Raymond Mamattah is the founder and President of the E-Governance and Internet Governance Foundation for Africa (EGIGFA), a civil society that engages in Internet governance advocacy. He leads his team at EGIGFA to engage in a series of advocacy activities to promote Internet governance, e-governance, digital rights and digital inclusion.

Raymond engages in broad Internet governance engagements locally and internationally. He currently serves as the African representative to the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC). Previously, he was the Non-Commercial Stakeholder User Group (NCSG) representative to ICANN’s GNSO’s Standing Selection Committee, and since 2017 has volunteered for the UNDESA as a researcher for the various UN E-Governance Surveys. Furthermore, he was selected by the AFRINIC Board to serve on the 2021 Nomination Committee (NomCom). Raymond also works as an Administrative Manager in a commercial company in Ghana.

Versatile and accomplished technology leader with expertise and success across the breadth of the computer and software industries. Excellent at building trust and bridging gaps when creating technical relationships between companies and teams. Equally adept coordinating engineering and business efforts. Unique ability to see the entire end to end experience, then find and fix problems “between the cracks”.

Satish Babu is the Chair of the Asian, Australasian and Pacific Islands Regional At-Large Organization (APRALO) of ICANN At-Large and has been an Internet user since 1993. He has been actively involved in ICANN’s IDN program since 2015, and has served two terms on the ICANN Nominating Committee. He continues to participate in organizational and policy work as part of ICANN At-Large.

Satish is also an active volunteer of the Internet Society and IEEE, and was the national President of the Computer Society of India. At his day job, he is the founder and President of InApp Infotech, an IT Services company with presence in the U.S., Japan, and India.

Dr. Jabhera Matogoro has been a full-time university lecturer and technical expert at the University of Dodoma, College of Informatics and Virtual Education for more than 14 years. He holds a PhD in telecommunications Engineering and a Master of Science in computer science from the University of Dodoma, and a Bachelor of Science in computer science from the University of Dar es Salaam. Dr. Matogoro was an ICANN Fellow at ICANN54 in Dublin, Ireland. Since then, Dr. Matogoro has been an active member of many working groups at ICANN, including the ICANN Security, Stability and Resilience Review Team (ICANN SSR2) representing ALAC and the African region. Dr. Matogoro has gained in-depth technical experience in the DNS, cybersecurity, and Universal Acceptance. He helped organize inaugural UA Day events in Tanzania, and is leading a local UA technical community initiative for software engineers.

Sarika Gulyani is the Director and Head of ICT & Digital Economy and FICCI-Indian Language Technology Alliance departments at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Sarika has more than 15 years of experience in regulatory affairs, public affairs, and policy advocacy of the telecom, information communications technology, and digital economy sectors. Her specific areas of focus and expertise include Indic Internet, language technologies, Internet governance, M2M, AI, IOT, mobile technologies, broadband infrastructure, and enterprise IT. She has launched various international intellectual conferences and seminars like Bhashantara, Big Data Conclave, Emerging Technologies Conclave, India Internet Governance Conference, India Telecom series, Digital Bharat, i-Bharat, and has been instrumental in increasing the penetration of ICT in India.

Sarika works closely with government departments, industry associations, international agencies, and global ICT associations on policy issues as well as the overall growth of the ICT, digital economy, and Indic Internet. She also represents FICCI at various national and international forums. An electronics and communications engineer, Ms. Sarika Gulyani also holds a master’s degree in International Business from the University of Delhi.

Maria Kolesnikova lives in Russia and has worked for the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ as Head of Marketing, External Relations and Projects since 2007. Maria has a wide range of experience in information technologies, working in IT for 20 years. She is also an individual member of EURALO.

In 2007, Maria was involved in the IDN Program as an administrator of Cyrillic IDN wiki page “пример.испытание”. During 2008-2009, she participated in the Fast Track Process for delegation of the Cyrillic IDN ccTLD .РФ (Russian Federation). From 2012-2013 during the first round of New gTLD Program, she worked on applications for several gTLDs, including IDN gTLDs.

Since 2007, Maria has been involved with the ccNSO, CENTR, UASG, and local working groups, and has served in organizing and program committees of global and regional meetings hosted by ICANN, CENTR, APTLD, and IGF. She has also organized regional and local Internet industry and Internet governance events in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Ms. Wei Pei is a senior engineer and the head of the China UA Local Initiative. She is currently the Deputy Secretary-General of the Internet Society of China and has extensive experience in the Internet industry.

Anawin Pongsaboripat is the Assistant Director at the Thai Network Information Center (THNIC) Foundation, which serves as a center to develop, promote and facilitate Internet usage in Thailand, especially the use of the .th (dot Th) and .ไทย (dot Thai) country code top-level domains (ccTLDs). Since 2021, Anawin has contributed to UA projects, and actively worked to promote UA awareness and readiness to the public and technical community. Anawin received degrees in Computer Engineering and has experience in various Information Technology (IT) fields.

