Meet the Wikimedia Foundation Global Advocacy Team

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In many countries and contexts around the world, the simple act of sharing knowledge freely online is challenging. This act, an expression of the rights to freedom of expression and to reliable information, can also be threatened by weak—or entirely hostile—public policy environments.

The Wikimedia Foundation’s Global Advocacy team exists to help the Foundation, affiliates, and volunteers safeguard the free knowledge movement by advocating for public policies that promote and support access to knowledge. This team works to realize the Foundation’s vision of a world where everyone, everywhere, can safely create and share knowledge without fear of consequence or barriers to access

The world we want requires public policies, laws and regulations that protect and support free knowledge. This is why the Foundation and the broader Wikimedia community engage in advocacy and public policy work. Our team works with the communities because policy change is most successful when informed by people who are directly impacted, and because we are stronger when we combine our capacities and expertise. Together, we stand for policies that support and protect Wikimedia’s model, its people, and its values.

The Global Advocacy team has grown in this past year in order to constructively shape rising government regulation and proactively respond to the threat of online disinformation. We’re excited to introduce what we do, how we do it, and who our team members are. 

What we do—and how we do it

To champion and and advance free knowledge around the world, we:

  • Protect the model of volunteer-led governance of Wikimedia’s free knowledge projects by promoting access to knowledge and free expression, modern copyright rules for the digital age, and strong intermediary protections.
  • Protect the people in our communities by advocating for robust privacy rights and taking action against mass surveillance. 
  • Protect the values of the Wikimedia movement, leading by example in defending the human rights of people who interact with Wikimedia projects and taking action to counter disinformation.

Every day is different. Many laws, policies, and practices impact the Wikimedia projects and broader Wikimedia movement, so we have to monitor, analyze, and provide input on these to different stakeholders in our shared online information ecosystem. We carry out a wide range of activities, which include: representing Wikimedia in conversations with government and intergovernmental bodies; working with industry and civil society coalitions; conducting research about effective regulation; and, working with community leaders to address their policy concerns.

You can read our FAQ if you want to learn more about how we prioritize issues, with whom we work as allies on these, or how you can get more involved and participate in our efforts. For concrete examples of what we do to advocate for free knowledge, you can read our monthly retrospective, “Don’t Blink,” on Diff. You can also stay up-to-date with our activities by following us on Twitter or joining our mailing list. And if you want to get in touch, please send us an email to globaladvocacy@wikimedia.org

Who we are

We’re excited to introduce our members—a mix of regional policy and human rights, anti-disinformation, communications, and community-organizing experts.

Rebecca MacKinnon (She/Her)

Vice President of Global Advocacy

A photograph of Rebecca MacKinnon, Vice President of Global Advocacy at the Wikimedia Foundation
Rebecca MacKinnon is the Vice President of Global Advocacy at the Wikimedia Foundation

Rebecca is an experienced advocate for privacy rights and media freedom, who has had a long career in journalism, academia, and public policy. As the Foundation’s first-ever Vice President for Global Advocacy, she provides strategic leadership and direction on advocacy to promote and defend a legal and regulatory landscape essential to the future of free knowledge globally. Rebecca draws on her rich experience leading and launching organizations such as Ranking Digital Rights, Global Voices, and the Hong Kong chapter of Creative Commons, as well as her expertise as an internet freedom scholar (see her book, Consent of the Networked) and CNN Bureau Chief in Beijing and Tokyo. She has been a champion of the free knowledge movement throughout her career and even served on the Wikimedia Advisory Board from 2007–2012. You can learn more about Rebecca from her hiring announcement.

Jan Gerlach (He/Him)

Director of Public Policy

A photograph of Jan Gerlach, Director of Public Policy at the Wikimedia Foundation
Jan Gerlach is the Director of Public Policy at the Wikimedia Foundation

Jan has been at the Wikimedia Foundation since 2015: he was the Foundation’s first-ever public policy hire. He leads our work to educate lawmakers and governments around the world about positive internet policy that promotes and protects Wikipedia and participation in free knowledge. Jan supports our group of regional and advocacy specialists who engage with policymakers, the Wikimedia community, and other stakeholders. Prior to joining the Foundation, Jan was the Executive Manager of the Research Center for Information Law at the University of St.Gallen (Switzerland) and spent time as a Visiting Researcher at the Berkeley Law School and the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. In his own words: “I am very interested in all aspects of the Internet and how we can make it a better place for the benefit of society.” Outside of work, Jan is passionate about music, sailing, surfing, and snowboarding.

