Milica Pešić, Executive Director
Milica has led MDI since its start and has designed and supervised multi-national, multi-annual diversity media development programmes in Europe, NIS, MENA, SEA, Sub-Sahara, West Africa, South America and the Caribbean. She has co-designed an MA course in Media and Diversity taught at the University of Westminster (UK), and provided media consultancy for the UN, Council of Europe, UNICEF, Internews, Freedom Forum, and the IFJ. Her interests are currently in DEI, hate speech/extreme expressions, audience education and conflict-reporting.
Ivana Jelača, Executive Director, MDI Western Balkans
Ivana has been running Media and Diversity Institute Western Balkans since its establishment in 2014. She has been responsible for implementing MDI and MDI WB projects in the Western Balkans, most of which were mainly focused on young people, fostering media literacy and combating hate speech. Ivana is also a Head of programme Development and Delivery in the Media Diversity Institute and is working with all three sister organisations on developing programmes and overseeing their implementation.
Josh LaPorte, Project Manager
Josh is a Brussels-based international media development specialist who currently manages MDIG’s LIMENet project. Previously, he led multi-year media development and press freedom initiatives in over 20 countries across Central and Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America for the International Press Institute, Media Development Investment Fund and the European Journalism Centre. He has conceptualized and edited numerous published resources for media professionals.
Federica Mantoan, Project Manager
Federica has expertise in civic empowerment, media and cultural engagement and extensive experience in coordinating and curating initiatives that promote diversity and address societal challenges, managing public programmes, research projects and grant activities across various sectors. She holds advanced degrees in Language, Culture and Society of Asia and Critical Humanities.
Hana Kojaković, Project Manager
Hana works on projects that promote equality, diversity, and the fight against hate speech in both online and offline media. She previously managed Get the Trolls Out!, a long-running initiative that addressed discrimination and intolerance on religious grounds in European media and is currently involved in the Reporting Diversity Network The New Agenda project and in YOU(th) CARE for Change.
Ivana Jovanović, Project Manager
Ivana works with youth organisations and informal collectives and is involved in the activities that empower young people and encourage dialogue for social change. She founded a book club that focuses on non-canonical and feminist literature and the voices of oppressed communities. Ivana is a master’s student of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade.
Aleksandar Đokić, Project Manager
Aleksandar works on media literacy projects and is a freelance journalist reporting on femicide, youth mental health, digital violence and sensationalism in the media. He is the winner of numerous awards including the Academy of Journalism (Belgrade Open School) award for his work on deepfake pornography, and the first media award for tolerance in online media from the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality (2024) for his article about children of victims of femicide.
Anja Anđušić, Project Manager and Researcher
Tanya Sakzewski, Communications Director
Tanya is a senior communications and media professional with executive leadership in establishing and managing award-winning media projects in the Middle East and Asia. As a trained journalist with a career dedicated to accountability journalism, she has worked for international broadcasters including the BBC and DW, has led free speech projects across MENA, and has trained journalists and other professionals in media and communications skills.
Marija Jovanović, Communication Manager
Marija is a communication professional with a strong background in digital media, advocacy, and education. Over the past six years, she has collaborated with numerous civil society organisations and media outlets in the Western Balkans, focusing on inclusive storytelling, countering harmful narratives, and strengthening youth participation.
Francesca Olivi, Communications Officer
Francesca is a freelance journalist and Project and Communications Officer at Media Diversity Institute Global in Brussels. She works on projects promoting youth engagement and inclusion of minorities in European media. She holds a Master’s in Investigative Journalism from Gothenburg University and a Master’s in International Relations from the University of Bologna.
Mila Stanković, Social Media Manager
Mila is a communications and social media professional based in Belgrade, specialising in digital campaigns, creative production, and media relations. Mila has coordinated communications for multiple election observation missions and is currently pursuing an MA in Creative Communications and Industries. She is a recipient of the Boris Trivan Scholarship, focused on using storytelling and digital strategy to drive social impact.
Rafal Mitowski, Projects Finance Manager
Rafal is an experienced finance professional and active CIMA member with a strong background in management and financial accounting, compliance, and donor-funded grant management. He has successfully led financial operations for UK and international entities, managing multimillion-pound budgets, and driving financial efficiency across teams and processes. Rafal has extensive experience in US and EU grant reporting, internal controls, audit preparation, donor compliance, and strategic impact.
Anthea Kasonga, Digital Lead
Anthea Kasonga is Digital Lead and Communications Officer at the Media Diversity Institute UK, responsible for digital communications, editorial content, and social media strategy. Alongside her role at MDI, she works as a freelance journalist and is engaged in activism focused on racial justice and the empowerment of Afro-descendant communities.
