Intercultural dialogue and social cohesion

Journalist and media developer with focus on community media and community networks. Experience as freelance journalist and media activist in Brazil, Chile and Mexico (a.o. NPLA, jungle world, DW). Member of the extinct media initiative Flujos.org (Mexico City, 2007), collective creator of the first Linux/GNU software compilation for community media flujos-vivos in Latin America; later international consultant with AMARC Brasil (a.o Pororoca project). Work on media regulation, digital broadcasting and media training. Coordinator of the biographical online archive internationalallende.org. Consultant for special projects for Rhizomatica.org, especially LocNet. Member of the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) network. Co-coordinator of the open-source digital newsroom Colmena (DW Akademie and partners) co-created and maintained with CSOs in the Global South.

I am an Ethiopian filmmaker, theatre artist, and media professional passionate about using storytelling as a tool for cultural preservation, social dialogue, and community empowerment. With a BA in Cinema and Theatre Arts and ongoing graduate studies in Media and Communication, I bridge artistic creativity with strategic communication to create impactful narratives.

Currently serving as Assistant Director of Stage and Studio Production at Amhara Media Corporation, I coordinate television, cultural, and studio productions, ensuring quality storytelling and audience engagement. My creative portfolio includes the feature film ውጥን (“Wutin”), short films such as Whispered Fractures, and theatre productions like Titon (children’s theatre) and Homa-Mir (indigenous marriage traditions of Gojjam).

Beyond the stage and screen, I have organized and hosted major cultural events including ንባበ ሕይወት and ንቂ ኢትዮጵያ book festivals, both covered by Amhara Television. I have participated in international festivals such as SmartPhilm, and received training from Canon Academy, Reuters, and American University.

My work focuses on amplifying underrepresented voices, integrating indigenous knowledge into modern media, and leveraging digital platforms to extend the reach of Ethiopian visual storytelling. I aim to foster cross-cultural dialogue, inspire youth, and use media as a catalyst for positive social change.

Experienced Program & Project Manager with a passion for empowering creative and social enterprises. Over the past 8+ years, I've worked at the intersection of arts, culture, and social impact, supporting 200+ startups and cultural organizations across Egypt. My journey blends the worlds of creative industries and social entrepreneurship, driven by the belief that creativity can offer innovative solutions to some of today's most pressing local and global challenges.

In my role as the Creative Portfolio Manager at Nahdet El Mahrousa, I led El Garage Project, a program supporting creative startups and cultural organizations in revitalizing local identity, culture, history, and art through entrepreneurship. I’m also the Executive Director of Breaking Walls Dance Festival, Egypt’s pioneering platform for site-specific dance performances, dance films, and social dialogue through artistic expression.

Throughout my career, I’ve:

Managed 200+ creative and social enterprises across sectors like performing arts, handicrafts, media, and renewable energy.
Designed and facilitated ideation workshops, design-thinking sessions, and capacity-building bootcamps.
Led Egypt’s first Performing Arts Incubator supporting early-stage cultural startups.
Built and managed partnerships with major organizations like the British Embassy, American Embassy, Drosos Foundation, Italian Cultural Institute, EUNIC Fund, Cervantes Institute, and more.
Delivered countless training sessions on customer mapping, target market analysis, value proposition design, and business validation.

My background in acting and drama-based behavioral-change training fuels my facilitation style, making me a dynamic communicator who thrives on creating interactive, human-centered learning experiences.

I’m always looking for opportunities to support creative changemakers and explore new collaborations where arts, culture, and entrepreneurship intersect.

With experience spanning media in France, equipment finance in Ireland, and executive leadership in Sweden, I bring a strategic and globally informed approach to business management. I am driven by a commitment to sustainable practices, operational excellence, and collaborative leadership. My career has encompassed financial management, lead generation, and the development of cross-departmental partnerships that drive organizational growth. As CEO, I led a talented team to elevate the company through innovation and expertise in luxury event management — delivering exclusive, high-value experiences for an international clientele. Guided by a mission to combine efficiency with creativity, I focus on building sustainable business models rooted in compliance and integrity. Leveraging my multilingual background and deep understanding of multicultural dynamics, I have successfully steered initiatives in procurement, lifecycle management, and client relations that foster long-term value and cross-cultural success.