Katherine (Kat) Gatewood (She/Her)

Senior Operations Manager

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Kat leads the Global Advocacy team’s strategy and operations. She builds and supports systems and processes, and drives strategic planning to help the team in their work to promote and protect Wikipedia and participation in free knowledge. She helps refine how the team collaborates across the Foundation and with external partners, manages communications, and leads project management for the team’s campaigns and initiatives. Kat spent the last 15 years building and leading global nonprofits in Director of Operations and Chief Operating Officer roles for social change organizations focused on tech, journalism, government accountability, and human rights. Kat loves figuring out what teams need to make their visions happen, exploring tiny concert venues, and snail mail. Life goals include thru-hiking the Grand Canyon and finishing the Saturday NY Times crossword without cheating. She’s also a professionally trained pastry cook.

Allison Davenport (She/Her)

Lead Public Policy Analyst

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Allison joined the Foundation as a Legal Fellow and quickly fell in love with the broader movement and values behind Wikipedia. She now leads policy research at the Foundation and oversees academic fellowships. Allison develops value-based public policy positions in collaboration with other Foundation departments and advises the Global Advocacy team on policy strategy. Her work encompasses a range of domestic and global policy issues related to copyright, intermediary liability, freedom of expression, and more. In these roles, Allison is able to build on her previous experience as a researcher at Authors Alliance, a Berkeley-based nonprofit, doing policy work related to fair use and rights reversion, and at University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity. Allison enjoys being in nature, consuming and creating stories, and spending time with her rescue cat.

Amalia Toledo (She/Her)

Lead Public Policy Specialist for Latin America and the Caribbean

A photograph of Amalia Toledo, Lead Public Policy Specialist for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Wikimedia Foundation
Amalia Toledo is the Lead Public Policy Specialist for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Wikimedia Foundation (photo by Sergio García, CC0)

Amalia works on public policy issues and advocacy campaigns related to digital rights in Latin America and the Caribbean. She has dedicated her career to examining how technology developments and policies affect the realization of human rights and gender equality. She has honed her skills in advocacy and research project coordination roles for nonprofit and international organizations, helping to build programs that seek to advance gender equality, promote freedom of expression, and protect high-risk groups such as journalists and human rights defenders.  Her career has focused on human rights, gender and social justice. Originally from Puerto Rico, she enjoys learning about and experiencing different cultures. She has lived in Argentina, Chile, Spain, Jordan, and Colombia.

Costanza Sciubba Caniglia (She/Her)

Anti-Disinformation Strategy Lead

A photograph of Costanza Sciubba Caniglia, Anti-Disinformation Strategy Lead at the Wikimedia Foundation
Costanza Sciubba Caniglia is the Anti-Disinformation Strategy Lead at the Wikimedia Foundation

As the Foundation’s Anti-Disinformation Strategy Lead, Costanza ensures that Wikimedia projects and members of the Wikimedia movement are protected against manipulated information, and that Wikimedia’s model is widely understood. Working together with communities and multiple teams at the Foundation, she expands our understanding of the issue and identifies the best ways to protect the Wikimedia model and values against disinformation and misguided regulation. Costanza comes to the Foundation with a background in diplomacy and public information at the United Nations, including as a spokesperson for Italy on the United Nations (UN) Security Council and as a UN Public Information officer. She has worked in disinformation research at Harvard University and in media analysis, including as an Election Observer for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

Franziska (Ziski) Putz (She/Her)

Senior Movement Advocacy Manager

A photograph of Ziski Putz, Senior Movement Advocacy Manager at the Wikimedia Foundation
Ziski Putz is the Senior Movement Advocacy Manager at the Wikimedia Foundation

