Rise confirms 2026 mentoring cohorts across Asia

Rise has announced the mentor and mentee pairings for its 2026 global mentoring programme, with professionals from Australia, New Zealand, APAC and India among the 125 participants selected worldwide.

The six-month initiative is designed to support career development across the broadcast and media technology sector through one-to-one mentoring, networking events, workshops and industry led sessions. Each mentee receives a minimum of two hours of dedicated mentoring each month.

While the programme includes shared international sessions, Rise said each regional cohort will follow a tailored programme reflecting the priorities and challenges of its local market.

“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,” commented Carla Maroussas, global programme mentoring manager at Rise. “We are excited to support their journeys as they collaborate, thrive and accelerate their career growth in the coming months.”

The ANZ cohort includes participants from organisations including ABC, SBS, Nine, Seven Network, Foxtel, Tabcorp, Gravity Media and Telstra, with mentors representing companies such as SMPTE, Qvest, Amazon Web Services, Irdeto and Comcast. Independent professionals and freelancers are also represented across the programme.

In APAC and India, the mentoring cohort features professionals from companies including Amagi, Warner Bros Discovery, Deluxe Entertainment, Planetcast Media Services, JetSynthesys, BBC Studios, CleverTap, Ovyo Tech Services, Magnifi and WPP Media. Mentors come from organisations including AWS India, Sony Pictures Network, Samsung India, Deluxe, Warner Bros Discovery and Benchmark Broadcast Systems. The programme is supported by industry sponsors including Ross Video, Vizrt, Appear, Qvest, BBC, Sky, ITV and Arqiva.

“Each year, the Rise Mentoring Programme continues to demonstrate just how transformative mentorship can be for everyone involved,” said Deborah Cross, operations director at Rise. “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.”