Rise Announces 2026 Worldwide Mentoring Cohorts Supportin...

Rise, 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 Rises 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 OBrien, 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:

Annemarie Vermeulen, Cuez will be mentored by Derek Barrilleaux, Projective

Carla Molina Whyte, Farmerswife will be mentored by Christelle Brausch, TVU Networks

C cile Le Guilloux, Hexaglobe Group will be mentored by Claudine Cecille, Golden Acacia Consulting

C line Munos, EVS will be mentored by Elena Ditadi, RFE Broadcast SRL

Claire Couson, Perfect Memory will be mentored by Denise M ller, Riedel Networks

Claudia Zimmer, CYME will be mentored by Alex de Wit, Venali

Gamza Bakhishaliyeva, Memnon Ar

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