As a proven entrepreneurial leader with more than 40 years of experience, Sam Yehia demonstrated his knack for identifying and developing winning investment strategies in the hospitality industry and real estate developments in Vancouver and Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. In 1990, he founded the Cambie Malone’s Group of Companies, establishing some of the most successful food, beverage, and liquor retail brands in the Pacific Northwest. By early 2019, the Cambie Malone’s Group boasted 250 staff members, generating more than $25 million in sales in a real estate portfolio of high-value assets, all of which were sold at the peak of the market in April 2019.
Sam launched Orato Media, in its first iteration, in the late 1990s based on his insights and experiences in the entertainment industry. He developed a keen interest in first-person, non-fiction stories from real people while serving as an impresario and inviting media personalities to interview the jazz superstars he was booking into entertainment venues in B.C. and Alberta. Nominated for a Webby Award, the original Orato website provided high-quality content, validated and fact-checked by traditional journalists who assisted with polishing citizen-told stories from around the world. Juggling the priorities of 13 core businesses concurrently with the growing demands of the Orato site became complicated, and the responsibilities of his “day job” took precedence. In early 2020 when the world was confronted by the Pandemic, he realized that for the first time in living history, every soul on the planet was confronted by the existential viral threat of COVID-19. Yet, those experiences differed, depending on where we resided. Coupled with the erosion of trust in media and the difficulty distinguishing fact from fiction, He re-launched Orato World Media, transitioning it to a non-profit entity. Orato unleashed a new generation of journalists to bring true stories from real people so every human could exercise their sovereign right to be heard.
Pamela H. Say, MBA, CFRE is a veteran administrator, nationally published author, speaker, and consultant. She served in higher education and non-profit leadership for two decades in the c-suite before joining Orato World Media.
Say has been featured in Advancing Philanthropy Magazine, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, and the national Wiley Journal Fundraising Success. She has raised millions of dollars for non-profit missions, inspired staff to smash through marketing metrics, and coached best-in-class teams. Pam completed her administrative career in higher education as a Vice President before moving into full-time consulting.
Say earned a B.A. in Journalism from St. Bonaventure University, an M.B.A. from SUNY Empire State College, and is completing a Certificate in Literary Representation at UCLA. She was named a Buffalo Business First 40 Under Forty in 2011, a Buffalo Niagara Partnership Athena Young Professional finalist in 2016, SUNY Empire State College Emerging Leader in 2019, and won the Leadership Allegany Founder’s Award in 2020. Say is a dual-coaster, residing in Springville, NY and Gold Canyon, AZ.
Daniella Mejia is a business administration graduate with a specialization in international business and a minor in digital marketing.
She has more than three years of experience in design and translation. Fluent in English and Spanish, she served as an interpreter and field assistant for Habitat for Humanity in El Salvador. During that time, she discovered her love for social work and the power of each person’s unique story.
In Canada, Daniella served as a design specialist for an educational consultant that specializes in risk management and child safety. She also began working as a freelance social media designer for a Latin American magazine based in Vancouver.
She loves to tie together her two greatest passions: digital marketing and storytelling. At Orato World Media she fully manages the Latin American segment of editorial.
Tala Elamine is a multi-faceted creative professional with a passion for poetry, theater, writing, painting, and photography. Born in Lebanon and raised in Montreal, she currently resides in Paris, France.
Tala has traveled around the globe from Canada to Europe and speaks three languages which are English, French, and Arabic fluently. As a student at McGill University in Quebec, she studied English, Drama, and Theater. Tala has also earned certificates in film and journalism.
Professionally, she has interviewed musicians for The Record and did work with an international LGBTQ+ publication. Tala is passionate about social justice and helping improve peoples’ lives. At Orato World Media she fully manages the English side of Editorial.
Aurélie Msiza is a Senior at Lincoln Memorial University pursuing a B.S. in computer science specializing in software engineering. She has more than four years of experience in digital marketing and as a full stack developer. She has also worked in office administration, web development, and design.
