Maria Ressa is an intrepid journalist, a fighter and a pioneer in digital entrepreneurship. She is CEO of Rappler.com, one of the largest online news platforms in the Philippines with over 100 journalists.
Her 2021 Nobel Peace Prize forever recognized her brave efforts to call out “fake news” and disinformation. Maria’s techniques and tools are next-gen, but her ability to uncover corruption is old-school and hard edge. She’s a reporter in the true sense of the term “freedom of speech:” she’s currently out on bail pending the appeal of her conviction of cyber-libel. Add it to the pile – she’s had at least 10 arrest warrants – so far.
In the meantime, Maria Ressa exposed the Duterte government’s corrupt practices, an evil that unfortunately is not just limited to the Philippines.
Calling out the world’s bad actors is a life calling for Time magazine’s Person of the Year (2018) and one of its 100 Most Influential People (2019).
Maria is globally acknowledged for her brave – sometimes life-risking/sometimes one-woman – battles to “safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace”. Now she is ready to share her story and advise how to create, grow and maintain corporate governance, values and strategy. She’ll also connect the dots as to how social media often deceives and entrenches political power, a dilemma that we all face.
In 2020, the documentary “A Thousand Cuts” was released, featuring Maria Ressa’s courageous journalism about the abuses of the Duterte presidency.
Her third book “How to Stand up to a Dictator”, is an urgent cry for readers worldwide to recognize and understand the dangers to our freedoms before it is too late. Translated into 18 languages, is now available in the U.K. through Penguin Books and available worldwide via Harper Collins.
Maria Ressa now travels the world speaking to organizations of all kinds on freedom of the press, democracy, and corporate governance.
