Who better to determine the best of the Internet than its prolific players? That’s precisely why the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, or IADAS, was founded in 1996: to help drive the technical, creative, and cultural advancements of online work and emerging media.
Every year, IADAS members lend their expertise to help judge Webby entries across their respective fields, allowing work to be reviewed by the industry’s best eyes. We know that the Internet is constantly changing. So we’ve added new experts to best judge new categories across Voice, Games, Podcasts, Online Video, and beyond.
Get to know some of our new Webby Judges who are driving digital innovation across social justice, journalism, emerging media, and more.
Meet This Year's New Judges
The Webby Awards is judged by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS for short), comprised of 2,000+ of the Internet's most brilliant movers and shakers. Meet this year's newest members to our prestigious roster!
Activist and host of Crooked Media’s Pod Save the People DeRay Mckesson is no stranger to using digital media to spread awareness of racial injustice, and to provide tangible solutions.
From using Twitter as a sounding horn while protesting in Ferguson in 2014, to his brilliant use data in the Mapping Police Violence project, to his popular podcast, he’s an expert on the power of the Internet to mobilize people and drive social change.
We bet you didn’t know: Mckesson joined Webby CEO David-Michel Davies on Season 3 of The Webby Podcast. Listen to it for a digital download on his activism, both online and off.
You can find him at @deray
As the editorial lead of Enterprise and Immersive Experiences at TIME, Mia Tramz is responsible for some seriously cool projects, like TIME’s Life VR app, which gives users access to VR films from Sports Illustrated, People, InStyle, and more.
She’s also produced two Emmy-nominated projects, including “Capturing Everest,” a VR docu-series on the world’s tallest peak.
We bet you didn’t know: She loves traveling! You can catch her exploring elephant sanctuaries in Thailand or beaches in Rio on Instagram.
You can find her at @miatramz
In addition to being an incredibly talented actor and activist, Jesse Williams is blazing trails for diverse audiences across tech with his inclusive game BLeBRiTY (for which he was awarded a 2018 Webby Special Achievement Award).
We bet you didn’t know: Williams was a teacher in Philadelphia public schools before pursuing acting.
You can find him at @iJesseWilliams
Marketing veteran Linda Boff is the Chief Marketing Officer at GE, a global leader in power generation and water technology. There, she drives the company’s global advertising and marketing strategies, as well as its brand and design tactics.
She also champions using advertising for positive social good as the new chair for the Ad Council’s board of directors.
We bet you didn’t know: She is a huge Mad Men buff!
You can find her at @lindaboff
As Spotify’s VP of Brand and Creative, Jackie Jantos leads a team of 90 marketers who develop the company’s distinct brand at Spotify’s in-house creative agency. Under her direction, the in-house team covers marketing across product, original content, artists, and more while using streaming data to tell the stories of users, like the 2018 Webby-winning, interactive website, “Your 2017 Wrapped.”
We bet you didn’t know: She grew up in Tokyo, while her father worked for IBM.
You can find her at @jackiejantos
As CNN’s Senior Technology Correspondent and the editor-at-large for CNN Tech, Laurie Segall is an expert on the intersection of technology, innovation, and culture. She also hosted CNNgo’s original series: “Mostly Human,” which asks the uncomfortable questions we have about our relationship with tech.
We bet you didn’t know: Segall is a long-time friend of The Webby Awards. At the 22nd Annual Webby Awards, in a beautiful moment, she presented the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award to Mitchell Baker.
You can find her at @LaurieSegallCNN
