Team

Beadie Finzi (UK)

Foundation Director

Beadie Finzi is one of the founding directors of Doc Society, a non profit foundation with team based in Europe, East Africa, the Americas and Australia, dedicated to supporting independent filmmaking globally. Since 2005 we have supported 450+ projects and directly regranting $22M to filmmakers in over 40 countries. Leveraging our support to unlock tens of millions more in resources for the whole field.

In addition to grant making for artists and journalists and supporting their creative process, we help them develop impact strategies and connect with communities and allies beyond the media industry and across civil society.

Our preoccupation goes beyond the right of artists to self-expression to the right of citizens to access public interest media - and to the global media ecosystem that we need to make all of that possible. Beadie works day to day with many global partners who are also focused on this challenge.

Within Doc Society Beadie also has her shoulder to the wheel behind the Climate Story Unit and now the Democracy Story Unit. Two major global narrative strategy experiments - focused on unleashing transformative storytelling to advance a just future. 

Emily Wanja (KE)

Director of African Programmes

Emily Wanja uses storytelling to drive social change. She is an award-winning Impact producer for the campaign ‘We Can Fight Climate Change’ for the international feature documentary,  ‘Thank you for the Rain’.  In conjunction with Docubox (East Africa Documentary Film Fund), she has worked with policymakers across National & County governments, Private stakeholders, Funders, Civil Society and Communities, using film as a tool for advocacy. She ran impact screenings for the film, ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ by Participant Media, in Kenya. Previously, she was the in-house producer at Docubox (East Africa Documentary film fund). 

She has worked extensively with young farmers across Kenya through ‘Seeds of Gold’  TV show and the leading newspaper version for youth and agribusiness at Nation Media Group. She has produced TV shows for numerous networks and has worked on award winning narrative short films. She’s on the Climate Justice Resilience Fund Advisory Council and on the Global Impact Producers Assembly Steering Committee. She works with the Storyboard collective on Impact and regional partnerships and is on the Kenya oscars selection committee.

Wanja joins Doc Society as the Director of African Programmes.

Hannah Bush Bailey (UK)

Film and Production Executive

Hannah Bush Bailey works across the slate of films supported through the BFI Doc Society Fund. She supports filmmakers both in production and editorially. The national fund aims to develop storytellers from all parts of the UK, backing feature & short creative documentaries with bold cultural and social ambitions. Prior to this role she worked as a short form producer creating work for companies such as Universal, Disney and Channel 4's Random Acts. Her experience also spans a number of feature docs and high-end television series. Hannah has previously been involved in BFI Network X BAFTA Crew, BAFTA'S Guru Pro training scheme and Film London's Microwave Feature Film Development Scheme. Her films have screened internationally including at Raindance Festival, BFI Future Film Festival and London Short Film Festival.

Helena Soares (AT)

Head of Philanthropic Development

Helena is the Head of Philanthropic Development at Doc Society and is based in Vienna. She works closely with the team to uncover allies and nurture existing relationships with donors who are also on a path of fostering independent story-telling, addressing the climate crisis and building the resilience of our democracies.

Helena joined Doc Society from Tenure Facility, the leading financial mechanism working shoulder to shoulder with Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendants and local communities to secure and sustain their land and their forest rights. Prior to that, she spent nearly a decade at the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) where she worked closely with the press freedom and independent journalism teams on strategic development and overseeing resource mobilization. Before joining IPI in Vienna, she worked as a Fundraising Officer for Global Witness in London, assisting in the management of extensive grant portfolios, donor stewardship and building relationships with international partners. Originally from Portugal, she speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish and French. Helena holds an MA in Journalism Studies from Cardiff University.

When not working, Helena likes to spend time outdoors with her family, reading, baking, and hugging the occasional tree.

Henry Wrigley (UK)

Finance Director

Henry qualified as an accountant as a gateway to working across many industries and countries.  He worked in corporate finance and then private equity investment with entrepreneurial businesses.  After this, he has been Finance Director for a number of creative businesses, including a computer games business.  Most recently he worked for an arts charity.  This included improving the performance of an arts fair, magazine, property portfolio and a gallery refurbishment.  He has lived and worked in Nepal, India, China and Malawi.  However, a young family provides him with focus and grounding now.  

