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Rise AV, the not-for-profit initiative dedicated to supporting and advancing women in AV, has announced the mentor–mentee pairings for the 2026 Rise AV UK Mentoring Programme.

This year’s cohort unites a mix of emerging talent and seasoned industry leaders from across the commercial, production and events sectors, spanning a wide range of roles, demonstrating the continued growth and impact of the programme within the UK AV community.

Building on the achievements of the 2025 programme, Rise AV continues to build momentum in supporting women in AV, with results demonstrating a measurable impact.

A total of 98% of mentees reported increased professional confidence, while 90% felt better equipped to build and leverage professional relationships. The same proportion also said they felt part of a supportive professional community.

In addition, 84% reported improved communication and presentation skills, and 81% said they had strengthened their personal brand and professional presence. Meanwhile, 69% believe the programme will accelerate their career progression.

The Rise AV Mentoring Programme is designed to empower women at every stage of their careers, equipping them with the confidence, skills and network needed to succeed through a structured and supportive framework. Over six months, participants benefit from a comprehensive range of development opportunities, including one-to-one mentorship, delivering over 12 hours of personalised guidance, exclusive networking opportunities through curated events and industry engagement, targeted development sessions covering career planning, personal branding, confidence, resilience, and leadership skills and ongoing peer support, encouraging collaboration and shared learning.

The programme also delivers value to participating organisations. By supporting employees through the Rise AV Mentoring Programme, businesses benefit from more engaged, confident and capable professionals, while strengthening leadership pipelines, improving retention, and fostering greater diversity of thought and innovation.

The UK Mentor and Mentee pairings for the 2026 Rise AV Mentoring Programme are as follows:

  • Alannah-Jade Manley, Diversified, will be mentored by Hannah Sharma, Exertis
  • Amber Jones, Audiologic, will be mentored by Chris White, Turtle AV
  • Amy Oxley, OneTwo, will be mentored by Clark Henry-Brown, Charcoal Blue
  • Anna North, Lightware, will be mentored by Neil Spackman, AVI-SPL
  • Binita Wilton, Hire Frequencies, will be mentored by Darren Pitt, CTI
  • Charlie Snuggs, Merlin Entertainments, will be mentored by Emma Bigg, TAD Associates
  • Charlotte Troak, Diversified, will be mentored by Wayne Mason, Neat
  • Claire Holmes, Daktronics, will be mentored by Tim Hoddy, Uniguest
  • Courtney Trott, MVS Audio Visual, will be mentored by Jane Hammersley, Blue Touch Paper
  • Devon Porter, JP Show Systems, will be mentored by Glynn Hughes, Diversified
  • Eleanor Clapp, 7thSense, will be mentored by Chris Wintle-Camp, Aura Futures
  • Elizabeth Houghton, OneTwo Agency, will be mentored by James Quinton, Blacktip Consultancy
  • Emma Pieper, Kinly, will be mentored by Dan Lee, Hewshott
  • Harley Willmott, Midwich, will be mentored by Teymour Mossadeghi, Kinly
  • Helen Stokes-Bellamy, Q-SYS, will be mentored by Daryl Clark, Workplace Vision
  • Jessie Bailey, CTI, will be mentored by Tom Halard, Jabra
  • Jodie Hill, Sennheiser UK, will be mentored by James Keen, Uniguest
  • Kim Owen, Diversified, will be mentored by Andy Atwell, RGB Communications
  • Kokui Agbenu, SMART Technologies, will be mentored by Kennie Cole, Kinly
  • Laura Davidson, Audiologic, will be mentored by Lisa Yates, BenQ
  • Laura Dixon-Wilkinson, Siyan, will be mentored by Vanessa Kennedy, Sharp
  • Lauren Fielder, GVAV, will be mentored by Erica Whittle, Sennheiser
  • Leah Harman, AVM/Northamber, will be mentored by Sanjit Hurst, Diversified
  • Marnie Woodford-Venables, Focusrite, will be mentored by Karen Horsup, Midwich
  • Mia Levitt, LED Studio, will be mentored by Danielle Williams, Northamber
  • Rebecca Lloyd, Kinly, will be mentored by Martine Dodwell-Bennett, Absen
  • Samantha Janse van Rensburg, Clevertouch, will be mentored by Faye Bennett, Faye Bennett Consultancy Services
  • Sara Viele, Brompton Technology, will be mentored by Andrew Joseph, Experience Studios
  • Teresa Juncosa Umaran, Kado Audiovisual, will be mentored by Dan Racoroni, Raven AV

“The Rise AV Mentoring Programme isn’t just about mentoring, it’s about creating a pipeline of confident, skilled women ready to lead the AV industry and change the system,” says Rachael Hamilton, Managing Director of Rise AV. “When businesses invest in their female talent, they don’t just develop individuals; they unlock innovation, drive growth and build stronger, more resilient teams. We urge AV employers to nominate the women in their organisations and help shape the future of the sector. And to keep expanding this impact, we need sponsors who share our vision of a more diverse, dynamic and future-ready AV industry. Soon we will be launching Elevate, for women in management roles and looking to take the next step to leadership.”

This free initiative is made possible thanks to the support of industry sponsors: QSC, Audiologic, Diversified, Sennheiser, Yorktel-Kinly, Aura, AV User Group, Shure, Epson, Electrosonic, iiyama, Lightware, Northamber, GVAV, Midwich Group, Konekt, AtlasIED, LTSMG, Unicol, Uniguest, Peerless AV, Project AV, Hewshott, ProAV, Project Audio Visual, SM&W and Woop Jobs.
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