Meet the Open Roads Media Team
Eric Maddox
Executive Director, Open Roads Media
Founder/ Director, Palestine Podcast Academy
Founder/Producer/Host of Latitude Adjustment Podcast
Founder & Producer, The Virtual Dinner Guest Project
Eric completed his undergraduate studies in Philosophy and Classic Literature and his MA in Conflict Transformation. After completing his graduate field research in the West Bank, Eric set up the very first Virtual Dinner Guest Project in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in 2011. Since that time, Eric has traveled throughout the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Europe to expand access to independent media training and production, and to promote the future of news media; collaborative grassroots production on a global scale.
Laila Mokhiber
Board President, Open Roads Media
Co-producer of Latitude Adjustment Podcast
Laila, a fourth generation Arab American of Palestinian and Lebanese descent, was born and raised in northern Virginia. She serves as the Communications Officer for UNRWA USA, which supports the humanitarian and human development work of the UN agency for Palestine refugees. She became actively involved with the Virtual Dinner Guest Project after meeting Eric in 2013. Laila is most alive when she is connecting people and this passion is what directed her involvement, as well as her love for all things Middle East and media.
Isra Mighdad, Board Member, Open Roads Media
Isra completed her undergraduate studies in Islamic Finance and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Scotland. From Gaza City, Palestine, Isra has been the lead coordinator for numerous iterations of The Virtual Dinner Guest Project in Gaza, facilitating connections with the Native American community, Kosovo, The Netherlands, and the UK.
Wiebe Ruijtenberg Treasurer, Open Roads Media
Wiebe is a post-doctoral instructor at Leiden University in The Netherlands. His previous research focused on the migration and integration of Egyptian nationals in the Dutch and EU contexts. He’s also a past participant in The Virtual Dinner Guest Project in Cairo and speaks Egyptian Arabic.
Tity Agbahey, Board Member, Open Roads Media
Tity is a human rights campaigner with over 10-year professional experience and with degrees in French criminal law and criminology. She’s a Togolese national currently based in Senegal where she works with a global coalition of social movements, civil society organizations, and grassroots groups who are working together to ensure that development is community-led and that it respects, protects, and fulfills human rights objective. Tity joined the board of Open Roads Media because she is passionate about the conversations that happen when we go past fear and prejudice, and she hopes to expand ORM’s audience and programming in Africa.
Emma Fountain, Board member, Open Roads Media
Emma earned her BSc in Psychology from Middlesex University in London. Originally from Birmingham, UK, she moved to the USA in 2007 and currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she runs her solutions-oriented business. With 18 years of project management experience combined with an understanding of human motivations, Emma aims to use her aptitude for strategic planning and business development, and her strong communication and organization skills to support Open Roads Media.