Hollie Fifer (AU)

Director of Special Projects

Hollie is the Director of Special Projects at Doc Society based on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in ‘Australia’ - land that has never been ceded.

Hollie 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).

James Franklin (PT)

Creative Director

James looks after design at Doc Society as well as the websites for all the Doc Society brands and programmes, starting with the first website back in 2006. With 25 years experience in design and the web, James previously ran a design agency in London for 7 years. Currently he is also founder of the web-based film-marketing platform assemble.me and has produced the design behind many of Doc Society’s films.

John Rafferty (UK)

Financial Controller

John is a CIMA qualified accountant with over 10 years of experience working in finance roles in the third sector. Prior to joining Doc Society, he worked as the finance manager for a research institute focussed on international affairs and global security, and has also worked for a think tank and the Royal College of Physicians.

Julian Etienne (BE)

Climate Story Fund Officer

Julián is a cultural campaigner from northeastern Mexico committed to diversity in documentary cinema and to fostering transformative
encounters between media and the public. At Doc Society he works as Climate Story Fund Officer.

He has undertaken film programming projects since 2009. He joined Ambulante in 2018 where he was involved in programming, outreach, impact, and fund-raising activities. 

Julian studied linguistics in Mexico City and attended graduate school in Information Studies at the University of Arizona and in Media Studies at UT Austin. He writes occasionally on media cultures. Apart from cinema, he enjoys radio documentaries, theatre, creative nonfiction and road biking. He recently became a dad and lives with his wife and son in Brussels.

Katie Mandy (UK)

Finance Officer

Katie is Doc Society's Finance Officer and joined the organisation in 2018. She is working alongside the Financial Controller, assisting with the day-to-day activities. Katie is AAT qualified and has worked in the field for the past 8 years.

Khadija J. Khan (UK)

Engagement Manager

Khadija J. Khan is the Engagement Manager at Doc Society, where she works across programs to host inspiring events, employ strategic communications, and build connections with filmmakers globally. She is deeply passionate about the intersection of arts and activism, and has worked as a social justice documentary film producer in Cape Town, SA, Washington, DC and London, UK. 

Previously, Khadija managed international LGBTQ+ advocacy and ran a queer Muslim youth program at Advocates for Youth. She holds a Msc in Empires, Colonialism, & Globalisation from LSE and a BA in Justice & Peace Studies from Georgetown. Khadija is a published author, sound artist, and music lover currently enjoying all that London's art scene has to offer. 

Kit Colbourne (UK)

BFI Doc Society Production Coordinator

Kit (they/them/theirs) provides key administrative and production support across the BFI Doc Society film slate, application processes and support programme.  Kit worked extensively in theatre and arts admin before retraining and completing a post graduation course in Film and Television production. Kit joins us from Met Film, where they worked on the outreach and audience engagement for The Reason I Jump, among other production roles, and more recently was Jerry’s Rothwell’s Director’s Assistant.

Laura Husti-Radulet (UK)

Grants Manager

Before joining Doc Society in 2017, Laura worked with the Media Legal Defence Initiative (UK), the Open Society Foundation in Romania, and other non-profit organisations in the UK and Romania encompassing grant-making, project management, compliance and communications work. She has over 15 years experience in grants management.

Luke Moody (UK)

Head of the BFI Doc Society Fund

Luke is a curator, producer and film executive specialising in non-fiction film, new cinema forms and artist’s moving images. Previously, Luke was Creative Director at Abandon Normal Devices, Director of Film Programming at Sheffield Doc/Fest. Luke also co-founded and curated Frames of Representation at the ICA and New Cinema Days Lab in Manchester, and was previously Head of Film at Doc Society. As a producer, Luke’s film productions have premiered at TIFF, New York Film Festival, Busan, IDFA, IFFR and BFI London Film Festival. In 2021 he was a 2021 Sundance Producers’ Summit fellow and 2022 CPH:LAB participant.

Maxyne Franklin (USA)

Director

Maxyne is one of the founding Directors of Doc Society and shares responsibility for overseeing the film funding programmes. She also sits on the selection committee for the Good Pitch events and oversees the annual DOC Impact Awards; celebrating the films that have made the greatest impact on society.

