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) protect the prolonged distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the Global South countries.

Demie works closely with EngageMedia’s Video for Change team to create and curate content, support advocacy campaigns, create and deliver training sessions, build audiences, and coordinate projects.

Demie is an independent documentary filmmaker born in Manila, Philippines. Before shifting to film, she has worked as a journalist for both mainstream and alternative media. As a news writer for alternative media, she has written significantly on unfair labour practices among media workers and indigenous peoples’ and workers’ rights. She has also produced short documentaries for the ABS-CBN News Channel.

In 2017, she received a National Geographic Explorer grant for her documentary photography project exploring the effects of urban development and tourism on indigenous communities. In 2019, she shifted to filmmaking and started doing her own short films. In 2020, she participated in the Storytelling Development Lab of IF/THEN Southeast Asia. She is interested in creating social impact among communities through film.

Currently, she is taking up Masters in Media Studies (Film) at the University of the Philippines.

Dylan is an advocate for better stories, which he believes run the world. He has spent the last decade challenging narratives that entrench the status quo, whether in education, health, or relationships. A policy researcher by trade, he has worked to bolster evidence and garner support for landmark Philippine laws on K to 12 education and reproductive health. He continues to draw from his academic roots in the life and health sciences, and from his immersion in the diverse worlds of government, industry, academe, and development.

In addition to policy and advocacy work, Dylan mentors teams and individuals on research and learning, and on making better mistakes. He also advises startups and nonprofits on building empowered teams and running adaptive projects.

The pandemic has Dylan sheltering in his hometown at the foot of the fabled Mt. Makiling, where he gorges on feline fun, Mariah’s music, and, of course, good stories.

Languages: Filipino, English, Italian
Email: dylan@engagemedia.org (download PGP key)
Fingerprint: 4115 93C2 9D89 8FD3 4B8A D694 5C84 20EB D990 A0FE

Faiz contributes to EngageMedia’s organisational development, with a focus on systems and policies, project management, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning.

A policy researcher based in Delhi, India, Faiz is passionate about transforming an organisation’s ability to deliver effective solutions that will have a better impact on the communities.

Faiz has collaborated with India’s top bureaucrats and has taken part in a number of impact assessment, monitoring, and evaluation studies for various national and regional government programs. From 2017 to 2022, he worked for nonprofits, think tanks, academic institutions, and government agencies. In a recent study for a digital rights think tank, he revealed the necessity for legal-institutional reform to combat sexist hate online.

Faiz graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay with a postgraduate degree in public policy. When he is not working, Faiz enjoys watching comedy movies and a good cup of chai.

Jen works with EngageMedia’s Communications and Video for Change teams to develop and curate content, support advocacy campaigns, build audiences, and create social impact.

Jen is a Filipino filmmaker and photographer with 10 years of experience in directing and producing documentaries and entertainment programs for television and digital platforms in the Asia-Pacific and Europe. She holds multiple postgraduate degrees in documentary filmmaking from DocNomads at the University of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest (SZFE) in Hungary, Lusófona University in Portugal, and LUCA School of Arts in Belgium.

Jen’s work has been showcased at the Visual Documentary Project in Kyoto, Japan, and Nations in Visions, Vol. 1. in the Philippines. In 2018, she held her first solo exhibit on her long-term photography project about the local surfing community in Baler, Quezon province, the birthplace of Philippine surfing. In 2019, she was an ambassador for Edukasyon.PH and the Investing in Women initiative of the Australian government.

When not working, Jen enjoys the outdoors, cycling, surfing, and freediving.

Julie leads EngageMedia’s finance and administration team, ensuring the organisation delivers effective and impactful program work.

She is an eco-warrior who has spent a decade of developmental work related to the environment and good governance.

Her expertise includes financial management, procurement, travel management, financing and consultancy contracts, audit, event organisation, and general administration.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy and was the Managing Editor of their university publication. As a student leader and activist, she advocated various issues, including a call for students’ rights and campus press freedom.

