--- title: Rise Announces 2026 Worldwide Mentoring Cohorts Supporting Future Industry Leaders description: Rise has launched its 2026 global mentoring program, pairing 125 industry leaders with mentees to enhance diversity and foster professional growth in media technology. image: https://risewib.com/hubfs/Hubsppt%20featured%20blog%20image%20(3).png --- [![Rise Final Logo](https://risewib.com/hubfs/Rise%20Final%20Logo.jpg)](https://risewib.com) - [ABOUT](https://risewib.com/about) ## [About Rise Rise is the leading organisation dedicated to fostering gender diversity within the broadcast and media technology sector.](https://risewib.com/about) ### [ABOUT RISE Meet our team and Regional Councils across the globe](https://risewib.com/about) ### [GET INVOLVED Learn how you can support Rise and be an active member of our community](https://risewib.com/get-involved) ### [RISE NEWS AND RESOURCES Find out the latest Rise news](https://risewib.com/news) ### [BECOME A RISE SUPPORTER By becoming a Rise Supporter, you are making a visible commitment to investing in women and in the future of our industry](https://risewib.com/donate) - [MENTORING](https://risewib.com/mentoring) ### [MENTORING Learn more about our award winning, global mentoring programme.](https://risewib.com/mentoring) ### [MENTORING Register your interest for 2027](https://risewib.com/mentoring) ### [UK COHORT 2026](https://risewib.com/uk-pairings) ### [EUROPE COHORT 2026](https://risewib.com/europe-pairings) ### [NA COHORT 2026](https://risewib.com/na-pairings) ### [APAC & INDIA COHORT 2026](https://risewib.com/apac-and-india-pairings) ### [ANZ COHORT 2026](https://risewib.com/anz-pairings) - [RISE AWARDS](https://risewib.com/rise-wib-awards) - PROGRAMMES ## Rise Programmes Learn about our programmes and initiatives aimed at fostering diversity and inclusivity within the broadcast and media technology sector. ### [RISE ELEVATE PROGRAMME The Rise Women in Broadcast Elevate Programme is a high-impact leadership development initiative designed to build the next generation of senior women leaders in the broadcast & media technology industry.](https://risewib.com/rise-women-in-broadcast-rise-elevate-programme) ### [RISE C-SUITE PROGRAMME The Rise C-Suite Programme is an intensive, residential workshop designed to accelerate your progress to the C-Suite, within the company of other women from across media technology.](https://risewib.com/rise-c-suite-programme) ### [RISE ACADEMY Rise Academy is an outreach programme delivering broadcast engineering and technical workshops to primary and secondary school children aged 11 through to 18 years old.](https://rise-academy.live) - [JOB BOARD](https://risewib.com/job-board) - [PANEL PLUS](https://risewib.com/panelplus) - [PARTNERS](https://risewib.com/partners) - [EVENTS](https://risewib.com/events) [GET INVOLVED](https://risewib.com/get-involved) [BECOME A MEMBER](https://risewib.com/membership) # Rise Announces 2026 Worldwide Mentoring Cohorts Supporting Future Industry Leaders Rise has launched its 2026 global mentoring program, pairing 125 industry leaders with mentees to enhance diversity and foster professional growth in media technology. [Rise](https://risewib.com/news/author/rise) Jun 23, 2026 --- **London, United Kingdom, 23 June 2026 –**[Rise](https://risewib.com/), the award-winning advocacy group for gender diversity in the broadcast and media technology sector, is pleased to announce the global mentoring cohort for 2026. The initiative spans the UK, Europe, ANZ, APAC and India, as well as North America, aligning with Rise's mission of fostering inclusivity and diversity in the industry on a global scale. The 2026 programme includes **125** carefully selected mentee-mentor pairings. Participation in the programme provides mentees with access to a range of professional development opportunities, including networking events, workshops and industry-led sessions designed to support long-term career growth. Each mentee also receives a minimum of two hours of dedicated one-to-one mentoring per month throughout the programme Running over six months, the Rise mentoring programme combines