Ziski is responsible for organizing and activating the Wikimedia community to advocate for a policy environment that supports free knowledge. She leads the Foundation’s collaboration and engagement with the Wikimedia movement on public policy matters via a variety of initiatives that include: co-designing advocacy campaigns, launching learning exchange programmes, managing grant processes, and supporting the attendance of Wikimedians at digital rights conferences. Ziski draws on her experiences in business development at LinkedIn, as a digital-rights activist, anti-surveillance researcher, and policy consultant on emerging technologies in international development contexts to bring this grassroots energy to the free knowledge movement’s policy initiatives. Ziski holds a Master’s in International Development Studies from the University of Oxford and a BA in International Relations from the University of Edinburgh.

Miguelángel (Miguel) Verde Garrido (He/Him)

Senior Editorial Project Manager

A photograph of Miguel Verde Garrido. Senior Editorial Project Manager of Global Advocacy at the Wikimedia Foundation
Miguel Verde Garrido is the Senior Editorial Project Manager of Global Advocacy at the Wikimedia Foundation

As Senior Editorial Project Manager for the Global Advocacy team, Miguel shapes and leads the Legal Department’s advocacy communications for diverse audiences of external and internal stakeholders. He manages the editorial process for written products from concept development to sign-off, and works with the team and colleagues across multiple departments as well as Wikimedia affiliates, allies, and active volunteers. Miguel’s expertise comes from an academic and research career in global politics and international relations (Dr. rer. pol., Freie Universität Berlin), political philosophy and political science (MA, Kyoto University), and philosophy (BA, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello). His research mostly focuses on how contemporary information and communication technologies impact, limit, and empower the political and digital agency of civil societies at the global and local scale. Prior to the Foundation, Miguel has worked with policy think tanks, nonprofit organizations, and university research projects, published peer-review articles and book chapters, and edited collected volumes. 

Rachel Judhistari (She/Her)

Lead Public Policy Specialist for Asia

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Rachel works on advocacy issues and campaigns on rights to information, freedom of expression, privacy rights, and knowledge equity in Asia. Her recent work includes including digital rights in G20 negotiations, information integrity during elections, and centering people’s involvement in internet governance. Previously, she worked with civil society organizations and parliamentarians in Southeast Asia to push for progressive regulations on health, human rights, and fundamental freedom.

Richard (Ricky) Gaines (He/Him)

Human Rights Policy and Advocacy Lead

A photograph of Ricky Gaines, Human Rights Policy and Advocacy Lead at the Wikimedia Foundation
Ricky Gaines is Human Rights Policy and Advocacy Lead at the Wikimedia Foundation

Ricky advances the Foundation’s values and policy positions around freedom of expression, access to knowledge, privacy, and censorship online while defending knowledge as a human right. He also drives the implementation of the Foundation’s human rights commitments as articulated in our Human Rights Policy, including coordinating human rights impact assessments across Wikimedia projects. Ricky represents the Foundation as an alternate Board member for the Global Network Initiative (GNI). He joined the Foundation after building a career in human rights at various non-governmental organizations and at the United States Department of State, where he worked to protect and uphold human rights throughout Latin America. Ricky speaks English and Spanish fluently, and volunteers locally to care for stray animals in his community. 

Stan Adams (He/Him)

Lead Public Policy Specialist for North America

A photograph of Stan Adams, Lead Public Policy Specialist for North America at the Wikimedia Foundation
Stan Adams is Lead Public Policy Specialist for North America at the Wikimedia Foundation (photo by Tim Hoagland, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Stan Adams is the Wikimedia Foundation’s Lead Public Policy Specialist for North America. He advocates for laws and policies to help projects like Wikipedia thrive and works to protect the Wikimedia model from harmful policies. This work includes defending legal protections, like Section 230, that protect volunteer editors from frivolous lawsuits and advocating for stronger laws to protect the privacy of people who read and edit Wikipedia. Stan has spent nearly a decade working on tech policy issues including digital copyright, free expression, privacy, and AI. Prior to his role at the Wikimedia Foundation, Stan served as a general counsel to a US Senator and as a deputy general counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology. Stan enjoys reading, listening to music, playing games, and spending time in the woods. 