Mr. Harsha Wijayawardhana is a biochemist turned Information and Communication Technology (ICT) consultant with more than 20 years of experience in hardcore ICT. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree, majoring in biochemistry and chemistry and a minor in mathematics. He is a Chartered Fellow of the British Computer Society (FBCS, CITP) and is the current Chair of the Local Language Working Group (LLWG), which was responsible for the development of Unicode Sinhala and Tamil standards in Sri Lanka. He co-chaired ICANN’s Sinhala Generation Panel and is a Board Member of the largest Bank in Sri Lanka: the Bank of Ceylon.

Based in Türkiye, Cengiz Acarturk conducts research in cognitive science and human factors in cyber security. Acarturk has been involved in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as a user, researcher, and developer. A strong supporter of Universal Acceptance (UA), he aims to contribute as an Ambassador by identifying and providing solutions that can help overcome societal and technological challenges related to UA. He also aims to run applied research on various states of UA readiness.

Malick Alassane is an IT Security Analyst based in Benin. Malick has extensive work experience in the domain name industry, web development, Internet network measurement, and Internet security, and continues to conduct research in these fields. He also devotes a large amount of his time as a volunteer, working to promote a more open and secure Internet. To achieve a truly inclusive Internet Universal Acceptance must be achieved which is why he is passionate about being a UA Ambassador.

Delhi based, Harish has been an active advocate for Universal Acceptance within India and more globally through his participation in the IETF and the IGFs. His ‘day job’ as a technology analyst with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) – Delhi for Ministry of Electronics & IT, Internet Governance Structured Implementation Module (IGSIM), Government of India, puts him in a good position to advocate Universal Acceptance in one of the UASG’s target geographies.

Mark Elkins lives in South Africa and first helped create the CO.ZA top-level domain (TLD) in 1995. No longer involved in everyday CO.ZA matters, he runs his own ISP, teaches classes on the DNS, enjoys DNSSEC, and is a member of the DNSSEC ICANN Workshop committee. He was also an AfriNIC Board Member for six years and a key member of the ICANN DNS Study for Africa.

Although no domain names under .ZA currently support Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), Elkins has always been interested in Universal Acceptance (UA) and has included the topic in his discussions at ICANN Public Meetings since ICANN48.

Krislin Goulbourne-Harry is a project manager and software engineer based in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. She is the founder of EKAPPS, which is a known for its customized mobile and web-based solutions. She specializes in crafting cutting-edge solutions, including enterprise web applications, website design, mobile app development, and IT project management. Krislin also contributes at St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College as a software engineer and lecturer. She’s led projects for diverse sectors, including not-for-profits and financial corporations, and is a member of the Internet Society St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chapter.

Zhijiang Liu has nearly 20 years of experience working in the Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) industry. Liu is the general manager of KNET Co., Ltd – the registry of the Chinese new gTLD .网址 (xn--ses554g) which is the multilingual IDN new gTLD with the largest number of registrations in the world. He is also the deputy director of the National Engineering Research Center of Internet Domain Name System (ZDNS Co., Ltd.) ZNDS hosts more than 50 new gTLDs and has partnerships with many international new gTLD registries.

In addition, Liu is secretary general of the Internet Society of China’s SME Service Committee (ISCSME). An industry self-regulatory organization, the SME Service Committee serves as a link between relevant government departments and corporate resources.

Aman Masjide currently leads the Anti-Abuse and Universal Acceptance (UA) efforts at Radix in India, and has 14 years of experience in the anti-abuse field of the domain name industry. Prior to joining Radix, Masjide led the abuse mitigation and compliance efforts for LogicBoxes, a domain registrar automation platform and consulting business, which was later acquired by Endurance International Group. He has also contributed his expertise in anti-abuse mitigation at Resellerclub and BigRock.

At Radix, Masjide has been leading an internal project testing UA readiness of website signup and contact forms. The objective is to ensure that a user of new TLD should have the same experience across various online portals and services as they would experience using any other legacy TLD.

Lia Solis is based in Bolivia and is a General Manager of LACNOG. She currently works for an Internet Service Provider, specializing in IP services for end users. She also tutors students who are taking courses in network operation, routing security, and encryption. Solis is a systems engineer and has a diploma in Internet governance from DIGI by CETyS. She is passionate about issues that involve keeping the Internet open, secure, and above all, accessible to communities, of which UA plays a critical role.

Chilufya Theresa Mulenga is a network engineer by profession with over six years of experience in the tech industry. She is Vice President of the Internet Society Zambia Chapter, and is an Internet policy and advocacy professional, digital rights and gender equality activist, and Internet accessibility advocate.

Based in Nigeria, Abdulkarim Ayopo Oloyede is focused on supporting and building the next generation of Internet users through teaching, research, and consulting. He currently teaches wireless telecommunications, Internet protocol, and Internet governance at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria and the University of York, UK. Oloyede holds a PhD degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the University of York and is the author/co-author of over 50 scientific publications. He is currently Co-Chair of the AFRINIC Policy Development Working Group (PDWG), a member of the ICANN At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) representing the Africa Region, Vice Chairman of the ITU- D Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG) representing the Africa Region, and has represented Nigeria in various ITU meetings since 2016.