global collaboration with regional relevance. While all cohorts will take part in a number of shared international sessions, each territory will also follow a tailored programme designed to reflect the unique priorities, challenges and opportunities within its local market. This valuable scheme is made possible due the incredible support from industry sponsors for 2026 including: Channel 4, BBC, Sky, Mimir & Saga (Fonn Group), Vizrt, Qvest , Arqiva, ITV, Ross Video , Appear and BFBS. **Carla Maroussas, Global Programme Mentoring Manager at Rise**, stated: *"I am thrilled to announce our new mentee-mentor pairings for this year’s mentoring programme! Building on the incredible success of our past cohorts, this year’s participants form a truly global network that reflects our deep commitment to diversity and inclusion. We are excited to support their journeys as they collaborate, thrive, and accelerate their career growth in the coming months."* **Deborah Cross, Operations Director at Rise**, said: *“Each year, the Rise Mentoring Programme continues to demonstrate just how transformative mentorship can be for everyone involved. It is incredibly rewarding to see mentees grow in confidence, develop new skills, and expand their professional networks, while mentors also gain fresh perspectives and meaningful connections through the experience. What makes the programme especially impactful is that the benefits extend far beyond the individual participants. Mentees take the knowledge, skills and confidence they gain back into their workplaces, creating positive change within their own organisations and helping to shape a more inclusive, innovative and collaborative industry for the future.”* The mentor and mentee pairings for the 2026 global programme are as follows: **UK Mentor and Mentee Pairings:** - **Abi Roskilly**, **Foo Engine** will be mentored by **Becky Daniell**, **BBC Studios** - **Alesia Barnard**, **ITV Leeds** will be mentored by **James Macmillan**, **Prime Focus** - **Annie Francis**, **Racoon** will be mentored by **Heidi Shakespeare**, **Memnon** - **Caitlin Lancit**, **Ross Video** will be mentored by **Cat Tate**, **Accedo** - **Charlotte Byers**, **Channel 4** will be mentored by **Jason Plews**, **NED** - **Caritta Troconis**, **BBC Studios** will be mentored by **Donna Mulvey Jones**, **Banijay** - **Carly Jackson**, **Arqiva** will be mentored by **Jenny King**, **ITN** - **Ciara Ryan**, **Hearst Networks EMEA** will be mentored by **Bruce Devlin**, **Mr MXF** - **Ela Colangelo**, **AMC Networks** will be mentored by **Gabby Redfern**, **Sky** - **Elena Karathanasi**, **BBC** will be mentored by **Natascha Cadle**, **Envy** - **Emel Tas**, **XL8** will be mentored by **Louise Tapia**, **Verbit** - **Emily Merron**, **Aurora Media** will be mentored by **Mark Cooke**, **Ross Video** - **Emma Chapman**, **Sky Sports F1** will be mentored by **Abigail Hughes**, **ITV** - **Emma Dawes**, **IMG Studios** will be mentored by **Sue Farrell**, **Channel 4** - **Emma Quinn**, **WBD** will be mentored by **Alex Redfern**, **EVS** - **Erin Harper**, **ITN** will be mentored by **Stephen Tallamy**, **LEGO Group** - **Flora Fernandez**, **Base Media Cloud** will be mentored by **Ambiga Ram**, **Lucy Group** - **Francesca Greetham**, **WBD** will be mentored by **Matthew Westrup**, **Hearst** - **Hannah McCann**, **Formula 1** will be mentored by **Conor Arnot**, **WBD** - **Heather Neele**, **Plus 4 Audio** will be mentored by **Sophie Lambert**, **Freelancer** - **Jade Warne**, **Yospace** will be mentored by **Clare Butler**, **Hansen Technologies** - **Jen Hudson**, **Videndum** will be mentored by **Mike Ward**, **Vizrt** - **Kayley Barnes**, **Sky** will be mentored by **Tom Wheaton**, **ITV Studios** - **Louise Corfield**, **WSL** will be mentored by **Dave Gill**, **AE Live** - **Luna Bai**, **Vizrt** will be mentored by **Paul Davies**, **Yospace** - **Melanie Lyons**, **IMG Studios** will be mentored by **Ian Wagdin**, **Appear** - **Molly Cole**, **Platform Communications** will be mentored by **Nicola Milburn**, **Hitomi** - **Nicole Cumberbatch**, **Gravity Media** will be