THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Yvonne Russo’s thought leadership bridges global advocacy, cultural preservation, and cinematic storytelling. From delivering a powerful keynote at the United Nations for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Salesforce’s Office of Equality & Engagement on AI for Endangered Languages, to moderating at the Paley Center for Media on how storytelling can drive awareness and action around climate change, Yvonne’s voice resonates at the intersection of art and impact. She has mentored emerging filmmakers through the Royal Film Commission in Jordan and NYWIFT’s Hakayaha Documentary Program, guiding creators to master the art of story as a tool for transformation. Whether standing before international audiences at the UN, leading workshops at Camden International Film Festival, or shaping conversations at NYWIFT and the Producers Guild of America, Yvonne brings wisdom, authenticity, and a global perspective to every stage she graces—proving that stories not only shape the world, they sustain it.
Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights and Salesforce’s Office of Equality &
Engagement, MuLoLai: AI for Endangered Languages,
Keynote Speaker, 2025
4th World Media Lab Workshop
Camden International Film Festival, 2025
Film Workshop Mentor
Royal Film Commission
Jordan and New York Women and Film and Television, Hakayaha Documentary Program
Film Workshop Mentor 2023-2024
Paley Center New York City
NYWIFT/STEM Summit, Climate Change: Using Media to Inform Educate and
Prepare for the Imminent Crisis
Moderator, 2023
Feirstein School of Graduate Cinema
Guest lecturer, 2020
Teens Leading Change
Civil Engagement Project, LAPL, Los Angeles
Guest Presenter, 2020
Royal Film Commission
Producers Guild of America, Producer Instructor, Amman Jordan Sept 2019
Lakota Language Consortium
Board Member, 2019–2023
NYU Tisch School
Diversity Arts Festival, 2019
Warrior Women
SVA Theatre
Panel Moderation, 2019
Feirstein School of Graduate Cinema
Guest Lecturer, 2019
Westchester Community College
Guest Lecturer, 2019
What Matters Most Podcast
Podcast guest, 2019
StartTV
“Stories Shape the World”
Television Appearance, 2019
TIDE Film Festival Panelist
Brooklyn, NY 2018
United Nations
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 2018
The Language Conservancy
Advisory Board, 2019
Digital Production Buzz
“An Inside Look at Planning a Documentary” 2017
New York Women in Film & Television
Board Member, 2019–2024
Made in New York
NBC Pitch
Guest Speaker, 2018
Feirstein School of Graduate Cinema
Guest Lecturer, 2018
The Governors Office of Motion Picture & Television Development
Funny But Different, York Women in Film & Television
Pitch NY, Moderator, 2018
We are proud to have welcomed Yvonne Russo—an award-winning director, producer, and proud member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation—as our keynote speaker at a recent UNGA High-Level Week event on AI for the preservation and revitalization of endangered languages, organized by UN Human Rights and Salesforce’s Office of Equality & Engagement. For language keepers and allies from around the world, Yvonne illuminated the vital role of technology and language in Indigenous storytelling, emphasizing how digital tools and media can amplify underrepresented voices. She highlighted that Indigenous languages are not only vessels of history and identity but also pathways to the future, and that integrating technology and language into storytelling ensures these voices continue to thrive across generations. Her words underscored that innovation, when grounded in rights, can be a powerful ally in revitalizing and preserving Indigenous knowledge systems.
Jessica Summers
Programme Management Officer
Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Change Service (SPECS)
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights