Rise, the global professional community focused on advancing gender diversity across the broadcast and media technology industry, has announced its 2026 MENA mentoring cohort, bringing together 32 mentor-mentee pairings from across the region.
The MENA programme forms part of Rise’s global mentoring initiative, which features more than 150 mentor-mentee pairings across the UK, Europe, ANZ, APAC, India and North America this year. The programme is designed to provide participants with opportunities to strengthen their professional networks, develop industry knowledge and support long-term career progression.
Over the six-month programme, mentees will have access to networking opportunities, workshops and industry-led sessions, alongside a minimum of two hours of dedicated one-to-one mentoring every month.
Kathey Battrick, Chairperson, Rise MENA, said, “We’re really proud to have launched the first Rise peer-to-peer mentoring programme in MENA. The response from across the industry has been fantastic, with experienced professionals giving their time to share their knowledge and expertise. It’s about creating meaningful connections and helping women across the region build their networks and develop their careers.”
The initiative combines Rise’s international mentoring framework with a programme tailored to the MENA market. Participants across territories will join shared global sessions, while regional cohorts will also engage with content and activities aligned with the specific challenges, opportunities and priorities of their respective markets.
The 2026 Rise MENA mentoring programme is supported by Vizrt, Qvest and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Karen Coetzee, Regional MENA Mentoring Programme Lead at Rise, said, “The MENA region is home to an ambitious and rapidly developing media and technology sector, with women playing an increasingly important role in its growth.
Rise brings 32 pairings together for our first cohort — women building careers in media and technology, matched with leaders at the top of those same sectors. What those mentors bring is time, honesty and access, and that’s what changes a career.”
The programme also represents a significant milestone for Rise’s regional mentoring efforts, creating a dedicated platform for women working across the MENA broadcast, media, technology and creative industries. The cohort reflects the breadth of the regional ecosystem, including emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and retail media, alongside their growing convergence with CTV and streaming.
Neha Modi, Mentoring Program Lead at Rise, said, “Rise has been a very personal part of my journey. From being a mentee in 2021 to now helping bring the first-ever Rise MENA programme to life feels incredibly special. It’s a true full-circle moment, and I can’t wait to see this community grow and create an impact across MENA.”
The 2026 MENA mentor-mentee pairings are:
- Sarah Halls will be mentored by Nitin Kalra
- Ingrid Sandra Figueroa will be mentored by Mohamed Sheiha
- Naglaa Ahmed will be mentored by Silvie Muth
- Irene Proimos will be mentored by Caroline Faraj
- Sarah Alsouqi will be mentored by Raghida Abou Fadel
- Danata Iamadaeva will be mentored by Mayssa Abumrad
- Anoushka Saluja will be mentored by Ryan Luis
- Swati Kumari will be mentored by Suhail Ahmed
- Negin Chabok will be mentored by Tina George
- Istuti Saxena will be mentored by Dipesh Makwana
- Insha Arif will be mentored by Jax Dyer-Donaldson
- Enid W will be mentored by Reem Mahmoud Hassan
- Joy Mwendwa will be mentored by Maira Mehnoor
- Naasha Bulsara will be mentored by Nicola Porter
- Swati Thakur will be mentored by Pilar Marquez
- Diana Arab will be mentored by Azin Samarmand
- Yasmeen Kayello will be mentored by Rana Gebran
- Charmaine Camingal will be mentored by Kawsar Marzouk
- Megha Kukar will be mentored by Barry M
- Jana Shakra will be mentored by Tatiana Laudati
- Farah Basmaji will be mentored by Melvin Saldhana
- Masoumeh Rahmani will be mentored by Ahmed Aboushabab
- Samar Al Shayeb will be mentored by Dave Mace
- Noha Kotb will be mentored by Peter Dennehy
- Havva Hassan will be mentored by Nandita Saggu
- K. Usha Kiran will be mentored by Agata Zukowska
- Tinsae Girma will be mentored by Sanita Sandhu
- Imane Sifeddine will be mentored by Natalie Cooke
- Shefali Bapna will be mentored by Rasha Abushamaa
- Jennifer Masterton will be mentored by Anjali Desai
- Rasha Hamzeh will be mentored by Dina Nimer
- Mary Jeethu A J will be mentored by Tracey Grant
Through the initiative, Rise aims to strengthen connections between emerging professionals and experienced leaders while supporting greater representation and career development for women across MENA’s rapidly evolving media and technology landscape.
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