For Doc Society, Maxyne has been lucky enough to executive produce a number of award-winning films including Virunga, All These Sleepless Nights, Hooligan Sparrow, The Possibilities are Endless, The Square, Pussy Riot, Hell & Back Again, Ping Pong and Afghan Star.

As of 2015 Maxyne relocated to New York to head up the US office, Doc Society Inc. Since there she has been deepening relationships with partners and working with our talented collective of US based filmmakers.

Megha Agrawal Sood (USA)

Director, Head of Climate Story Unit

Megha believes in the power of sharing stories and building unexpected collaborations to inspire action. She is the Head of the Climate Story Unit, a new initiative to support productions and impact campaigns of climate-themed stories across the globe. Megha’s previous work experience includes leading impact programming at the film company, Exposure Labs, and helping purpose-driven organizations grow at the innovation firm, IDEO. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, and is based in Boulder, Colorado.

Michelle Plasencia (MEX)

Network Co-Coordinator for GIPA

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. She is currently leading the second edition of Good Pitch México in October 2022.

Mike Lindsay

Artistic Director for Live Events

Mike and his team from Swooshed Event Production have been working with us since our first ever Britdoc event back in 2006. His event knowledge, experience and creative theatre background combines to help us produce our quality events all over the world looking after all the staging, technical and audio visual aspects of the show.

Miriam Ayoo (KE)

Network Co-Coordinator for GIPA

Miriam is an impact strategist and cultural producer based in Nairobi, Kenya. At the heart of her work is a commitment to centering and amplifying under-represented stories and voices.  She has nearly 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), and as the impact strategist/producer for award winning films including Softie, Los Hermanos/The Brothers, and No Simple Way Home. Miriam holds a dual master's degree in public policy (Mundus MAPP) from the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands and the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals in Barcelona, Spain. Moonlighting as a singer-songwriter, in her free time, you can find her writing her next hit song or singing Whitney Houston at the best karaoke spots in town.

Naomi Walker (USA)

Network Coordinator for GIPA

As the first Coordinator of the Global Impact Producers Alliance [GIPA], Naomi is working with the GIPA Steering Committee to formalise and build capacity for the network.

Previously, Naomi served as Executive Director of the Southern Documentary Fund. 

She had the pleasure of working with Doc Society as Outreach Director for Good Pitch Chicago in 2013 & 2015, and again for GPNY in 2016. 

Naomi spent 9 years in Chicago as Engagement Consultant for ITVS, hosting over 80 documentary film screenings, followed by discussions, workshops, expos and performances.

As Education Director for Cinema/Chicago, Naomi organised screenings for public school students, and managed the groundbreaking Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program.

Naomi is an experienced dj, cab driver, and dishwasher.

Nicole van Schaik (NL)

Director of Development

Nicole strategises with filmmakers and impact producers on how they can use their films as a strategic tool for social or environmental change. She also brokers new and exciting partnerships with organisations from across civil society, including: foundations, philanthropists, NGOs, brands, policymakers, activists, technology innovators, and media for the global Good Pitch programme, and Doc Society as a whole. She is proud to be part of the 2017 Rockwood JustFilms Fellowship. Before joining the foundation, Nicole worked as a television journalist for broadcasters, including RTL News and Al Jazeera. She finished her MA in International Journalism in Cardiff in 2008, and has previously lived in The Netherlands, USA, South Africa, and Wales.

Nikki Heyman (USA)

Film Officer

Nikki is a three-time Emmy Award-winning producer and programmer experienced in the non-profit and brand-driven spaces. She strives to be a champion of diverse cinema and constantly pushing for equity in the field. At Doc Society she works across US funds as Film Officer. Nikki's most recent experience at Tribeca Studios afforded her the opportunity to produce narrative and documentary alike, elevating voices and stories through corporate programs such as P&G's 8:46 and the Queen Collective. Prior to Tribeca, Nikki was the co-producer for the acclaimed documentary show POV on PBS. Nikki curated for the series across seven seasons, oversaw series production, and provided editorial support to independent documentary filmmakers. Nikki has served on panels and juries across the U.S. and abroad. She holds a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from Oberlin College and is a member of the Producers Guild of America. Nikki is an avid beach bum, an easy crier, and a popcorn aficionado.

