Maria Ressa

Maria Ressa

Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler, the top digital only news site that is leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines. As Rappler’s CEO, Maria has endured constant political harassment and arrests by the Duterte government, forced to post bail ten times...
Samuel Rechek

Samuel Rechek

Sam Rechek is Program Coordinator for the Debate Team at Braver Angels, a U.S. nonprofit that combats political polarization. Sam has spent the last several years defending Americans’ free expression rights. While completing his undergraduate studies at the...
Staffan I. Lindberg

Staffan I. Lindberg

Staffan I. Lindberg is Professor and Founding Director of the V-Dem Institute (2013-2025); PI of Varieties of Democracy; Founding Director of the national research infrastructure DEMSCORE; Wallenberg Academy Fellow alumni; co-author of Varieties of Democracy (CUP...
Oksana Brovko

Oksana Brovko

Oksana Brovko is the CEO of the Association of Independent Regional Press Publishers of Ukraine. She has over 25 years of experience supporting independent regional media across Ukraine. In 2025, she accepted the Golden Pen of Freedom on behalf of Ukraine’s...