#PerDebate23

140 million TikTok views • Forbes Under 30 & Vogue 25 • British Journalism Awards Winner

United Kingdom

Sophia Smith Galer is an award-winning journalist and TikTok content creator. She was recognized as the Innovator of the Year at the 2021 British Journalism Awards, featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and named one of the 25 most influential women in the UK by British Vogue in 2022. Sophia began her career at the BBC before joining VICE News as a senior reporter. Her reporting is multilingual in Spanish, Arabic, and Italian. She is the author of the book "Losing It: Dispelling the Sex Myths that Rule Our Lives."

Twitter: @sophiasgaler
Instagram: @sophiasgaler
TikTok: @sophiasmithgaler
LinkedIn: https://sophiasmithgaler.com/
Website: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sophiasmithgaler

Reporters Without Borders

France

Bertrand Mossiat has been responsible for the development of the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) since January 2022. Prior to working for Reporters Without Borders in Paris, he spent 10 years developing product, marketing, and commercial strategies for media outlets such as Politico Europe, Fortune EMEA, USA Today, and The New York Times Magazine. He has a background in economics and holds a master's degree from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium.

Twitter: @bertrandmossiat
LinkedIn: https://fr.linkedin.com/in/bertrandmossiat
Website: https://www.journalismtrustinitiative.org/

Health Journalist
Colombia

A health journalist and communication expert specializing in digital and strategic communication. With 13 years of experience in Colombia's leading newsrooms, he has focused on journalism and communication regarding health topics in medical, scientific, economic, and public health domains. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he became a prominent source of health information in Colombia. He is the winner of the 2020 Health Journalism Award from the Inter-American Press Association (SIP), the Rosallyn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship from the Carter Center, the Simón Bolívar Journalism Award, and various other accolades in his country.

Twitter: @RonnySuarez_
Instagram: @ronnysuarezperiodista
TikTok: @ronnysuarezperiodista
LinkedIn: https://co.linkedin.com/in/ronny-suarez-4322b384

EA-Sports FC Producer
Germany – Ecuador

Jaime Duque Cevallos is a producer for the EA Sports FC Franchise. He holds a degree in Multimedia Journalism from USFQ and a master's in Media Management from the Cologne Business School. After working for various media outlets in Ecuador, he immigrated to Germany in 2014. There, he combined his passion for sports and video games as a web editor and social media manager for the Bundesliga, one of Europe's premier football leagues, and ESL, the world's largest esports event organizer. In 2020, he fulfilled a childhood dream by joining EA Sports as a data producer for the "EA FC" video game franchise (formerly known as "FIFA").

Twitter and IG: @jaducev
Twitter and IG (EA Sports FC): @easportsfc
Website: https://www.ea.com/es-es/games/ea-sports-fc

Senior Media Writer, CEMEX
Mexico - Ecuador

María José Vilac is a journalist specializing in business and sustainability. She graduated in multimedia journalism from USFQ in 2012 and began her career as a reporter at El Comercio newspaper. Later, she worked as a writer for Gatopardo Ecuador magazine. She served as the editorial coordinator of Televisa Ecuador and as an editor for Ekos group magazines. María holds a master's degree in International and Business Journalism from Leeds University in the United Kingdom, where she received an award for the best dissertation in her class. Currently, she works for Cemex Global, the tenth-largest company in Mexico and the second-largest cement producer globally, in the role of Senior Media Writer. Her responsibility is to uncover compelling stories within a company that operates in 45 countries worldwide.

Instagram: @cemex
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cemex
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mar%C3%ADa-jos%C3%A9-vilac-10237936/
Website: https://www.cemex.com/newsroom

Journalist and Writer
La Línea de Fuego Magazine
Argentina - Ecuador

Journalist and writer, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1974, and a resident in Quito, Ecuador, since 2007. He won the First International Essay Prize from the Mario Benedetti Foundation in 2012. Co-author of the books "A la orilla del silencio - Vida y obra de Osiris Rodríguez Castillos" (2015) and "Grillo constante - Historia y vigencia de la poesía musicalizada de Mario Benedetti" (2018). He has worked as a writer for print and digital media in Argentina, Ecuador, Uruguay, the United States, El Salvador, and Guatemala. He was a fellow in the "Puentes de Comunicación" program (covering migration in 2022) and the "Conservando Juntos" program (environmental journalism in 2023). Since mid-2020, he has been part of the editorial team of the Quito-based digital magazine "La Línea de Fuego."

