Agenda

With over two decades’ experience spanning the public, private and academic spheres, Hlekiwe is a preeminent leader in digital transformation. Her commitment lies in harnessing the transformative power of technology to confront pressing global challenges.
Hlekiwe's expertise encompasses the spectrum of the mobile, digital, and emerging technology ecosystems with contributions ranging from shaping policy and driving standardisation to pioneering research, innovative design and impactful implementation.
A significant focus of Hlekiwe's work is at the critical intersection of technology and child rights, with a particular emphasis on empowering marginalised communities. She has a proven track record of deploying cutting-edge technologies to enhance crisis response, expedite disaster recovery and foster sustainable long-term development initiatives.
Driven by a dedication to social empowerment, Hlekiwe is particularly devoted to utilising technology to empower underserved communities, equipping them with the essential tools and knowledge to unlock their full potential and act as their own agents of change. 

Michael Kende is a Digital Development Specialist, currently Board Chair, Datasphere Initiative and a Senior Advisor at Analysys Mason. He has advised the ITU, UNCTAD, Broadband Commission, and other organisations on Internet policy issues.

His former positions include Chief Economist at the Internet Society, Visiting Lecturer at the Geneva Graduate Institute, partner in Analysys Mason and head of US office, Assistant Professor of Economics at INSEAD, and Senior Economist at the Federal Communications Commission. 

He has a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT, and is author of the book “The Flip Side of Free: Understanding the Economics of the Internet”.

Shamira is a social scientist with over a decade of combined experience as a policy entrepreneur, experienced quantitative economist, and interdisciplinary policy and research specialist. She has a track record of leading transnational research projects, producing high-quality knowledge outputs, managing the data value chain, and working in multicultural, multidisciplinary, and dynamic work environments.

Shamira is the founder and executive director of the Data Economy Policy Hub (DepHUB), the first independent think tank established by an Indigenous African woman, in South Africa. She is a PhD Candidate at the TU Delft Quantum Governance and Values Lab and was a 2023-2024 Policy Leader Fellow at the EUI’s Florence School of Transnational Governance.

Shamira is an active member of many international expert working groups that advocate for human-centred responsible global governance of data-based systems, ethical innovation, measuring the digital economy, and is committed to addressing pressing global challenges through interdisciplinary approaches. She has led numerous public policy-oriented research projects and contributed significantly to public interest publications such as the African Union Commission's
"Data Policy Framework" and the Global Partnership on AI's Report "Towards Real Diversity and Gender Equality in Artificial Intelligence", to name a few.

Jan Gerlach is a Public Policy Director at the Wikimedia Foundation, where he develops strategy for external engagement and leads the team that advocates for laws and policies that support Wikipedia and free knowledge. He holds a PhD in Legal Studies from the University of St.Gallen. Jan is a Member of the Advisory Board of the Nordic Centre for Internet & Society at BI Business School in Oslo, Norway. He has previously worked as the Executive Manager of the Research Center for Information Law and spent time as a Visiting Researcher at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and at the Berkeley Law School.