Dessi Lange-Damianova

Dessi Lange-Damianova is the COO of Bellingcat, an award-winning independent international collective of researchers, citizen journalists and data scientists who pioneered the use of open-source investigations and transformed industries and disciplines, from media and education, to legal accountability mechanisms, non-government organizations and businesses. Before joining Bellingcat in 2019, Lange-Damianova worked as a reporter, editor and business manager in various national and international media outlets and international media development organizations spanning four continents and more than 70 countries. She began her career as a reporter for some of Bulgaria’s first independent newspapers following the fall of the communist regime, including Standard News, Kontinent, and PARI. Between 1999 and 2005, she worked as a reporter and editor at BBC World Service in London and as correspondent in Amsterdam. In 2005, Lange-Damianova transitioned from daily journalism to international media development, establishing numerous programs to train and support independent media and investigative journalists.  Since joining Bellingcat, she has helped the organization grow from a tiny group of like-minded bloggers to a world-class global investigative power house.