Oloyede is a strong advocate for the use of African languages on the Internet in order to improve Internet usage in Africa. As a UA Ambassador, he will encourage researchers and students to build software and systems compatible with Internationalized Domain Names (INDs), and promote Universal Acceptance (UA) with policymakers through his role at the ITU, among others.

Amina Ramallan is a Deputy Manager in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). As an ICANN and African School of Internet Governance fellow, she is knowledgeable in the areas of Internet governance and has had the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of individuals in the space, further boosting her expertise. Amina is committed to using the NCC’s platform to reach indigenous Nigerians who are not easily accessible due to language barriers and is an advocate for initiatives that encourage UA adoption. She is also passionate about participating in awareness campaigns to encourage youth to be changemakers in the digital space. As an active member of RIFEN, an NGO that focuses on empowering women in the field of digital economy, she aspires to be a role model for women who want to break barriers but are hesitant due to limited opportunities and gender limitations.

Balendu Sharma is a senior technology professional, thought leader, multilingual author, and speaker working to promote the use of digital technologies for societal benefit. In his capacity as the Director of Local Language & Accessibility, he spearheads the Indic localization efforts for Microsoft India’s extensive range of products and services. Balendu is a champion of local language technologies and has traversed a diverse landscape of stakeholders encompassing language users, developers, educators, and students. He has conducted more than 500 workshops to promote local language technologies and accessibility during the past decade.

Balendu received the prestigious Atmaram Award given by the President of India in 2016. He is also the winner of more than two dozen awards including Microsoft’s global Ability Award 2022 for his technology-promotion work with communities.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the founder and CEO of One97 Communications and its consumer brand Paytm. He has played a critical role in developing the mobile payments and commerce ecosystem in India. His goal is to build India’s biggest payments, commerce, and financial services conglomerate and the country’s first 100 billion dollar company. A strong believer in emerging technologies, Vijay continues to oversee the company’s key strategic efforts including engineering, design, and marketing. He also launched the Paytm Payments Bank and brought a new business model to the world of banking.

In 2017, Vijay was included in Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” list and was named Entrepreneur of the Year at The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence in 2016.

He has a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications from the Delhi College of Engineering.

Sushanta Sinha, based in Kolkata, India, has a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Electronics & Telecommunication and a Master of Engineering (ME) in Software-Engineering. Sinha has been involved in the IT industry for the last 25 years and is currently working at a large global IT organization as an Enterprise Agile Coach. Well connected with industry leaders and academia, Sinha is a distinguished Fellow of Institute of Engineers (FIE) India, a patron for Computer Society of India, and is the Secretary of the Internet Society of India, Kolkata Chapter. He is currently the Chair of the Vernacular Internet Ecosystem Working Group (VIEW Group) formed under the India Internet Foundation (IIFON), which works exclusively to promote Universal Acceptance (UA) especially in regards to the Bengali language. Sinha is committed to spreading general awareness of UA, while working with the UASG to make sure that UA is viewed as a necessary requirement.

Luis Sergio Valle is currently President of the Foundation for the Development of Information and Communication Technologies in Bolivia – (FUNDETIC-BOLIVIA). He is also a member of numerous industry organizations including the Ibero-American Association of Research Centers and Telecommunications Companies (ASIET), RELAIS International, ICANN At-large, Latin American Federation of Internet Users (FLUI), Information Systems and Technology Group, and the Spanish Society of Informatics and Health – (SEIS).

Valle studied systems engineering and has diplomas in electronic government, open government, and information systems management. He also claims three master’s degrees in planning and projects, defense security and national development, and digital business. Valle has written numerous articles on a wide range of topics related to the Internet including electronic governance and information technology.

Beijing based YANGYI Wu (Walter Wu) is the co-founder and President of Strategic Partner & Business Development for the registry of.商标(.xn--czr694b)，Internet DotTrademark Organisation Limited. The“.商标” (pronounced as “Shang Biao”, means “.trademark” in simplified Chinese characters) is the ICANN accredited IDN TLD launched in 2014. For Walter and his business, a lack of Universal Acceptance is an every day issue.

Based in Guangzhou, China, Xiucheng Wu serves as vice president of Coremail – the largest provider of email systems in China with nearly one billion terminal registered customers. It was also the first provider to support EAI (since 2012). Wu is a proponent of utilizing EAI to promote Chinese domain name emails and has successfully sent more than 4,500 EAI work emails.

After the APEC TEL 48 workshop in 2013, Wu worked to accelerate the cooperation between Coremail and the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) to establish and maintain the first Chinese domain name mailbox registration platform in the world. He also helped organize the UASG EAI workshop at the APEC EAI forum in 2014 and 2018, and has promoted the use of EAI at multiple events including ICANN55, IGF 2016, and the EAI Workshop of Thailand. Wu has assisted THNIC and SGNIC in building EAI test systems, and in 2019, was awarded the title of “Outstanding Contribution Person of the Year in Chinese Domain Name Industry.”