Prash Naik

Doc Society Legal Counsel

Many of the Doc Society team were lucky enough to work with Prash Naik at Channel 4 and we are over the moon to be reunited in the defence of brave and bold independent storytellers. Prash is the outgoing General Counsel at Channel 4, where over 23 years he built an impressive reputation for defending free speech, making every storm seem like it was only in a tea cup and sporting an array of very well chosen cashmere sweaters. Congrats to him for winning In-House Lawyer of the Year at the prestigious Lawyer Awards earlier this year. Prash is relocating to Sydney, Australia in October but will continue to advise film-makers across both sides of the world. We beat a very fast path to his door, and are delighted to have secured a slice of his time to be our General Counsel and advise us on our film slate and also the Safe and Secure project, aimed at lowering the legal, physical, psychological and reputational risks taken by independent filmmakers.

Sandra Whipham (UK)

Director

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.

Sanne Jehoul (UK)

BFI Doc Society Talent Support Manager

Sanne joined Doc Society as BFI Doc Society Talent Support Manager in January 2024. Previously she was the programme director of Glasgow Short Film Festival, and managed the short film slate of Vienna-based sales & festival distribution agency Square Eyes. She has worked across curation and writing for festivals and platforms internationally, and as a regular juror, panellist and speaker across the film festival circuit. She was part of the selection committee of Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur 2023, led the industry programme of Vienna Shorts 2022, and was a programme producer for Document Human Rights Film Festival 2018 & 2019. She sits on the board of directors of Belgian short film platform Kortfilm.be.

Sarah Nicholson

Design Consultant

Sarah is director of Involved, a brand and design agency based in London. Sarah has worked with DocSociety since 2010 across all elements of their brand, including many sub-brands, editorial and web/digital communications. Sarah loves working across a variety of sectors and mediums, on creative projects big or small.

Shanida Scotland (UK)

Director, Head of Film

Shanida Scotland is an award-winning commissioning editor and executive producer, working within documentary film and audio. Shanida is the new Head of Film at Doc Society. Before Doc Society, Shanida was Commissioning Editor at The Guardian and worked long term at STORYVILLE, the BBC’s multi award-winning flagship international documentary strand. Shanida developed the ongoing series AFTERWORDS, an award-winning audio documentary series that puts the ideas of great writers into dialogue with contemporary writers, academics and activists, for Falling Tree Productions and BBC Radio 3 and 4.

Shanida is interested in the alternative, the intimate and the liminal: visual and sonic resonant qualities, that which remain meaningful and impactful through time.

Outside of Doc Society, Shanida regularly hosts documentary Q&As for the Barbican’s ScreenTalk strand and manages a delightful dance between sci-fi reading group, sonic explorations and terrible drumming.

Stu Tily (CZ)

Technical Director

Originally from London and now based in Olomouc in the Czech Republic.

Stu looks after the technology for Doc Society’s websites.

Suzanne Alizart (UK)

Head of Business Affairs

Suzanne started working in film last century, after training at Intermedia Film and Video, in Nottingham. Having delivered some short films and a baby, she moved into film and creative industries policy development and funding. She contributed to the establishment of regional film Lottery distributor EM Media where she worked for a decade, eventually leading on business affairs across the slate. 

She then spent some time at Ffilm Cymru and re-trained as a solicitor, before working at the University of Leicester for five years on academic research contracts, alongside supporting SMEs to understand and manage their intellectual property assets. She also enjoyed continuing to provide business affairs advice to independent documentary film producers during that time.

Vanessa Cuervo (Colombia)

Director of Latin American Programmes

Cultural organizer, dancer & impact strategist working across the intersection of art, activism & social justice. Vanessa connects the world of human rights defenders with the spheres of art & film to promote social change. At Doc Society, she works with the Good Pitch global program across Latin America, building strong partnerships with local host organizations in Colombia, México and Brasil, supporting documentary filmmakers designing impact campaigns and creating a strong network of Good Pitch allies in the region.