Aurélie has served as a social media manager and public relations officer on multiple campaigns including The Twenty-First-Century African Youth Movement, Ezinhle Projects and Management, Chateau Allure, and Miss Virtual Africa.
She received the Woman of Stature Youth Ambassador Award for her service as a community leader during her time as Miss Galaxy South Africa, Miss United Nations South Africa, and Miss Junior South Africa. Additionally, she has worked alongside numerous nonprofit organizations including The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF South Africa), Refugee Welfare Association Cameroon (REWAC), and the Twenty-First Century African Youth Movement. Aurélie joined Orato World Media in 2020 and currently serves as the Partnerships and Outreach Manager, Organic Social Media Manager, Founding Board Member and Secretary for the Orato World Media Foundation.
Titu is a highly motivated and experienced Webmaster with System Administrator expertise, with over 12 years of experience in managing computer systems, servers, networks, and websites. Proficient in web development technologies and practices, with a strong understanding of website performance, security, and functionality.
Yamila is a Social Anthropologist from La Plata University, in Argentina. She has more than two years of experience in social media. Yamila was an intern, where she served as an Account Manager for Facebook. She worked for an agency that specialized in political topics. In addition to that, she has more than five years in research, where she centers on issues about socio-territorial conflicts in southern Argentina between native communities and Fracking Companies.
Dr. Ebere Okereke is a public health physician with extensive experience in public health policy, strategy, and program development and implementation. She specializes in global health security, health system strengthening and leadership development with experience in the United Kingdom, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Trinidad & Tobago. Dr. Okereke has won awards for her work promoting women and under-represented groups in public health leadership, and has co-authored e-learning resources for the UK’s Royal College of General Practitioners and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
She serves as the CEO of the Africa Public Health Foundation – a non-profit foundation committed to improving public health outcomes and promoting health equity in Africa through the provision of resources, knowledge, and support for health systems strengthening, health workforce development, and community-based health interventions.
She is an honorary senior public health adviser at Africa CDC, a Fellow of the UK Faculty of Public Health, and an Associate Fellow at Chatham House. Dr. Okereke graduated from the University of Nigeria College of Medicine.
Cassam Uteem began his political career as a youth leader and social worker in his local community during Mauritius’ struggle for independence. After joining the Militant Movement of Mauritius (MMM), he became deputy-leader and was nominated and elected in 1969 as Councilor of the City of Port Louis. In time, he moved through various political roles such as Lord Mayor; member of Parliament; Minister of Employment, Social Security and National Solidarity; Deputy Prime Minister; Minister of Industry and Industrial Technology; and more.
In July 1992, Mr. Uteem was elected President of the Republic of Mauritius, and was re-elected in 1997 for a second 5-year term. He resigned from this post in February 2002 after refusing to give his assent to the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). Since serving as President of his country, he remained active in international public policy. He currently serves as Vice Presidents of the Club de Madrid, member of the Africa Forum, and founder-member of the Global Leadership Foundation (GLF). He is also the Honorary President of ATD Fourth World International Committee and member of the Global Drug Commission. Cassam remains closely associated with the Groupe Refugiés Chagos (Chagos Refugee Group) and the Chagossian community. He has been awarded the Mauritian insignia of Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and the Key of the Indian Ocean (GCSK), the highest distinction of the land. He holds honorary Doctorates from the University of Mauritius; the University of Buckingham, U.K.; the University of Aix-en-Provence, France; the University of Tananarive, Madagascar; and the Jamia Milla Islamia University, Delhi, India.
Dave leads Raw Story’s newsroom as editor-in-chief and oversees its investigations and enterprise reporting. Based in Washington, D.C., Dave previously worked as deputy editor and senior Washington correspondent for Insider. Dave has also worked as an editor or reporter at the Center for Public Integrity, Politico, OpenSecrets, the Dallas Morning News and the Eagle-Tribune.
