About the Speakers
Nick Davis
Nicholas Davis is an accomplished journalist and writer. He’s currently the Executive Director of Equity and Inclusion at CBC. Previous to that he was Manager of Program Development for CBC, where he was responsible for the ongoing development of local programming in radio, television and online.
Nick has worked in radio, television and print for the past 33 years covering everything from current affairs to the arts. He has won many awards for his journalism, including a 2006 Gabriel for a story he did on Holly Jones. He’s worked at CBC for the past 23 years as a reporter and producer — most notably as Senior Producer for Metro Morning, where Nick was part of the team that made the program the number one morning show in Toronto.
Nick has published and edited magazines, been a crime reporter, hosted TV and radio programs. He has covered two Olympic Games (Nagano and Sydney) and has taught radio skills to new journalists across the country for CBC. He’s also lectured on journalism at Ryerson University, Seneca College, Sheridan College and Centennial College.
Karyn S. (Pabàmàdiz) Pugliese
Karyn Pugliese is an award-winning journalist and editor with senior leadership experience at APTN, CBC, and Canada’s National Observer. She has led high-impact investigations that shaped public debate and supported legal reform, while mentoring the next generation of journalists in newsrooms and university classrooms. A frequent speaker at IRE, NAJA, the UN, and CJF J-Talks, she is known for her clear-eyed leadership and principled approach to journalism. Karyn is a citizen of the Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, of Algonquin and Italian descent, and currently writes, podcasts, and hosts How I Managed, a Substack on newsroom life and media leadership.
Priya Ramanujam
Priya Ramanujam is the Assistant Managing Editor of Newsroom Development and Social Issues at the Toronto Star. She leads the Star’s storied yearlong internship program, facilitates staff training initiatives and is the point person for hiring in the newsroom. She also oversees the paper’s social issues team including the immigration, education and health beats. She is a driving force of change in the newsroom, mentoring emerging talent and helping identify future leaders. Previously at the Star, Priya was the senior editor of city-life and worked as a team editor and digital producer. Born and raised in Scarborough, Priya has held a wide range of roles in journalism. Among them, she worked as a digital editor at Metro News, instructor at Humber and Centennial colleges, columnist for The Scarborough Mirror and reporter and production editor for New Canadian Media. While still a student at Humber College, she co-founded Urbanology Magazine, a publication covering hip-hop culture in Toronto and beyond, and co-created and ran Say Word, a multimedia program designed to introduce Scarborough youth to journalism. After a career that’s spanned just over two decades, the same thing motivates Priya now as when she first applied to j-school: a desire to increase the diversity in both the stories being told and the people who are telling them.
Aajah Sauter
Aajah Sauter is an Edmonton-born and Toronto-based multimedia journalist with a keen interest in audio and broadcasting.
A recent graduate from MacEwan University in Edmonton, Aajah worked as the opinion and culture editor for MacEwan’s student magazine, where she developed a passion for arts and culture reporting. Aajah was a 2024 Black Journalism fellowship recipient from the Canadian Journalism Foundation, spending six months at CBC working as a producer on various shows.
In 2024, Aajah served as an academic intern at The Decibel at The Globe, and returned to the podcast a year later as a freelance associate producer to cover Canada’s federal election. When she’s not pitching and writing stories, Aajah enjoys live music, taking dance classes, or watching video essays on internet culture analysis.
Farah Nasser, Moderator
One of Canada’s most recognizable faces in news, Farah Nasser is a thought leader, global speaker, award-winning journalist and news anchor.
Most recently she served as anchor of Global National, one of three of Canada’s national newscasts.
For nearly 25 years, Farah has provided Canadian viewers with much needed clarity and has been on the ground during major events such as the Toronto van attack, the London, Ontario terror attack and was in Washington for the election of Joe Biden. She was the first journalist to be granted a one-on-one with PM Justin Trudeau after the country reopened in 2021.
Nasser has moderated key political debates, including the main 2018 Ontario provincial election debate, and the only broadcast 2019 Toronto mayoral debate.
She has received numerous journalism awards and has been praised as a pioneer for her groundbreaking reporting on racial divides and the experiences of marginalized peoples. She has similarly received plaudits for her TEDx talk titled “The Power of Intellectual Humility” and her new History Channel series #CanadaUncovered, exploring the history not taught in Canadian textbooks.
Nasser spends a large portion of her time volunteering in the community. Passionate about championing the rights of women and girls, she is the celebrated ambassador for Plan Canada and a member of the International Women’s Forum. Nasser also sits on the board of directors of the Canadian Journalism Foundation, serves as a mentor for the Canadian Association of Journalists and for CivicAction, a non-profit that brings together senior and emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds.