Vanessa currently supports the work of the Colombian Truth Commission as an advisor and trainer of Historias en Kilómetros, an audiovisual lab that supports teams in three Afrocolombian communities creating shorts that contribute to the historical narrative of the country, in times of reconciliation. She is also the coordinator of the Skylight Solidarilabs network in Guatemala, Colombia and México, working with movement leaders and storytellers to shift cultural perceptions.

Get in touch with Vanessa if you’d like to learn more about the editions of Good Pitch taking place in Mexico and Brazil this year at vanessa@docsociety.org

Zeena Starbuck (UK)

Project Coordinator, Independence Project and Democracy Story Unit

Zeena is a Project Coordinator on the Independence Project and Democracy Story Unit for Doc Society. She works across partner organisations to organise, frame, construct, and implement research projects on global independent documentary film and works centred on revitalising and de/reconstructing democracy. Zeena has also provided freelance research for Doc Society and Beirut DC on projects about universal basic income, mapping global documentary organisations, and safety and security measures for filmmakers. 

Now based in London, Zeena previously lived and worked in Seoul, Hangzhou, and New York City. Some of her roles in media, non-profits, and research consulting have included: Project Manager for NATO & the Global Enduring Disorder Project and Disorder Podcast, Programme Assistant for the Libya Security Monitor, Research Assistant for Libya-Analysis LLC, and Programme Manager for The Common Good. Zeena holds an MSc in History of International Relations from the LSE and a BA in History of International Relations with Study Abroad from the University of Exeter. Zeena’s research has looked at intersections between international affairs and social justice via decolonial epistemologies, with recent emphasis on how transnational identities are articulated, developed, and shared through stage and screen representations.

Anu Henriques

Trustee

Anu is the founder and co-director of Skin Deep, a collective that makes space for Black creatives and creatives of colour to work towards justice through cultural production. She has worked across all areas of the organisation – print, online and live events. She is currently developing Skin Deep’s upcoming collaborative documentary on environmental justice. Alongside her work at Skin Deep, she joined Fable Pictures (Wild Rose, Stan & Ollie, Rocks) in January 2017 and works across their slate in development and production. As Associate Director of Rocks (2020), a collaborative film about the joy of sisterhood, Anu worked alongside director Sarah Gavron, co-writers Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson, the cast and creative team.

 

Anurima Bhargava

Chair of the Board

Anurima Bhargava is the Founder and President of Anthem of Us, a strategic advisory firm promoting dignity and justice in the building of our workplaces, schools, and communities. She led federal civil rights enforcement in schools and institutions of higher education at the U.S. Department of Justice during the Obama administration, and previously directed the education practice at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.    

 

Dilhani Wijeyesekera

Trustee

Dilhani is a recognised development and social change expert who has held a range of senior roles working with charities, government, UN agencies, foundations and corporates in the UK and around the world shaping strategy, investing, and institutional practice. She brings significant knowledge of programming with young people, adolescent girls, and women in the field of governance and livelihoods.

She spent a significant proportion of her career based in East Africa, and since returning to the UK has led a high-profile change agenda as an influencer with government, funders and civil society, to Shift Power to local institutions, reform representation through innovative programmes and investments to cultural and creative institutions in the UK and Africa, and tackle issues of equity and representation in the funding, philanthropic and creative sectors.

During her time in Tanzania, Dilhani led the country’s first at scale pilot scale out of school programme for Adolescent Girls Mabinti Tushike Hatamu with the Government of Tanzania, Restless Development and UNICEF winning global recognition from UNAIDS and the Resolve Award, and later acknowledged at the launch of the Global Goals in 2015 in Barack Obama’s opening speech to the UN ONE and President Obama, Eva's Wish.

Since returning to the UK, she has held a leadership roles at Restless Development and Comic Relief, and advised funders including DFID, USAID, Mastercard Foundation, Sainsbury’s and KPMG on their social impact strategies. She has led sector influencing and advisory into Justine Greening’s (SOS DFID) office resulting in its Youth Strategy and the high profile Global Youth Summit, and major campaigns including Youth Power (2015) culminating action at the launch of the SDGs in 2015.

Now at Comic Relief, Dilhani is overseeing its first steps in influencing including building strategic relationships with influencers of bi-lateral institutions, within government and parliament, and overseeing its first parliamentary reception hosted by Sir Lenny Henry and youth advocates from South Africa. Dilhani has led efforts to shift its storytelling through critical platforms including Africa No Filter a co-investment fund to generate positive narratives about the continent; and Sema Stori an innovative fund investing in emerging film makers in East Africa in factual documentary; and overseen progress on ethics and climate responsibility establishing the organisation’s first ESG strategy. Dilhani has gained recognition for the role she has played during the Covid-19 emergency in advocating for and investing in Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities in the UK, and working across funders and government to publish recommendations on equality and equity in funding in the UK.

In her spare time, Dilhani is an active yoga, mindfulness and meditation teacher and leads collective care programmes for communities working with trauma.

 

Fatima Ibrahim

Trustee

Fatima is the Co-Executive Director of The Green New Deal UK. She is one of the commissioners on IPPR's Environmental Justice Commission. Fatima is a climate activist and social justice campaigner, and much of her work has been spent campaigning and building solidarity with international movements. She has worked for the global NGO Avaaz, EU citizens movement WeMove.eu and was one of the lead organisers of the People’s Climate March. She has also spent years organising with and supporting the UK Youth Climate Coalition. Fatima has already worked with Doc Society, featuring in the Climate Reframe.

 

Heather Grady

Board Member

Heather is a Vice President in the San Francisco office of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and leads the organization’s strategy and program development in global philanthropy and systems change. Heather advises funders from the US and other countries on philanthropic strategy. Her approach has been shaped in by two decades of living in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, managing long-term development and humanitarian programs. As Vice President at the Rockefeller Foundation she oversaw portfolios including climate change, health, and employment. She serves on the boards of the Dropbox Foundation, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, Forum for the Future, the Wildlife Justice Commission, and Doc Society.

 

Kat Craig

Chair of the Board

Kat is an award-winning human rights lawyer, published author and experienced social change consultant. She has challenged the abuse of power by State bodies and multinational corporations in the court of law and the court of public opinion in countries including the UK, Germany, Colombia, Yemen, Pakistan and the US and regularly appears as an expert commentator on national and international media. Kat also runs a not-for-profit consultancy helping professional and elite athletes use their platform to improve the lives of others. Her clients campaign on issues ranging from the prevention of child abuse in football, to the use of sport to improve social cohesion between refugees and host communities. Kat has a passion for supporting exceptional people who use new and creative ways to make the world a better place, which is why she has found great pleasure and satisfaction working with Doc Society on a range of projects over the last five years.

 

Katharine Wilkinson

Board Member

Dr. Katharine Wilkinson is an author, strategist, and teacher, working to heal the planet we call home. She is Vice President of Communication & Engagement at the nonprofit Project Drawdown and was the Senior Writer of Drawdown — the New York Times bestseller on climate solutions. Known for her work at the intersection of climate, gender equality, and women’s leadership, Katharine’s TED Talk on the topic has more than 1.5 million views. In 2019, TIME featured her as one of 15 “women who will save the world.” The Boston Globe dubbed her first book, Between God & Green, “a vitally important, even subversive, story” for its exploration of climate change and evangelical Christianity. Katharine speaks, moderates, and facilitates across diverse forums, including National Geographic, Skoll World Forum, and the United Nations. She holds a doctorate in Geography & Environment from Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar, and resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

Keri Putnam

Board Member

Keri Putnam is a CEO and founder, creative producer, strategic advisor, and senior media executive who has supported, developed, and produced bold, original media from new and established talent throughout her career. In 2022, Putnam launched Putnam Pictures to produce film and television from creators with distinct and adventurous vision.  She also advises media companies, start-ups, and cultural organizations as a consultant, board member, and advisory board member.

Putnam served as CEO of Sundance Institute from 2010-2021. She was responsible for the Sundance Film Festival and a wide array of year-round global lab and granting programs for new storytellers in film, series, documentary, theater, and new media. She and her team championed early work from scores of filmmakers who went onto successful careers in film and television, including several Academy Award and Emmy winners. With positive financial results every year, Sundance Institute grew its revenue by 300% during her tenure, launched pioneering digital products, innovative strategic partnerships, and international festivals and programs in the UK, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.The organization also significantly invested in diversity, equity, and inclusion as leading advocates for historically underrepresented voices in media. 

