Laura Tribe

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Laura is OpenMedia’s Executive Director. With a background in the intersection of human rights and information communication technologies, Laura loves the Internet and is excited to keep fighting for what makes it great. Laura has been working with OpenMedia since 2015, previously leading the organization’s campaigns and advocacy on digital privacy. Before working with OpenMedia, Laura's experience includes working with Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), IFEX, and various tech startups. She holds a BA in Media, Information and Technoculture from Western University, and an MA in Communications from Carleton University.

Shantini Klaassen

Shantini (Shawn-tin-nee) is OpenMedia's Operations Director. Her non-profit background is in the arts, and she was most recently the operational leader of two of Vancouver's most exciting theatre companies; the Vancouver Fringe Festival and Electric Company Theatre. She's eager to dive into the human rights aspect of OpenMedia's advocacy to help make the internet equitable for everyone. When she's not working or chasing after her three-year-old, she loves thrifting and baking cinnamon rolls.

Matt Hatfield

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Matt is OpenMedia’s Campaigns Director. His previous work focuses on bridging the gap between good policy and messy political reality, with 5 years experience leading international digital rights advocacy at IFEX, and previous experience with the UN Environment program and Canopy Planet. He holds a BA in International Relations from the University of British Columbia, and a Masters of Global Affairs from the University of Toronto. He loves cats and swing dance, and only infrequently attempts to combine the two.

Krusheska Quirós

Krusheska is the Operations Manager at OpenMedia. One of her main insterests involve the intersection of technology, activism and community development with an emphasis on the key role that different modes of communication –especially  telecommunications and their infrastructure– play in strengthening the self-reliance and autonomy of our communities.

Marianela Ramos

Marianela is OpenMedia’s Manager of Digital. She came to the advocacy world by way of design and communications. When she’s not at OM, she can be found producing podcasts.

Erica McLachlin

Erica is OpenMedia’s Development Manager. Her non-profit background is in the arts, and she was most recently the Fund Development Associate at the Arts Club Theatre Company. She majored in Music at the University of Western Ontario and holds a certificate in Arts and Entertainment Management from Capilano University. She loves playing the piano and going to the dog park with her Boston terrier.

Chelsey Stuyt

Chelsey is OpenMedia's Grassroots Fundraiser. She came to the digital rights world via the arts non-profit sector with a strong interest in leveraging storytelling to change the world. She majored in English and Ancient History with a MA focused on narratology (why we tell stories). Outside of the office she hones her photography, writing, and directing skills with local film and theatre projects.

Erin Knight

Erin is a Digital Rights Campaigner at OpenMedia. Erin has always loved the Internet; her passion began in childhood, when she taught herself HTML to add a sparkly background to her Neopets page (and a butchered MIDI version of Avril Lavigne’s Sk8ter Boi). Erin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies and a Certificate in Sustainability Studies from the University of Calgary. A rural Manitoban at heart and an advocate for rural youth, Erin is especially fired up about the Digital Divide and the many ways digital equity can empower Canadians living outside of cities.

Bryan Short

Bryan is a Digital Rights campaigner at OpenMedia. He first began writing about digital identity and internet citizenry as a student working for the Digital Tattoo Project at the University of British Columbia, but his interest in the internet goes back much further. He remembers a moment in childhood, when the internet was in its infancy, and his friends decided to go home and chat with each other on computers instead of in person. In that moment, he realized that things would never be the same again. He completed a Bachelor of Arts (English Literature) and a Master of Journalism degree from UBC. After graduating, he worked for the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association before joining OpenMedia.

Dylan Blanchard

Dylan is a leader of the user experience research organization at Shopify, working to identify opportunities to lower the barriers to entrepreneurship for people around the world. He’s spent the majority of his career in the technology industry, gaining expertise as a user experience researcher, becoming known for his ability to help teams make sense of complex environments so they can deliver value to customers while building towards longer term visions. Dylan uses his curiosity of human behaviours and their motivations to solve real problems for real people.