Julie also advocates change via environmental awareness and empowered parenting. She endeavours to empower women as catalysts of such shifts, as they play a significant role in most households.

Katerina develops and curates content and advocacy campaigns on EngageMedia’s core issues, and works closely with the communications team to build audiences and create social impact.

Katerina is a Filipino writer with a passion for creating social impact through multimedia storytelling. Before joining EngageMedia, she provided communications and fundraising support for US nonprofits, helping them tell better stories to sustain and scale their work. Katerina was also a journalist for Philippine news website Rappler, where she explored multimedia storytelling and research strategies in her roles as newscast writer, reporter, desk editor, and research head. Her work has covered a variety of topics, including politics and governance, human rights, and urban development.

Katerina holds a master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Melbourne through an Australia Awards scholarship and a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Ateneo de Manila University. Outside of work, she enjoys going through her never-ending list of new hobbies.

Khairil works on programmatic planning, strategy, and network building to drive the implementation of EngageMedia’s digital rights and technology initiatives in the Asia-Pacific.

Khairil is a doer-maker from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who is passionate about building communities and connecting ideas using tech and design.

He studied accounting, auditing, and finance at Lancaster University, and had stints in journalism and financial services during his years of trying to figure things out. Prior to joining EngageMedia, Khairil worked with start-up businesses and not-for-profit organisations on product development, digital transformation, strategic communication, and capacity building, amongst other things.

Khairil is a pop culture fiend and news media junkie who appreciates the good stuff and is not afraid of the bad stuff.

King works on a variety of video advocacy and digital rights initiatives, designing and overseeing activities, media production, and network building.

King is an independent documentary filmmaker and alternative media practitioner from the Philippines. His roots in activism started as a student leader in the University of the Philippines Los Baños, where he took up Development Communication. He studied 16 mm film documentary production at the Mowelfund Film Institute and co-founded the film collective Southern Tagalog Exposure in 2001.

In 2009, as the executive director of Mayday Multimedia, a video collective focusing on workers’ issues, he produced Ka Bel, a docu-drama about renowned labour leader Crispin Beltran. He became the multimedia director of the non-profit media group PinoyMedia Center, Inc. in 2012. During this time, he initiated the documentary series entitled Eskinita: Ang Alternatibong Ruta.

He was part of the founding secretariat of AlterMidya Network, a national network of independent and grassroots-based media outfits in the Philippines. He produced various short documentaries and led the technical direction of Altermidya’s multimedia program from 2016 to 2019.

Currently, King is completing an online program on Film and TV Industry Essentials from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Maria leads EngageMedia’s digital rights initiatives in Indonesia, driving strategy development, program design, and planning.

Maria has lived in Medan, Bali, Jakarta, Bandung, and London. However, she considers comfort food as her ultimate home. In the past five years, she has actively engaged in communications and development work, specialising in public outreach, community development, and inclusivity strategies. Among the projects, Maria has managed involved the cultivation of entrepreneurial knowledge and networks for young people in East Indonesia, organisational positioning to scale impact, and data preparedness in times of disaster. During her time with the United Nations Development Programme in Indonesia, she also supported the establishment of its Innovative Financing Lab, one of many platforms that will aid the fulfilment of UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Maria holds a postgraduate degree in Development Studies from SOAS University of London. Aside from international development, Maria is also concerned about the decolonisation of the mind and the politics of feminism in the Global South.

Meg provides administrative and executive support duties for EngageMedia’s senior leadership team.

Meg has lived in Manila, Philippines and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining EngageMedia, she was the communications director of EduKonek, a citizen-led initiative that aims to provide mobile phones and data to Filipino public school students embarking on distance and blended learning. She used to work as a civil servant in the Philippines for almost 10 years in various capacities.

Meg graduated from the University of the Philippines-Diliman with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

Phet builds and oversees EngageMedia’s strategy, develops fundraising opportunities, creates and sustains partnerships and collaborations, and provides top-level oversight of finance, operations, programs, and technology.