Andrea Marrufo (She/Her)

Global Advocacy Intern

A photograph of Andrea Marrufo, Global Advocacy Intern at the Wikimedia Foundation
Andrea Marrufo is a Global Advocacy Intern at the Wikimedia Foundation

As an intern at the Wikimedia Foundation’s Global Advocacy team, Andrea Marrufo is involved in advancing human rights and policy advocacy efforts within the digital landscape. She plays a crucial role in developing and assisting the implementation of human rights due diligence processes, engaging with policymakers, civil society organizations, and Wikimedia volunteers on various critical topics. Andrea has a legal background (BA in Law, Tec de Monterrey), and is currently doing a Joint Master Degree in Law, Data and Artificial Intelligence (EMILDAI) (Dublin City University, Universidad de León, and Università di Pisa). Before coming to the Global Advocacy team, she worked in the private sector as a compliance officer and legal counsel, and has participated in national organizations that promoted youth participation in social cohesion as well as a delegate to international forums. 

Former members of the team

Kate Ruane (She/Her)

Former Lead Public Policy Specialist for the United States of America

A photograph of Kate Ruane. who was the Lead Public Policy Specialist for the United States of America at the Wikimedia Foundation
Kate Ruane was the Lead Public Policy Specialist for the United States of America at the Wikimedia Foundation

Kate worked to shape United States (US) public policy in ways that protect, preserve, and benefit Wikimedia projects and the free exchange of knowledge online. As Lead Public Policy Specialist for the US, Kate spearheaded efforts to create and defend a public policy environment within the US that allows the Wikimedia Foundation’s projects to thrive and grow and advances our broader values of protecting free expression, sharing free knowledge, and safeguarding privacy. In that capacity, she led the Foundation’s successful advocacy to secure a general license for the provision of internet services in Russia during that country’s war with Ukraine, fought against harmful amendments to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, and pushed for the creation of strong consumer privacy protections by the US federal government. 

Aly Marino (They/Them)

Former Fellow, Technology Law & Policy

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Aly Marino was a Fellow, Technology Law & Policy at the Wikimedia Foundation

Aly joined the Wikimedia Foundation in 2022 as a Technology Law & Policy Fellow. They worked on domestic and global policy issues related to free knowledge, free expression, and intermediary liability. Aly also supported the work of the lead public policy specialists and Global Advocacy team. Aly joined the Foundation in 2022 after completing their JD at Brooklyn Law School and working for the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project. Previously, they spent over seven years at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office working on some of the office’s most high-profile and consequential investigations and trials, including People v. Weinstein. Aly also brought years years of experience in strategic communications, legislative affairs, and policy advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels. In their spare time, Aly advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community, survivors of sexual violence, and disabled law students and legal professionals. Aly lives in Brooklyn, NY, USA, and is a cat-parent. They are now Legal Counsel at the Wikimedia Foundation.

Valentina Vera Quiroz (She/Her)

Former Human Rights, Policy, and Tech Fellow 

A photograph of Valentina Vera Quiroz, who was a Human Rights, Policy and Tech Fellow at the Wikimedia Foundation
Valentina Vera Quiroz was a Human Rights, Policy and Tech Fellow at the Wikimedia Foundation

Valentina is a lawyer with a Masters in Law (LL.M.) from Harvard Law School. She supported the Legal and Global Advocacy teams on human rights due diligence, public policy on disinformation, and privacy laws. She has established a career advocating for freedom of expression as a lawyer and researcher. Valentina has conducted research for the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society  at Harvard University, Global Voices, Columbia University’s Global Freedom of Expression, and the Foundation for Press Freedom. In the legal field, she has clerked at the Constitutional Court and the Transitional Justice Tribunal in Colombia, and has lectured in Public International Law at the University of Los Andes. Valentina is interested in studying how the law should treat the efforts of social movements to bring the issue of collective remembrance into the digital realm.

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