Dave’s work as an editor and reporter won numerous honors, including the Goldsmith Prize, Edward R. Murrow Award, National Headliner Award, National Press Club’s Arthur E. Rowse Award for excellence in news media reporting, the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sunshine Award, EPPY Award, and Radio Television Digital News Association Kaleidoscope Award.
His writing has appeared in numerous publications including The Atlantic, Time Magazine, the Daily Beast and Slate. Dave also regularly provides political analysis on news outlets such as NPR, MSNBC, the BBC, and CBC. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Dave graduated with degrees in newspaper journalism and political philosophy from Syracuse University, where he was editor-in-chief of The Daily Orange.
Aaron Chimbel serves as dean and professor at St. Bonaventure University’s Jandoli School of Communication, where he oversees curriculum, faculty, DEI initiatives, fundraising, budgeting and all other aspects of the school. Under his leadership, the Jandoli School received initial accreditation from the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, launched five new undergraduate and three new master’s programs, has seen a significant increase in undergraduate applications and enrollment, and secured record fundraising. Prior to joining the St. Bonaventure faculty in 2018, Chimbel taught journalism full-time at Texas Christian University (TCU), his alma mater, for nine years. He has developed a wide variety of journalism classes and focused on the industry shift to digital delivery of news, as well as broadcast journalism. His academic writing has been featured in the Newspaper Research Journal, Convergence Newsletter, MediaShift, Journal of Social Media in Society, Electronic News, Journal of Media Education, Online Journalism Review and College Media Review. He has published two books: “Introduction to Journalism” and Why I’m a Journalist: Personal Stories from Those Who Cover the News. Before TCU, Chimbel worked at WFAA-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth. He was hired as likely the first person at any local television station to produce original video content for the Web as the mobile journalist for wfaa.com. While at WFAA, Chimbel’s work was recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Radio-TV News Directors Association, National Press Photographers Association and the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters. He earned five Advanced Media Emmy Awards and was part of the WFAA team that received a national Edward R. Murrow Award. Earlier, Chimbel was a reporter for KWTX-TV (Waco-Temple-Killeen, Texas) and a producer at Texas Cable News. He has produced two documentaries and earned a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of Journalism.
As a proven entrepreneurial leader with more than 40 years of experience, Sam Yehia demonstrated his knack for identifying and developing winning investment strategies in the hospitality industry and real estate developments in Vancouver and Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. In 1990, he founded the Cambie Malone’s Group of Companies, establishing some of the most successful food, beverage, and liquor retail brands in the Pacific Northwest. By early 2019, the Cambie Malone’s Group boasted 250 staff members, generating more than $25 million in sales in a real estate portfolio of high-value assets, all of which were sold at the peak of the market in April 2019.
Sam launched Orato Media, in its first iteration, in the late 1990s based on his insights and experiences in the entertainment industry. He developed a keen interest in first-person, non-fiction stories from real people while serving as an impresario and inviting media personalities to interview the jazz superstars he was booking into entertainment venues in B.C. and Alberta. Nominated for a Webby Award, the original Orato website provided high-quality content, validated and fact-checked by traditional journalists who assisted with polishing citizen-told stories from around the world. Juggling the priorities of 13 core businesses concurrently with the growing demands of the Orato site became complicated, and the responsibilities of his “day job” took precedence. In early 2020 when the world was confronted by the Pandemic, he realized that for the first time in living history, every soul on the planet was confronted by the existential viral threat of COVID-19. Yet, those experiences differed, depending on where we resided. Coupled with the erosion of trust in media and the difficulty distinguishing fact from fiction, He re-launched Orato World Media, transitioning it to a non-profit entity. Orato unleashed a new generation of journalists to bring true stories from real people so every human could exercise their sovereign right to be heard.
Pamela H. Say, MBA, CFRE is a veteran administrator, nationally published author, speaker, and consultant. She served in higher education and non-profit leadership for two decades in the c-suite before joining Orato World Media.