Phet brings decades of experience in information, communications, and technology for development, and Internet governance. Prior to joining EngageMedia, he served 15 years as a Senior Program Officer at the International Development Research Center (IDRC). At the IDRC, his portfolio included work on access to connectivity, access to knowledge, digital rights and the right to privacy, field building for communications policy, platformisation and the future of work, and Artificial Intelligence for development.

While based in Asia, his scope included Africa and Latin America, also. Prior to his post with the IDRC, he led ICT for development initiatives as a programme specialist with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), including work on fostering the Free and Open Source movement in the Asia-Pacific.

Phet brings vast stakeholder engagement experience, including engagements with national level policy- and decision-makers, researchers, and advocates for social justice in the networked society.

Born in the Lao PDR, Phet immigrated to Canada in the late 70s. He is a Canadian national.

Phet holds a BA in Economics, from the University of Carolina, in Chapel Hill. He is currently undertaking a Master of Arts – Interdisciplinary Studies, at the Athabasca University.

Pradipa supports the implementation of EngageMedia’s digital rights initiatives, particularly in Indonesia, working closely with the program team to support coordination and logistics, community development, communications and outreach, monitoring and reporting.

Born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, Pradipa is a digital and political anthropologist, always curious about technology and how people live with and through them. He received both his master’s degree in anthropology and bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Indonesia.

Pradipa’s interest in tinkering with tools and technology has led him to work in a variety of sectors: as a developer/designer in tech startups, as a digital media specialist in Parliament and with non-government organisations, and as an assistant researcher on digital anthropology at the University of Amsterdam. He also gained valuable experience from working with the youth group Youth Proactive to foster human rights and political participation during the divisive 2017 Jakarta elections.

Pradipa has written on rumours, political culture, and online propaganda. His works have been published by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore and Inside Indonesia.

In his quiet moments, Pradipa can be found with either food, video games, or the viola.

Nan supports the implementation of EngageMedia’s initiatives in Thailand and the Mekong region, working on coordination, training, community development, communications and outreach, and monitoring and reporting.

Nan is a nonprofit management consultant with over four years of experience working on socioeconomic and human rights development issues. Her expertise lies in community development and social campaigning, with a strong background in program delivery for digital transformation.

Nan has worked on research related to labour law, platformed work, gender equality, and youth rehabilitation. She has also created and implemented curriculum, tools, training materials, and capacity-building activities for a diverse group of beneficiaries, focusing on marginalised and at-risk communities.

Before joining EngageMedia, Nan worked as a senior associate for KPMG’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services in an advisory capacity, where she helped transform business practices to comply with international human rights standards. She holds a degree in international relations and politics from Thammasat University.

Rezwan oversees EngageMedia’s outreach and communications activities to enhance and sustain social impact.

Rezwan has extensive experience in the field of citizen and social media. For more than 15 years, he has been writing for local and international citizen media sites and blogs. He is a longtime contributor to Global Voices, an international non-profit citizen media organisation and leads its newsroom for South Asia. He previously worked as a member of the jury for the Deutsche Welle Best of The Blogs (BOBS) Awards and also worked for Al Jazeera Plus as a node editor for South Asia.

As a freelance researcher, translator, and consultant, he has contributed to different advocacy and human rights projects over the years. He has experience in developing communications strategies and campaigns for non-profits. In Bangladesh, his work experience includes serving as a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme in different projects, especially for Citizen’s Voice (Nagorik Kontho), a citizen journalism portal.

He has lived in several cities in the Asia Pacific region, such as Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Canberra, in the past decade.

Ria brings with her 15 years of solid experience in corporate and strategic events, project management, and stakeholder engagement from international non-government organizations. She is also passionate about building teams with distinct expertise and diverse cultural backgrounds, as well as diplomatic protocol.

Born and raised in Laguna, she received her undergraduate degree (BS Agribusiness Management) and graduate school units (MM-Business Management) from the University of the Philippines at Los Banos (UPLB). Currently, she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Affairs with a concentration on Strategic Planning and Public Policy from the same university.

Ria loves to spend quality time with her family and looks forward to travelling again.