mentored by **Tim Addy**, **Dolby Laboratories** - **Pauline Arowolo**, **DPP** will be mentored by **Samantha Fray**, **Black People in Sports Broadcasting** - **Seema Shah**, **Encompass Digital Media** will be mentored by **Jess Horst**, **BBC** - **Solmaz Aslan**, **BBC Manchester** will be mentored by **Erin MacTague**, **Timeline** - **Sophie Bolwell-Davies**, **Amazon Prime Video** will be mentored by **Elaine Sampson**, **WBD** - **Vanessa Tarrier**, **BFBS** will be mentored by **Neave Spikings**, **dB Broadcast** - **Meinir Jones**, **BBC Cardiff** will be mentored by **Lauren Ellis Jones**, **Home Post Production** - **Holly Taylor**, **Cinematic** will be mentored by **Mark Wynter**, **The Farm Group** - **Karine Wach-Donovan**, **Molinare** will be mentored by **Liz Clarke**, **The Kitchen LLC** - **Rebecca O'Brien**, **RedBee Media** will be mentored by **Alex Coakley**, **AJC Media** - **Roxy Galuba**, **Christy Media Solutions** will be mentored by **Rowan de Pomerai**, **DPP** **EU Mentor and Mentee Pairings:** - **Annemie Vermeulen**, **Cuez** will be mentored by **Derek Barrilleaux**, **Projective** - **Carla Molina Whyte**, **Farmerswife** will be mentored by **Christelle Brausch**, **TVU Networks** - **Cécile Le Guilloux**, **Hexaglobe Group** will be mentored by **Claudine Cecille**, **Golden Acacia Consulting** - **Céline Munos**, **EVS** will be mentored by **Elena Ditadi**, **RFE Broadcast SRL** - **Claire Couson**, **Perfect Memory** will be mentored by **Denise Müller**, **Riedel Networks** - **Claudia Zimmer**, **CYME** will be mentored by **Alex de Wit**, **Venali** - **Gamza Bakhishaliyeva**, **Memnon Archiving Services** will be mentored by **Levent Ozparlak**, **Irdeto BV** - **Ing-Ing Yen**, **G&L GmbH** will be mentored by **Michael Pfitzner**, **CGI** - **Katariina Kiviranta**, **Viaplay Group** will be mentored by **Märta Rydbeck**, **Dealdonegood AB** - **Katrin Houben**, **Qvest** will be mentored by **Carine Chardon**, **GFU Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH** - **Lisa Jageneau**, **VRT** will be mentored by **Delphine Calvini**, **BeIN Sports** - **Luba Karpova**, **Proximus** will be mentored by **Margot Ouali**, **Appear ASA** - **Lucie Bayer**, **Warner Bros. Discovery** will be mentored by **Florian Fraas**, **CGI** - **Madison McGivern**, **Appear ASA** will be mentored by **Belen Arronte**, **Axolotl** - **Martina Stepankova**, **Oneplay Production** will be mentored by **Marlene Neuberger**, **SWR** - **Mirjam Weisflog**, **Samfilm** will be mentored by **Jan Fröhlich**, **Hochschule der Medien (HdM)** - **Myriam Anik**, **Vizrt** will be mentored by **Amir Hochfeld**, **HighField AI** - **Nadica Nikolikj**, **Mediagenix** will be mentored by **Christel Jäckel**, **Avid** - **Natalia Polychronopoulou**, **Caretta Research** will be mentored by **Nancy Diaz Curiel**, **Ross Video** - **Némésis Srour**, **Mediagenix** will be mentored by **Martin Prins**, **Media Distillery** - **Nicolle Charpentier**, **Wipro Limited** will be mentored by **Kathleen Schröter**, **Ootiboo** - **Noran Kamal Goma**, **Bayerischer Rundfunk** will be mentored by **Sini Kervinen**, **Bauer Media Oy** - **Sabela Ruy-Díaz**, **Wave Connect** will be mentored by **Maria Hellström**, **Codemill** - **Sasha Martell**, **International Testing Agency** will be mentored by **Stephan Heimbecher**, **SWR** - **Sharon Debuyser**, **DPG Media** will be mentored by **Giovanni Piccirilli**, **RTL** - **Stephanie Girrbach**, **SWR** will be mentored by **Thorsten Schreiner**, **ZDF** - **Szilvia Tóth-Balasi**, **Warner Bros. Discovery** will be mentored by **Simona Lippi**, **AxelTech** - **Umma Tamanna**, **Fonn Group** will be mentored by **Brigita Brjuhhanov**, **Elisa** - **Virve Kettunen**, **Mediakunta** will be mentored by **Christer Palsson** **North America Mentor and Mentee Pairings:** - **Arianna Oropeza**, **WBD** will be mentored by **Anne Graham**, **WBD** - **Ashley Laliberty**, **WBD** will be mentored by **Gaylen Clutter**, **Evertz** - **Bibiana Cifuentes**, **Providius** will be mentored by **Chiqui Bianco**, **Former NBCU, Paramount, Univision, Mattel etc.