Founders & Directors
SembraMedia’s co-founders work closely with the board of directors to manage the organization’s diverse team. In addition to leading research, training, and initiatives, they have worked hard to build international alliances and a broad base of support that serves digital media throughout Latin America, the U.S., and Spain.
Mijal Iastrebner
Co-founder and Director, SembraMediaMijal Iastrebner is a journalist, entrepreneur, teacher and the managing director based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Janine Warner
Co-founder and Executive Director, SembraMediaJanine Warner is journalist, author, entrepreneur, and a Knight Fellow with the International Center for Journalists.
Content & Operations Team
The operational team is responsible for SembraMedia’s general operations, which includes developing and implementing our many initiatives.
Melanie Pragier
Chief Financial OfficerIn charge of SembraMedia´s finances, administrative processes and accounting policies. Melanie also supervises financial statements of sub-grantees in programs such as Velocidad.
Naimid María Cirelli Asef
Director of CommunicationsNaimid manages SembraMedia’s communication strategy for events, initiatives, and social media, the email newsletter, and more. She is the creator of the Metis program.
Felicitas Carrique
Director of InnovationFeli manages product design and technology for SembraMedia and the digital media ecosystem it serves. She empowers innovation through the implementation of new technologies.
Vanina Berghella
Velocidad's DirectorVani manages Velocidad, a SembraMedia’s business accelerator for Latin American Media, which was created in partnership with ICFJ and Luminate.
María Eugenia Álvarez
Director of strategic initiativesMaría Eugenia manages several of SembraMedia’s initiatives, including SembraEducativo. She also manages our diverse team of ambassadors.
Soledad Zavala
Coordinator of Institutional DevelopmentSoledad coordinates SembraMedia's institutional development, overseeing the monitoring and evaluation of the organization's initiatives.
Florencia Aza
Project ManagerFlorencia manages various SembraMedia’s initiatives. She is responsible for monitoring the progress of each project and coordinating with the people involved in these initiatives.
SembraMedia's Ambassadors
SembraMedia’s diverse team of ambassadors represent a network of networks that includes more than 800 digital media projects in 20 countries in Latin America, Spain and the United States. They are involved in an ongoing research project that involves mapping and studying the ever-changing independent digital media ecosystem. They are also responsible for creating and managing our comprehensive digital media directory. Their research, and the communities they have created together, form the foundation of all of our training programs and initiatives. In addition to working as consultants for SembraMedia, our ambassadors are journalists, professors, and entrepreneurs.
Elaíne Díaz
Cuban AmbassadorElaine is the founder and director of Periodismo de Barrio, a nonprofit news site that covers environmental issues in Cuba.
Nilsa Varela Vargas
Ambassador of VenezuelaShe says she founded "Diario el Vistazo" after taking Janine Warner’s online entrepreneurial journalism course at the Knight Center, where she was inspired by Janine’s message to “just do it.”
José Hernández Falcón
Ambassador of Puerto RicoJosé is a journalist, blogger and director of Puerto Rico BloggerCon, a convention that brings together digital content creators from throughout the Island.
Desirée Esquivel
Ambassador of ParaguayDesirée is a journalist, photographer, and the co-founder of Ciencia del Sur.
María Lilly Delgado
Ambassador of NicaraguaMaría Lilly Delgado is a correspondent for Univisión News based in Nicaragua, where she reports about politics and human rights.
Abraham Torres
Ambassador of MexicoAbraham is a professor of Digital Journalism at the International School of Communication and Entertainment of the University Anáhuac in Cancún, Mexico.
Natalie Van Hoozer
US AmbassadorNatalie Van Hoozer is a bilingual journalist and translator in Reno, Nevada. She works for KUNR Public Radio, Northern Nevada’s NPR member station, and Noticiero Móvil.
José Antonio González Alba
Spanish AmbassadorJosé Antonio has a Master’s degree in Management and Innovation from the University of Cádiz.
Miguel Loor
Ambassador of EcuadorMiguel is a communications consultant and a professor at the College of Communications and Contemporary Arts (COCOA) at the University of San Francisco in Quito, Ecuador.
Sara Trejos
Colombian AmbassadorSara is a project manager at Magic Markers and the director of Presunto Podcast.
Paulette Desormeaux
Chilean AmbassadorPaulette is a journalist with a Master’s degree in Media and Globalization. She is the founder and president of Red de Periodistas, the first investigative journalism network in Chile.
Fabiola Gutierrez
Bolivian AmbassadorFabiola has a Master’s degree in journalism and communication from the University Evangélica Boliviana. She is also a contributor to two experimental digital journalism projects.
Olivia Sohr
Argentine ambassadorOlivia is a sociologist and journalist. She is the Editorial Coordinator at Chequeado, one of the leading fact-checking sites in Latin America.
Indhira Suero
Ambassador of the Dominican RepublicIndhira is a professor at the Instituto Tecnológico in Santo Domingo, D.R. She is an experienced cultural journalist and broadcaster, and a Fulbright Scholar.
Sebastian Auyanet
Ambassador of uruguayIn addition to serving as SembraMedia’s ambassador in Uruguay, Sebastian Auyanet is a strategic media consultant for SembraMedia’s Velocidad Accelerator and SembraMex sustainability program.