Laura Sackett is the creative director and co-founder of LensCulture, one of the leading platforms dedicated to contemporary photography. She leads all aspects of design, strategy, and exhibitions, and co-curates LensCulture’s online galleries and international shows. She has served as a juror, reviewer, and nominator for numerous international photo awards and festivals, and is a founding board member of PhotoAlliance. Laura holds an MFA in photography from the California College of the Arts and is based in Oakland, CA.

Elizabeth Krist was a senior photo editor at National Geographic for over 20 years. She now serves on the boards of Women Photograph and the W. Eugene Smith Fund and works frequently with CatchLight, the Eddie Adams Workshop, and the Magnum Foundation. She has curated major exhibitions including Women of Vision for National Geographic and multiple installations for Photoville. Elizabeth has collaborated with Magnum, Leica, Apple, and the Joop Swart Masterclass, and teaches at the International Center of Photography. In 2025, she received the NPPA Outstanding Leader Award.

Marek is an experienced marketing executive with a career spanning Kodak, Adorama, and now Leica Camera USA. With expertise across the transition from analog to digital, she has been at the forefront of connecting photographers and filmmakers with new technologies, education, and community. At Leica, she leads marketing strategy, partnerships, and outreach to empower and support photographers and visual storytellers. Her forward thinking approach continues to shape industry conversations and strengthen creative communities.

is a Tatar-born American photographer, author, curator, and founder of Women Street Photographers. With 45 years of combined experience as a documentary and street photographer, artist, darkroom printer, photojournalist, and photo editor, Gulnara has organized and curated more than 30 exhibitions across four continents, including the first two Women Street Photographers and Leica Women Foto Project Summits in New York City. She serves as the curator and designer of the annual Women Street Photographers Exhibition in New York City. In addition to her curatorial work, Gulnara is an inspirational speaker, guest judge (LensCulture, Leica Women Foto Project, Lucie Photo Book Prize, UNESCO), portfolio reviewer (Les Rencontres d’Arles, PhotoNOLA), and Leica Oscar Barnack Award nominator. A former Associated Press photojournalist, she received international recognition for her iconic photographs of September 11, including first prize in the World Press Photo competition and a Pulitzer Prize nomination by the AP. Her work is held in major collections such as the Museum of the City of New York, the New York Public Library, the New-York Historical Society, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Gulnara, a 1994 graduate of the International Center of Photography, lives and works in New York City. gulnara.com