Prior to Sundance, Putnam served as President of Production at Miramax Films, a division of the Walt Disney Company, where she oversaw a global team in development, production, post-production, acquisitions, and production finance. During her four-year tenure, Miramax films were recognized with 34 Academy Award nominations and 7 wins.

Putnam began her career as an assistant in original programming at HBO and ended her decade+ tenure there as Executive Vice President of movies and limited series, where she supervised production of over 45 films and miniseries that collectively received over 50 Emmy Awards and nominations, as well as numerous Peabody Awards, Golden Globes, and other honors. She also helped launched the theatrical label Picturehouse run by HBO in partnership with Fine Line Features.

She serves on the board of AMC Entertainment (public company), privately held independent production company PICTURESTART and German media company Leonine, and on the advisory board of Topic Media. She is board member or advisor to female-led media/tech startups, and several arts and culture nonprofits in the US and UK. Putnam co-founded and serves on the leadership council of ReFrame, a leading organization advocating for diversity in media. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an A.D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University, a mentor at USC’s Stark Producing Program, and an advisory council member at Brooklyn College’s Feirstein School. She is also a founding member of the LA Women’s Political Caucus and member of the creative council at EMILY’s List. Putnam graduated from Harvard College and is the mother of two grown children. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two dogs.

 

Mathieu Ajan

Trustee

Mathieu Ajan is Founder & Artistic Director, Bounce Cinema. Bounce is a community helping you discover and connect with the world of film. “Through our programme of screenings, talks and workshops, we bring thousands of people together to celebrate cinema. Bounce is an independent organisation and reinvests a percentage of their time and resources into supporting new and emerging talent."

BFI NETWORK Executive, Commissioning Short Films & Early Development Features

Mathieu curated & programmed for: The Tate Modern, Institute Of Contemporary Arts & Aesthetica Short Film Festival.

Mathieu is another young Black organiser who has much greater ambitions to grow Bounce into a national Black screening and mentoring programme.

 

Oliver Rivers (UK)

Chair, Non-executive Board Member - Doc Society Foundation Board & Stichting

Oliver is a trustee of three charities: Poetry London, the Legal Action Group, and the Britten Pears Foundation. He has an MBA from London Business School, but he did his first degree at the Royal College of Music, and music remains one of his great passions. In his not very extensive spare time he can usually be found at the Wigmore Hall.

 

Peter Noorlander

Trustee

Peter has spent his professional life defending journalists and the right to freedom of expression around the world. He co-founded and led MediaDefence.org, which provides legal defence to journalists, and he has been at the heart of international campaigns on issues such as the right to information and ending the imprisonment of journalists for defamation. Peter is passionate about leaving the planet in a better state than he found it and he volunteers his time fundraising and providing support for Extinction Rebellion, which he urges you to support - the disruption they cause is nothing compared to what we face when we don’t reverse our destructive habits. In addition to DocSociety, Peter is a trustee of Privacy International, which fights for a world where technology will empower and enable us, not exploit our data for profit and power; and he consults on issues of media law and policy, civil society empowerment and organisational development. When he’s not at his desk he’s probably out running.

 

Rob Berkeley

Chair of the Board

Award-winning busybody, recovering academic and reformed social reformer, Rob is Lead Organiser of BlkOutUK.com, a community-owned media platform, workspace and collaboration hub for and by Black bi/gay/trans men. He recently completed a stint advising the BBC on accountability and audience engagement. Impatient with injustice and exasperated by wasted potential, he volunteers on the boards of the Baring Foundation, and Doc Society, has previously served on the boards of LGBT rights charity Stonewall, the Equality and Diversity Forum, and been Chair of sexual health organisation, Naz Project (NPL). He was Exec Director of the racial justice think-tank Runnymede Trust (2009-14). Continuing his academic writing on education, social justice and community organising, he was recently appointed Simon Industrial Fellow at the University of Manchester. He has lectured across the UK and beyond, and written for national newspapers on social justice and movement-building. His current fixation on new forms of community ownership, co-production, AI and digital tech and their potential for social justice means that he spends a lot of time on his phone and calls it ‘research’. Dr Berkeley was awarded an MBE in 2015 for services to equality.

 

Sameer Padania

Non-executive Board Member - Doc Society Foundation Board

Sameer runs Macroscope London, an independent consultancy supporting new strategies in public-interest journalism, human rights & philanthropy. A former Open Society grantmaker and failed documentary maker, he has worked and consulted since 2001 for leading organisations in these fields on a wide range of journalism, digital media, activism, policy and funding initiatives around the world. His most recent publication, for the Ariadne Network, was An Introduction to Funding Journalism & Media. He is on the Advisory Board of First Draft and had been a trustee of 360Giving.

 

Stephen Dunbar-Johnson

Trustee

Stephen Dunbar-Johnson is the President, International of The New York Times Company. Stephen is responsible for the oversight and strategic development of the Times Company’s international businesses. Dunbar-Johnson was appointed President, International for the New York Times Company in October 2013 to lead the global expansion of The Company.

Prior to The Times, Dunbar-Johnson was Publisher of the International Herald Tribune (IHT), a position he assumed in January 2008. Before joining the IHT in 1998, he held various business development roles in the UK, France and the US over twelve years at the Financial Times. He was educated at Worth School and Kent University in the U.K. and has completed an executive management program at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the Sulzberger program at the Columbia School of Journalism.

 

Twiggy Pucci Garcon

Board Member

As an activist, advocate, and healer, Twiggy has collaborated with artists, filmmakers, academics and policymakers to increase visibility of both creative and sociopolitical agendas. Twiggy served at FACES NY, Inc. as a Recruitment Specialist, Senior Community Health Specialist, and more recently a Program Development Specialist and Community Organizer. With over 10 years of experience in the field of general and specialized health education and direct services, she has extensive knowledge of the needs of the LGBTQ youth population and how to foster relationships with organizations that offer effective quality services.

In their current role as Program Director at the True Colors Fund, Twiggy leads their Youth Collaboration programs and True Impact Summit, aimed at not only elevating youth voices but also creating space for partnerships with young adults to lead the movement to end youth homelessness.

In addition to her activism and advocacy work, Twiggy has worked as a model & runway trainer, performance artist, and special events & talent management coordinator. She and her work have been featured in major media publications and media outlets such as OUT Magazine, PAPER Magazine, NY Mag, The Huffington Post, The METRO Weekly, and The Advocate among others. Twiggy was also a featured subject in Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ and HBO’s documentary feature film, The OUT List and is the co-writer and one of seven subjects in the Sundance-selected, award-winning documentary, KIKI. Twiggy serves as a consultant and choreographer on Ryan Murphy’s hit FX series, POSE. She is also a consulting programmer for Outfest, Newfest, and Outfest Fusion, the Overall Overseer for the Legendary International House of Comme Des Garcon, and the Chief Ambassador for the Center for Black Equity. Twiggy’s continued mission is to elevate the authentic representation of the House|Ballroom Community worldwide.

 

Vince Warren

Board Member

Vincent is the Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights. He oversees CCR's litigation and advocacy work, which includes using international and domestic law to hold corporations and government officials accountable for human rights abuses; challenging racial, gender and LGBT injustice; and combating the illegal detention at Guantanamo, rendition, and torture.

Prior to his tenure at CCR, Vince was a national senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, where he litigated civil rights cases, focusing on affirmative action, racial profiling, and criminal justice reform. Vince was also involved in monitoring South Africa's historic Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, and worked as a criminal defense attorney for the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn. He is a graduate of Haverford College and Rutgers School of Law.

 

Yvette J. Alberdingk Thijm

Non-executive Board Member

Yvette is the Executive Director of WITNESS, a global human rights organisation that helps anyone, anywhere to use technology and video to protect and defend human rights. WITNESS collaborates closely with activists to strengthen their use of video and technology to defend the truth, use video stories for advocacy and evidence, and mobilize their communities for change; it advocates to technology companies to ensure that platforms are designed to support human rights users, and it innovates to capture the promise and anticipate the perils of new technologies for a just society. She serves as an advisor/board member for AccessNow, Majal, and Benetech.