X (Twitter): @JBasilago
Facebook: @lalineadefuego.info
Instagram: @lalineadefuego
Website: www.lalineadefuego.info

Director of Digital Coverage

A journalist with over 20 years of experience dedicated to online communication training. He is a professor in international master's programs in digital journalism in several Ibero-American countries. Specializing in mobile journalism, he has been invited as a teacher by the Gabriel García Márquez Foundation for New Ibero-American Journalism (FNPI-GABO), Ciespal, CAN, ALER, Knight Foundation, and other universities in the region. He is a pioneering trainer of community managers and specializes in online reputation and crisis management 2.0. He trained the first political spokespersons in Ecuador in social media. He won the New Technologies award in 2005 for the development of the first blog dedicated to training and updating in digital journalism. In 2023, he is focused on generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various countries.

X (Twitter): @cobedigital
Instagram: @coberturamovil
Web: www.coberturadigital.com

Journalist for the digital magazine Plan V

Manuel Novik is an alumnus of USFQ and is currently a part of the Plan V magazine team. He has worked on in-depth investigative journalism and covered national current affairs events. He has specialized in environmental issues, investigating topics such as illegal fishing in Galápagos, large-scale mining in Zamora Chinchipe, indigenous communities in the Yasuní, and mining and conservation in the Chocó Andino. Manuel has collaborated on international projects with the Earth Journalism Network, ICFJ (International Center for Journalists), and the Polis Institute at LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science).

Instagram: @mnovikd
X (Twitter): @mnovikd
Web: www.planv.com.ec

Social Media Producer at CNN en Español

Susana Rubio is a multimedia journalist who graduated from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ). She currently works as a Social Media Producer at CNN en Español. She holds a Master's degree in Multiplatform Digital Journalism from CNN Academy - Universidad Loyola. She began her professional career in radio and digital media before discovering her passion for social media. She worked as a news writer at Fm Mundo radio and was also an intern at the university magazine Aula Magna.

Instagram: @susanarubiou
X (Twitter): @susanarubiou
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susana-rubio-urresta/

Environmental Journalist

Isabel Alarcón is an Ecuadorian journalist specializing in environmental topics. She worked at Diario El Comercio from 2014 to 2022. Her work is published in Youtopía Ecuador, Mundo Diners magazine, and Diálogo Chino. She has also contributed to national and international media outlets such as Mongabay Latam, Insight Crime, Climate Tracker, El Espectador in Colombia, La Barra Espaciadora, and GK. Due to her expertise in environmental journalism, she has received scholarships from organizations like the International Center For Journalist (ICFJ), Earth Journalism Network (EJN) four times, Fundación Gabo, Global Youth Biodiversity Network, Climate Tracker, and the Pulitzer Center. Isabel has covered international events like the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15) in Canada and the first Pan-Amazon Conference on Bioeconomy in Belén, Brazil. She was one of the three finalists for the Jorge Mantilla Ortega National Journalism Award in 2022.

Web: https://isabelalarcon.journoportfolio.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabelalarconp/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabel-alarc%C3%B3n-b5939013/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/isabelalarconp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isabel.alarcon.94849

Journalist and Writer

This individual is a journalist and writer with experience working for prominent print media outlets in Ecuador, such as El Comercio, Hoy, Universo, and Expreso, across various sections. They have also contributed to digital media like Radio La Calle. Currently, they host the Radio Pichincha program "Bajo el Ocaso" and previously served as a correspondent for Diario El Comercio, covering environmental topics. They recently published an article highlighting the impact of informal mining on various species, including the glass frog. As a writer, they have authored two books of short stories and have been featured in various anthologies, both in the realm of journalism and fiction.

You can find them on social media platforms:

X: @liberjuan
Facebook: Juan Cabezas
Instagram: @liberjuanca
TikTok: @juancabezas844

TikTok Journalist and Influencer

Graduated in journalism from USFQ in 2016, better known as "Multimedia Journalist." A digital consultant specializing in TikTok. Content creator who has won over 100 awards on social media. Boasts a following of more than one and a half million on TikTok. Has worked in television and radio for 14 years. A multimedia producer and photographer, also a professional actor and model. Describes himself simply as one more human being, a scout building a better world.

Facebook: @periodistamultimedios
Instagram: @periodistamultimedios
TikTok: @periodistamultimedios
X: @periodistamul
Threads: @periodistamultimedios
Website: www.periodistamultimedios.com

Political Journalist

Ecuadorian journalist with over 5 years of experience in political journalism. Winner of the "La Posta" award in the rookie category in 2018. Finalist for the Gabo Awards 2023 with the La Posta team for the investigation "El Gran Padrino." The work also received an honorable mention in the awards of the Inter-American Press Association (SIP) and other international nominations. Has worked and collaborated with the country's most important media outlets, including Ecuavisa, Vistazo magazine, FM Mundo radio, and more. Currently a journalism lecturer at the University of Los Hemisferios, international correspondent for channels such as "NTN 24" in Colombia and "Noticias Estrella TV" in California, United States. He is also the founder of "Un live con Jeff," a space for opinion and interviews on TikTok.

IG, TikTok, and X: @jeffsanguna