Languages: English, Filipino
Email: ria@engagemedia.org (download PGP key)
Fingerprint: E6C8 F623 896D 3A9D A1B2 B781 83CA 2E64 C584 2D47

Sara supervises the communications team to develop and curate content, support advocacy campaigns, build audiences, and create social impact.

Sara is a Filipino journalist and multimedia storyteller at heart, passionate about utilising and appropriating today’s digital technologies for the empowerment of the public and the improvement of media and data literacy. After obtaining her journalism degree from the University of the Philippines, she worked as a Digital Content Editor for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, before receiving her master’s degree in Media and Communications (Data and Society) from the London School of Economics and Political Science as a recipient of the UK Chevening Scholarship.

Among her previous works are the Inquirer Kill List, a database on the fatalities of the Philippine drug war; Pinas to Paris, a multimedia report on climate change adaptation in the Philippines; and Mojo-Manual.org, a mobile journalism manual for journalists. She has also served as a consultant and a resource speaker for academic and civic organisations in the Philippines.

Desyana supports the implementation of EngageMedia’s digital rights initiatives in the region, working closely with project leads on coordination and logistics, communications and outreach, and monitoring and reporting.

Born in Surabaya, Indonesia, Desyana’s human rights advocacy began during her school days at Universitas Padjadjaran in Bandung. After earning a Bachelor of Law, she began working as a Program Assistant with International Bridges to Justice in 2021. Her focus is on assisting Women Human Rights Defenders who are particularly vulnerable in Indonesia. More recently, she worked with the International NGO Forum for Indonesian Development, focusing on the national implementation of the Sexual Violence Crimes Law.

In addition to her work, Desyana is an avid reader and enjoys writing about various human rights issues. She has a love for travel and enjoys spontaneous trips to nature, especially if it involves a beach.

Stephanie supports organisational learning and growth efforts to ensure program work is dynamic, strategic, and well executed.

Stephanie hails from the lush and tranquil island of Bermuda and she has ventured far and wide across the globe to satisfy her wanderlust. Prior to working with EngageMedia, Stephanie has dabbled in multiple sectors, as a customer service advocate, events facilitator, English language tutor, and radio jockey, where she learned new tricks and skills along the way.

Originally a Psychology student, Stephanie shifted her sights and career path into the realm of international studies and political science. She graduated from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in Manila, the Philippines with a degree in Consular and Diplomatic affairs. In April 2020, she completed an extensive research paper analysing the extent of the influence the Filipino LGBTQIA+ community holds on the policymaking process. Apart from her work experiences, Stephanie was a volunteer for Unang Hakbang Foundation.

As part of the Finance, Operations, and Administration team, Tricia ensures that the organisation’s support systems are of the highest standard. They also provide logistical and administrative support to program teams.

Outside of work hours, Tricia is a queer advocate and feminist. They work closely with a Malaysian LGBTIQ organisation that focuses on organisational system design, project management, and community building. They are also passionate about mental health and neurodivergent advocacy, the decolonisation of the global south, and intersectional feminist values.

Tricia’s advocacy work encompasses various projects, They have spoken in SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression, and Sex Characteristics) sessions during LGBTIQ Affirming Therapists’ Sensitization Workshops, and have also been involved in a CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) report concerning the LGBTIQ community. Their other projects include managing an underground drag show that showcases local queer artists and promotes activism.

During their downtime, Tricia enjoys live jazz shows and indulges in a well-brewed cup of coffee.

Yin oversees and leads digital rights and digital safety initiatives in Myanmar to increase the capacity of civil society.

Yin has been active in the field of digital rights and social movements in Myanmar since 2013. Born in Yangon, Yin was a former project coordinator for Myanmar ICT for Development Organization (MIDO), working on their projects on digital rights advocacy, digital literacy, and media literacy for the Myanmar activists’ community and journalists.

On top of his digital rights advocacy, Yin is interested in poetry and has contributed his skills as a layout and graphic designer to Yangon’s independent literary scene. Yin is an alumnus of Parami University’s Liberal Arts and Sciences Program.