Say has been featured in Advancing Philanthropy Magazine, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, and the national Wiley Journal Fundraising Success. She has raised millions of dollars for non-profit missions, inspired staff to smash through marketing metrics, and coached best-in-class teams. Pam completed her administrative career in higher education as a Vice President before moving into full-time consulting.
Say earned a B.A. in Journalism from St. Bonaventure University, an M.B.A. from SUNY Empire State College, and is completing a Certificate in Literary Representation at UCLA. She was named a Buffalo Business First 40 Under Forty in 2011, a Buffalo Niagara Partnership Athena Young Professional finalist in 2016, SUNY Empire State College Emerging Leader in 2019, and won the Leadership Allegany Founder’s Award in 2020. Say is a dual-coaster, residing in Springville, NY and Gold Canyon, AZ.
Aurélie Msiza is a Senior at Lincoln Memorial University pursuing a B.S. in computer science specializing in software engineering. She has more than four years of experience in digital marketing and as a full stack developer. She has also worked in office administration, web development, and design.
Aurélie has served as a social media manager and public relations officer on multiple campaigns including The Twenty-First-Century African Youth Movement, Ezinhle Projects and Management, Chateau Allure, and Miss Virtual Africa.
She received the Woman of Stature Youth Ambassador Award for her service as a community leader during her time as Miss Galaxy South Africa, Miss United Nations South Africa, and Miss Junior South Africa. Additionally, she has worked alongside numerous nonprofit organizations including The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF South Africa), Refugee Welfare Association Cameroon (REWAC), and the Twenty-First Century African Youth Movement. Aurélie joined Orato World Media in 2020 and currently serves as the Partnerships and Outreach Manager, Organic Social Media Manager, Founding Board Member and Secretary for the Orato World Media Foundation.
Orato World Media Foundation Editorial Advisory Committee
Matthew Solomon is the director of the acclaimed documentary, “Reimagining Safety,” the author of the best-selling book: “Man School: Relating with Women in the #MeToo Era,” and helps organizations create inclusive cultures where everyone feels heard, understood, and valued.
Born and raised in the melting pot of Los Angeles and having spent 20+ years in the personal and professional development world, Matthew has led customized conflict resolution and partnership building programs to thousands of people looking to experience deep and profound connection in the workplace.
Matthew has studied communications and relationships for over 20 years and has been a guest on over 30 TV, radio and web shows, and podcasts. He served as a Board member for The Intersection for Mankind and a contributing writer for Be Kind and Co. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies and conflict resolution from Antioch University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Claremont Lincoln University.
Geraldina Guerra Garcés is a feminist and women’s rights advocate in Ecuador. With more than 17 years of experience advocating for survivors of violence, she now directs Fundación ALDEA, an organization dedicated to building an inclusive society focused on human rights, gender equality and interculturality. She is a key member of the Feminist Alliance for the Mapping of Femi(ni)cides from civil society. She collaborates with organizations in the 24 provinces of Ecuador to raise awareness and combat gender-based violence. In addition, she is the face of the National Network of Shelters. Geraldina has a degree in social communication and an advanced diploma in migration and development. She was named by British media BBC as one of the 100 most influential women in the world.
Dr. Tinashe Goronga is a medical doctor with a master’s degree in public health. He co-founded the Centre for Health Equity Zimbabwe (CHEZ). The core objective of CHEZ is to promote social justice and health equity through social medicine. Dr. Goronga also serves as an organizer for EqualHeath’s Global Campaign Against Racism. The Campaign Against Racism works to dismantle structural racism and its effects on health around the world.
Tinashe is a Mandela Washington Fellowship alumnus and he volunteers at various organizations working on inclusive systems and development. He is most passionate about social justice, climate justice, and health equity, and a major component of his life’s work is to contribute to equitable and inclusive health systems on the African continent.