** - **Christy Tetzler, CNN** will be mentored by **Magdalena Jagucka, Independent Consulting.** - **Diana Anpilohova**, **NYFA** will be mentored by **Jodynne Wood**, **3Play Media** - **Em Donald**, **Ross Production Services** will be mentored by **Carla Prates**, **Digital Anarchy** - **Jessica Mouser**, **Mouser Media** will be mentored by **Joyce Bente**, **Riedel Communications** - **Kimberly Fabian**, **Ross Video** will be mentored by **Steph Lone**, **AWS** - **Lacey Gandee**, **ESPN** will be mentored by **Olivia Cianci**, **Reuters Imagen** - **Maleah Pasasouk**, **Dark Matter Media** will be mentored by **Melani De Guzman**, **FreshDirect** - **Nadya Brun, Qualabs** will be mentored by **Thalia Crone, Fremantle** - **Nermin Foundas**, **Thomson Reuters** will be mentored by **Elizabeth (Liz) Guenther**, **Deluxe Media** - **Nivana Campos, WBD** will be mentored by **Swati Karkunsen, NBCUniversal** - **Olivia Black**, **WBD** will be mentored by **Stephanie Haycock**, **Former Disney** - **Valentyna Akulova**, **Ross Video** will be mentored by **Peggy Dau**, **Media Technology Consultant** - **Vanesa Andres Domingo**, **Grass Valley** will be mentored by **Roland Vlaicu**, **Former Netflix & Dolby** **Australia and New Zealand Mentor and Mentee Pairings:** - **Hema Sheel**, **Tabcorp** will be mentored by **Paul Whybrow**, **SMPTE** - **Rupali Palikhe**, **Stan Entertainment/Nine** will be mentored by **Indrani Rajendran**, **Accedo TV** - **Annie Weller**, **Uniqfeed / TBS** will be mentored by **Belinda Kent**, **Telstra** - **Julijana Nikolis**, **Gravity Media** will be mentored by **Tanya Kelly**, **Cadium** - **Jenny Kapp**, **ABC** will be mentored by **Reza Mazhari**, **Tabcorp** - **Sophie Pierce**, **N/A** will be mentored by **Brendan Smith**, **Gravity Media** - **Lauren Phelan**, **SBS** will be mentored by **Deidre Joubert**, **TBS** - **Brooke Joyner**, **Freelance** will be mentored by **Sandra Page**, **ATC** - **Momoko Metham**, **Special Broadcasting Service** will be mentored by **Cora Spear**, **Comcast** - **Mia Ok**, **Foxtel** will be mentored by **Stephanie Foran**, **Nine** - **Olivia Dent**, **Seven Network** will be mentored by **Boey Song**, **Qvest** - **Eunice Ramirez**, **Nine** will be mentored by **Nina Walsh**, **Amazon Web Services** - **Briana Alexander**, **Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association** will be mentored by **Jodie Fisher**, **Whooshka** - **Zali Shepherd**, **Sky Racing AU** will be mentored by **Philippa Windus**, **Irdeto** - **Karen Allen**, **Kreativekaz Media** will be mentored by **Vanessa Arden-Wood**, **ABC** - **Rebecca Scott**, **Freelance** will be mentored by **Anna Lockwood**, **Telstra** - **Louie Sleeman**, **Freelance** will be mentored by **Christie Bence**, **MKTG** - **Annaliese Whipp**, **SBS** will be mentored by **Ben Stavert**, **Hello** - **Nikyah Hutchings**, **National Indigenous Television (NITV)** will be mentored by **Mark Johns**, **Switch TV** **APAC and India Mentor and Mentee Pairings:** - **Anisha Chawla**, **Amagi Media Labs Limited** will be mentored by **Asha Kulkarni**, **Larsen & Toubro** - **Anisha Nayar Dhawan**, **Self** will be mentored by **Rajyashree Iqbal**, **Self Employed** - **Arpita Pandey**, **Magnifi (Now owned by Minute Media)** will be mentored by **Shikha Sharma**, **AWS India Pvt Ltd** - **Asha Uniyal**, **VineGarden Films** will be mentored by **Ritu Sharma**, **The Indus Entrepreneur** - **Astha Bhatnagar**, **Pixel Phrase Creative Studio** will be mentored by **Sapna Gopinath**, **Alten India Pvt Ltd** - **Charu Chana**, **Benchmark** will be mentored by **Jagmandeep Singh**, **SVIPJA Techno Consultants Pvt Ltd** - **Divya Shalini**, **The Economist Group** will be mentored by **Elliot Renton**, **Magnifi** - **Fathima Beevi S**, **Ovyo** will be mentored by **Ankita A Verma**, **T-Systems Information and Communication Technology India Private Limited** - **Harini Venkatesan**, **Warner Bros. Discovery** will be mentored by **Nirmala Gambhir**, **Ovyo Services Private Limited** - **Jayasmita Mohanty**, **Cognizant** will be mentored by **K Yegneshwara Iyer**, **Self Employed** - **Karishma Malimath**, **Deluxe Entertainment** will be mentored by **Gandhali Mahajan**, **Sony Pictures Network** - **Nija Vinod**, **Ovyo Tech Services** will be mentored by **Durga Nair Tarkar**, **Brahma AI** - **Osheen Jain**, **Ovyo Tech Services** will be mentored by **Jes George**, **ex-JioHotstar** - **Poornima Shettigar**, **WPP Media** will be mentored by **Jai Daga**, **SIES (South Indian Education Society)** - **Prajakta Jadhav**, **Self Employed** will be mentored by **Sonam Dave**, **Self Employed** - **Raksha Handigol**, **Ovyo Tech Services** will be mentored by **Rakhi Sundar**, **Deluxe** - **Sheel Achnani**, **BBC Studios** will be mentored by **Monisha Chowla**, **Monks** - **Shubha Ranganath**, **OVYO Services Private Ltd** will be mentored by **Nalini Lalvani**, **A&N Advisors** - **Smaranika Panda**, **Ovyo Tech Services** will be mentored by **Neeraj Jha**, **Warner Bros. Discovery** - **Sneha Gupta**, **JetSynthesys** will be mentored by **Neha Donald**, **PepsiCo** - **Snehal Nagtilak**, **Freelance** will be mentored by **Gowri Subramanian**, **Benchmark Broadcast Systems** - **Soumya Bhasin**, **CleverTap** will be mentored by **Sonali Shah**, **Vero Strategic Growth Partners** - **Sruthi Suresh**, **Planetcast Media Service Limited** will be mentored by **Akash Mittal**, **Samsung India** - **Sruti Chakraborty**, **Warner Bros. Discovery (Eurosport)** will be mentored by **Sulina Menon**, **MediaPower** - **Sweta Prasad**, **Amagi** will be mentored by **Nupur Srivastava**, **JetSynthesys** - **Vidhi Sharma**, **TGM** will be mentored by **Rajal Bhatt**, **Techseria** - **Akanksha Madan, Julius Baer** will be mentored by **Shweta Jain, Precept Singapore** - **Andrhea May, TV5 Network Inc.** will be mentored by **Eileen Lim, SPH Media** - **Arina Iksanova, Elecard** will be mentored by **Bonnie Tan, Irdeto B.V.** - **Elizabeth Grace, Mediacorp** will be mentored by **Stephen Langdon, AWS** - **Lady Jean De Guzman, TV5 Network Inc.** will be mentored by **Zubaida Nila, Unreal Engine** - **Manvi Jauhari, Global3** will be mentored by **Jyothi Nayak, Prime Focus Technologies** To find out more and to discuss how you can get involved, please contact Carla Maroussas, Mentoring Manager at Rise on [carla@risewib.com](mailto:carla@risewib.com).   ### [Rise Announces 2026 MENA Mentoring Cohort](https://risewib.com/news/rise-announces-2026-mena-mentoring-cohort) Rise has launched its 2026 MENA mentoring cohort, pairing 32 mentees with industry leaders to promote diversity and professional growth in media... Rise Sep 4, 2026 News ### [Rise Upskill - Applications Now Open for Free Global Training Programme for Rise Community](https://risewib.com/news/rise-upskill-applications-now-open-for-free-global-training-programme-for-rise-community) Applications are now open for Rise Upskill, a free global training program offering AWS certifications in cloud computing and AI for women in... Rise Apr 28, 2026 ### [Rise Announces Award Winners for 2025](https://risewib.com/news/rise-announces-award-winners-for-2025) Rise, the gender diversity network for the media technology industry, today announced the shortlist for the Rise Awards. Rise Nov 24, 2025 ### Get notified on Rise news Be the first to know about new programmes and initiatives, Rise events and more. [https://risewib.com/get-involved](https://risewib.com/get-involved) © 2020 Company All rights reserved [Privacy Policy](https://risewib.com/rise-privacy-policy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Rise", "url" : "https://risewib.com/news/author/rise" }, "dateModified" : "2026-07-02T11:38:11.646Z", "datePublished" : "2026-06-23T10:44:28.000Z", "headline" : "Rise Announces 2026 Worldwide Mentoring Cohorts Supporting Future Industry Leaders", "image" : [ "https://risewib.com/hubfs/Hubsppt%20featured%20blog%20image%20(3).png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://risewib.com/news/rise-announces-2026-worldwide-mentoring-cohorts-supporting-future-industry-leaders", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://risewib.com/hubfs/logo.svg" } } } ```