Coda Media Appoints Elene Jvania as Head of Strategic Development to Lead Innovation in Experiential Journalism

NEW YORK — Coda Media, the award-winning nonprofit newsroom known for investigating global crises and disinformation, has appointed entrepreneur and innovation expert Elene Jvania as Head of Strategic Development. This appointment reflects Coda’s commitment to building cross-disciplinary teams that can reinvent how journalism serves communities in the digital age.

Jvania brings extensive experience in innovation and ecosystem building across emerging markets to this role. As co-founder of Impact Hub Tbilisi, she established a vital connection point between Georgia’s entrepreneurial community and global innovation networks. Under her leadership, Impact Hub Tbilisi has evolved into a thriving platform that bridges local innovators with international opportunities, establishing Georgia as an emerging hub for entrepreneurship and creative collaboration.

In 2019, Jvania co-founded ZEG – Tbilisi Storytelling Festival, which has grown into an internationally recognized gathering that brings together journalists, artists, and thought leaders from around the world. The festival’s innovative approach to storytelling and community engagement has attracted speakers including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa and actor-activist Sean Penn.

“Elene’s appointment represents our belief that the future of journalism requires diverse perspectives and experiences beyond traditional media,” said Natalia Antelava, CEO of Coda Media. “Her expertise in building sustainable platforms for innovation and her success in creating spaces where different disciplines intersect makes her ideally suited to help us develop new models for impactful journalism. The challenges facing the media today can’t be solved through conventional approaches alone.”

In her role as Head of Strategic Development, Jvania will lead the development of frameworks that help public interest organizations, including local newsrooms, create sustainable models for engaging their communities through experiential journalism. This initiative builds on Coda’s success in connecting global trends to local communities through innovative storytelling formats.

“The most powerful stories emerge when we break down silos between disciplines and communities,” said Jvania. “I’m excited to help develop models that allow public interest organizations to engage their audiences in ways that go beyond traditional formats while maintaining the highest standards of journalistic integrity.”

This appointment reflects Coda’s broader vision of journalism as a collaborative field that benefits from entrepreneurial thinking and cross-sector expertise. The initiative will focus on developing scalable approaches to experiential journalism that can be adapted by newsrooms worldwide.

About Coda Media

Coda Media is a journalism studio that investigates the deep roots of global transformation through rigorous reporting and powerful storytelling. Using an innovative “currents” framework, Coda identifies patterns beneath daily headlines, tracking how forces like authoritarianism, technology, and disinformation shape our world. Through investigative journalism and experiential storytelling, Coda creates spaces where important stories spark meaningful conversations, transforming complex information into insights that matter. Learn more at codastory.com.