Country Chairs

Mayuri Naidu is a South African actress trained in film, television, theatre, and voice. She is a familiar face in the Durban theatre scene and has done numerous television dramas, including Muvhango, High Rollers, Broken Vows, and currently, Generations. She has also dubbed hundreds of Spanish telenovelas over the years. She is best known for her starring role as Dhananjay "Dhanny" Rangila in the SABC3 telenovela High Rollers.

Mayuri is trained in contemporary, modern, hip hop and Latin America Dance and has a keen ear for languages. She has a BA in Creative Writing from the University of South Africa (Unisa) and currently studying animal welfare through Unisa. She has a strong interest in educating people about domestic animal care and changing legislation to protect animals as much as possible.

Natalie Fort is a multiple award-winning Broadcast Journalist, News Anchor and Television Host based in Ghana, West Africa.

She serves as Patron of the Ghana Philanthropy Forum, a Board Member supporting Grant & Partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (Ghana), and Advisory Board Member of the World Sustainability Organisation.

Beginning her career in Broadcasting with TV3 Network of the Media General Group, Natalie quickly grew to become the network’s youngest and most sought after news anchors, presenting its prime-time bulletin - News 360 every weekday. Natalie’s success in media begun in her work anchoring the weekday news.

Aalia Lanius is a multiple award-winning Novelist, Media Executive and producer, seasoned businesswoman, and recently debuted filmmaker based in Los Angeles.

As Founder and President of UNSUGARCOATED Media, a 501c3 media production enterprise, Lanius uses her creative skills to mentor and facilitate media and live events that empower survivors of trauma—largely through storytelling.

Nominated for “Mother of the Year 2019” for American Mothers, Lanius shares her heart wrenching, yet inspirational personal story in an effort to remind others of their own resilience. Featured in interviews around the globe, Lanius takes the representation of underdogs to another level as the media industry comes to appreciate her message.

Swapna Abraham is a multiple world record holder, singer-songwriter, actor, author, interior designer, mentor, and marketing and branding enthusiast with her roots and formation in India and prime experience in the UAE. She is a multiple world record holder and award winner.

Swapna has authored and produced 21 musical albums and performed extensively on the international gospel music platform. Holding 4 world records in singing and songwriting with the Golden Book of World Records, her book entailing the journey and lessons through the 1000-day world record journey is soon to be published.

A mentor in singing and songwriting, Swapna championed the first branded karaoke cafe “Kafeoke” in India with a school for singing and songwriting and a recording studio. She is also known for her acting performances as Donna in the Mamma Mia musical directed by the late Mithran Devanesan, and Meenakshi in the Tamil feature film Nadunissi Naaygal directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon.

Lisa Burke is an experienced broadcaster having spent the bulk of her career presenting live television with Sky News, plus BBC, Channel 4, Fox News, many other Sky channels, RTE (Ireland) and RTL (Luxembourg). Her reporting has covered national and international assignments, documentaries and radio.

Machérie EKWA BAHANGO is a Congolese writer and director passionate about cinema. Machérie is self-taught. Maki'la is her first film as a director. Machérie was invited to the Cannes Film Festival for the first time in 2017 as a young talent invited to a round table organized by the OIF and the French Institute.

In December 2017, Machérie was selected for the Berlinale Talents 2018 program but was unable to participate because Maki'la was selected the same year at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival in the Forum section.

Her film Maki'la has made about twenty festivals around the world and has won several awards such as the JCC Jury Prize and the Golden Screen at the Festival Écrans Noirs in Yaoundé. Machérie participated in the film Félicité by Alain Gomis. She was in charge of translating the script into Lingala..

Vanessa Garduno is a Brand Strategist, Writer and Speaker Manager with a passion to make purpose-driven personal brands shine. She has a double master's (Internationalization of Companies and Marketing Administration) with a degree in International Business and more than 10 years of wealth of marketing & sales experience in LATAM & UE across a wide range of sectors (Horeca, recycling, consulting, corporate finance, events & editorial), including local and international brands.

She defines herself as a constant learner and barrier breaker. Five years ago, she co-founded Branding for Writers (a branding and representation agency for authors and speakers) with the aim of making the content in non-fiction books shine and build authentic personal brands that create permanence and leave a mark on people's hearts through the voice of their authors, marketing, design and brave creativity.

Gabriela Mitri is a Podcast Host, Speaker & Founder of Speakhers Co. She helps amplify women’s voices and increase female representation in leadership positions. Born in Monterrey, Mexico, she is a Communicator from the University of Monterrey and has a master's degree in Corporate Social Responsibility from the University of Alcalá, Spain.

She began her career as a journalist and later migrated to Corporate Communications, leading the internal communications strategy, work environment and employee experience for multinational companies such as Whirlpool, GE Healthcare, Industrias Peñoles and Nemak. After 15 years of work experience, she found her purpose of helping more female professionals reach and act in decision-making forums. She created a community of professionals and entrepreneurs called Speakhers, which encourages them to find their voice and become persons of influence in their industry, increasing visibility and female representation.

Carmen Gloria Arroyo Garcia is a TV Host & Lawyer. She has served as the host of popular television programs dedicated to providing legal help and guidance to citizens. Among them “La Jueza” (CHV), “Gente como tú” (CHV), “Se Busca” (CHV) and “Carmen Gloria at your service” (TVN). Before her participation in television, she achieved public notoriety in her profession in 2004 when she took on emblematic cases of national relevance such as: The case of Rodrigo Orias (murder in the Cathedral) and Gemita Bueno (Spiniack case). It was at that time that she began her relationship with television, being invited on several occasions as a panelist on the program "The Thermometer" of Chilevisión.

She has led important private and government campaigns focused on overcoming poverty, gender violence and protecting vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children. Since March 2018, she is part of the Grupo Defensa law firm, where she frequently participates in talks and other activities aimed at promoting education on family issues and other legal matters.