About the Speakers
Johnny Harris
Johnny is a filmmaker and Emmy Award-winning independent journalist who has worked with iconic brands like The New York Times and Vox. He currently is based in Washington, DC where he makes YouTube videos, reporting on interesting trends and stories domestically and around the globe. Johnny’s visual style blends motion graphics with cinematic videography to create content that explains complex issues in relatable ways. Johnny, in partnership with his wife Iz Harris, continues to push the boundaries of digital storytelling and independent journalism, most recently by creating their own media umbrella entitled Newpress, where they work with creators Sam Ellis and Christophe Haubursin by aiding them in the production of their own journalistic content. He holds a BA in international relations from Brigham Young University and an MA in international peace and conflict resolution from American University.
Sophia Smith Galer
Sophia Smith Galer is a multi-award-winning journalist, author and content creator based in London with more than 180 million video views for her storytelling around technology, language and culture. She has built a following of over 900,000 people across platforms and in 2022 British Vogue selected her as one of the 25 most influential women in the UK. A former BBC and VICE journalist, Sophia is a leading voice within journalism innovation in British journalism, credited for pioneering vertical-video reporting and building the video scripting app Sophiana.
Stephanie Wilson Chapin
Strategic Partner Manager, News, Sports & TV, YouTube Canada
Stephanie Wilson Chapin is a seasoned leader who has been immersed in the media industry for over two decades with over 10 of those years in news. In her current role at YouTube in Canada, Stephanie leads partner engagement and revenue and content strategy for news partners, supporting Canada’s biggest news brands. Much of her work is focused on helping organizations think through their YouTube strategy and develop their digital strategy at large.
Prior to YouTube, Stephanie worked at Bell Media where she led a team that transformed Canada’s biggest TV news brand into Canada’s biggest digital news brand. When she left in 2022, CTV News routinely sat at #1 in for audience in the Canadian market and the digital properties had won numerous awards.
Prior to Bell Media, Stephanie managed digital strategy and content for The Globe and Mail newspaper, Harlequin and Sympatico / MSN.
Put together, Stephanie’s experience means she has a unique view of the digital news space. She understands the perspectives of legacy and digital-first news organizations as well as the opportunities and challenges that new technology brings.