Gabriel Blanchard

Gabriel is a technology enthusiast and a digital privacy advocate. He is the Network  Operations Director at Start Communications, an Internet Service Provider located in  London Ontario. Prior to Start, he was the lead engineer at TekSavvy where he helped grow  it's technology operations from its very beginning. He is passionate about keeping the  Internet free and open. He has previously served on the TorIX board as well as the QIX  (Montreal Internet Exchange) as Secretary for 6 years. 

Jen Chow

Jen started her career in accounting and finance, earning her CPA, CA designation while working with a range of Canadian clients including non-profit organizations. She then combined her financial experience and interest in people and culture to focus on research, strategy, and leadership work. Carrying a passion for building great products and services that improve people’s lives, she’s most recently built and led teams, as well as shaped strategic plans at Shopify. Privacy, access to knowledge and technology, innovation policy, and tech’s impact on society are all areas of interest she’s cultivated for many years.

Paul Gibson

As Managing Director of Sapien Capital, Paul provides organizational design, coaching,  executive search, scale-up, and governance services for private and family businesses. Paul  is an ICD-certified director and has served as Vice Chair of WaterTAP (Ontario’s water  technology accelerator), as two-term Governor of the University of Guelph, and director for  institutions including West Park Healthcare rehabilitation hospital, Mohawk/Medbuy  Shared Services, as well as SaaS artificial intelligence start-up Daisy Intelligence and  affordable housing lender Home Ownership Alternatives. His private governance practice  includes roles as Board Secretary for general contractor Maple Reinders and Executive  Director for OpenWorm Foundation, a global artificial intelligence & digital modelling  enterprise. An apprentice woodcut and sculpture artist, Paul and his wife have raised four  children to adulthood and now maintain an new empty nest in Ancaster Ontario. 

Rob McClinton

Rob McClinton is the founder and CEO of Designing Nation Holdings and its internet registrar, Small World Communications, a hosting and online marketing company focused on small and local businesses. He is a 25 year tech industry veteran with roots in several startups including GoTo.com and X1 Technologies. He has spent more than 10 years in the internet industry. Rob's career started with developing and leading sales organizations before moving into executive management, management coaching, and entrepreneurship. He's passionate about helping people and organizations achieve their goals. He’s the Executive Director of the Idealab Alumni Association and serves on the development committee for Innovate Pasadena.

Paula Minnikin, ICD.D

Paula brings a wealth of governance, technology and leadership expertise to Open Media. Her passion and advocacy in the tech and governance fields have benefitted a wide range of organizations from start-ups, through to multinationals and from Crown Corporation to Not for Profit to Privately held organizations in Canada and internationally. 

In addition to her professional experience, Paula is a weekly columnist with  AllAtlanticCanada.com, the leading business publication in Atlantic Canada. She is a firm  believer in an open and accessible internet and understands the power of the media and  technology to change lives.  

In her spare time, Paula is an active member of the sailing, skiing, basketball and arts  communities in her hometown of Halifax, NS. 

Angela Plohman

Angela has dedicated her career to building and growing nonprofit organizations and programs, and have specifically spent close to two decades playing key leadership roles in the fields of art, culture and open source technology. As Executive Vice President at Mozilla, she has been critical in evolving the Foundation into an advocacy and education organization. Prior to Mozilla, she was the Director of Baltan Laboratories, a laboratory for art and technology based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. She also served in key roles at the European Cultural Foundation in Amsterdam, the Blender Foundation in Amsterdam, and the Daniel Langlois Foundation for Art, Science and Technology in Montreal. She has written and spoken extensively on art and the importance of research and production spaces for artists and professionals working creatively with technology.

Travis Smith

Travis founded Hop Studios, a web design and development company that focuses on helping progressive social enterprises create modern, robust and efficient  online tools. He has been building content-rich, elegant websites since 1994, when he was  one of the original creators of the Los Angeles Times website. He’s also been the editor of  Variety.com and a lecturer at the University of Southern California and BCIT. He lives in  Calgary and in his free(ish) time, he plays many flying disc sports.