Rutger has a MSc in development economics from the University of Wageningen, specializing in communication and extension education. He worked in agricultural extension projects in Africa for 10 years and was director of NGOs such as HIVOS (The Hague, the Netherlands), Beijer Institute Centre for Energy and Development (BICEDA, Nairobi) and TOOL (Amsterdam, the Netherlands). He was founding (interim) director of IICD, the International Institute for Communication and Development (The Hague, the Netherlands).

Rutger specializes in policy research and consulting in fields such as Knowledge Management, Science and Technology for Development; and evaluation of ICT programmes for rural development. He is a Programme Associate of ECDPM, the European Centre for Development Policy Management (Maastricht, the Netherlands). He has been member of various Boards of Directors of NGOs, such as Oneworld International (London) and Oneworld Netherlands (Amsterdam), PSO - Personnel Services Overseas (The Hague) and the jury of the Stockholm Challenge, an international annual award programme for innovative ICT/Internet projects (Stockholm). Currently, he is a treasurer of the board of OnzeWereld Media (Amsterdam).

Valerie has a degree in Geography from Portmouth University (UK) and is a highly experienced science editor, specializing in subjects such as international development cooperation, Science and Technology for Development and ICTs. She has worked for publishers as Princeton University Press (USA), Simon and Schuster (UK), Addison-Wesley (Canada), Elsevier and the UN Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) (the Netherlands). Within Contactivity she is responsible for the editorial production proces of The Broker, web research and for assisting Contactivity's clients in writing professional/academic articles, case stories, books and annual reports.

Jim has a MA Novel Writing (Distance Learning) from Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester (UK), a BSc in Biology from the University of Paisley (UK) and a post graduate diploma in radio journalism from Bell College of Technology, Hamilton (UK). Since 1995, Jim has worked as a researcher for the BBC Radio Scotland, as an internet producer for Radio Netherlands and as an editor for the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (Windhoek). Most recently he worked as a free lance journalist based in Angola. Within Contactivity, Jim is responsible for editorial production of ICTUpdate and of radio programmes, podcasts and other audiovisual materials.

Tracy holds a BS in Print Journalism from Emerson College (Boston, USA) and a MA in European Studies from the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands). She has worked as a development and acquisition editor with publishers such as IDG Books Worldwide (Foster City, CA, USA), Sybex (Alameda, CA, USA) and Mcgraw-Hill Education (Coralville, IA, USA). Since 2006, she was Senior Project Manager and Development Editor at Apress (Berkeley, CA, USA). Tracy is a highly experienced editor developing manuscripts to meet publisher standards, series guidelines and audience needs. She also authored the biographies of Missy Elliot and Babe Ruth (2007) and co-authored Pocket PC: Visual Quick Start Guide (2004). Tracy will join Contactivity's core team in early February 2007.

Louise holds a Bsc in International Development and an MA in Journalism from the University of Wales, Swansea, UK. Over the past three years, she has been an editor at the on-line news and information service of Eldis (IDS, University of Sussex, UK), responsible for the content, technical maintenance and development of the Guides that cover disaster relief, international relations, emergencies and humanitarian aid. Louise has excellent editing skills, sound working knowledge of communications in the web environments and hands-on experience in developing Web 2.0 applications for use in online communities and networks of dispersed professionals. Louise will join Contactivity as core staff as from the end of Feburary 2008.

Sasha is training in anthropology at the University of Leiden. Within Contactivity is responsible for the content management of web magazines and the project administration of the publication projects.

Diane holds a BA in Communication Studies from the University of Ottawa (Canada), a MA in Development Studies from Leeds University (UK) and a Post-Master in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands). Diane travelled widely and worked for the World University Service of Canada in Vietnam and China, UNDP in Mozambique, and Shell Petroleum and the Bernard van Leer Foundation in the Netherlands. She published Culture Smart Canada: a quick guide to customs and etiquette, Kuperard Publishers, UK (forthcoming) and many articles in TheHagueOnline, XPat Journal, Weekly Telegraph (UK) and Expatica. Within Contactivity, Diane was responsible for the editorial production of Capacity.org. From September 2007 onwards, Diane is working for Contactivity on a freelance basis.