NEXTGEN MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Driven by equity and built for impact, NextGEN cultivates the next wave of diverse entertainment executives through intentional mentorship and leadership development, shaping decision-makers who are ready to lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
The application for 2026 is now closed
Join the interest list to be the first to know when applications open!
The Mission
The Reel Champions NextGEN: Executive Diversity Mentorship Program seeks to uplift women and non-binary people of color in the executive/corporate pipeline of the entertainment industry in the hopes of sculpting a more diverse array of decision-makers. By forming and nurturing mentorship relationships, we hope to create an exceptional class of executives, producers, agents, managers and more.
Spanning from April 2025 to March 2026, the NextGEN Program will match early career individuals with carefully selected seasoned mentors, who will provide guidance and serve as allies to mentees experiencing the unique and challenging waters of one’s first few years in the entertainment business. Mentors will also make valuable connections with other experienced members of the industry.
By the end of the program, our goal is for mentors to feel better equipped to be mindful, self-aware leaders, and for mentees to feel prepared to succeed in this business long-term.
testimonials
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“Being a mentor with NextGEN has been a very rewarding experience. Connecting with the incredible up-and-coming leaders in our industry gives me such hope and excitement for the future of storytelling. And the TRC community is so uplifting and generous. I am very grateful to be a part of this program.”
- Limor Hakim, Mentor
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“My mentor helped motivate me! He was also in the mailroom at some point a while ago, so he understood how I was feeling at the time. He gave me amazing advice about putting myself out there and doing the very best I can even if the task felt unimportant. I took that advice and not long after I got a desk!”
- Genevieve Villarreal, Mentee -
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“It's been great to have a monthly check in and both be able to document the progress we are making. If you would like to brainstorm or ask for advice in a 1:1 setting with someone slightly ahead in the process, this would be an excellent program to apply for. ”
- Mohana Rajakumar, Mentor -
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“I would recommend NextGEN as it has allowed me to create an amazing relationship with my mentor. She has taught me so much in our time together and has really helped me prepare a path towards a hopeful future in the industry. I believe someone should apply to the NextGEN program because it has helped me to meet some amazing people.”
- Alisia Gutierrez, Mentee
Application Timeline
Friday, February 6th - Applications Open
Friday, February 27th - Applications Close
1st week of March - Mentor and Mentee Interviews with Head of Mentorship, Alex Porges
Monday, March 30th - Decisions Announced
2nd week of April - Mentor and Mentee Training
Frequently Asked Questions
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Although our mentorship program is for women and non-binary mentees of color, we are looking for mentors from all backgrounds who are based in Los Angeles.
We are seeking entertainment industry professionals who are
experienced in production, representation, marketing, advertising, and creative development in any genre or medium. Because our mentees range from recent graduates to junior executives, we are seeking mentors with at least 3 years of experience in the industry.The most important quality is a strong desire to impart knowledge and guidance to their mentee. A successful mentor is one who is excited to support the next generation of decision makers, and teach them things they wish they knew when they were first starting out. Ideal mentors are able to practice empathy and offer honest and constructive feedback, even through the rough times of a mentee’s journey.
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The NextGEN: Executive Diversity Mentorship Program is geared toward women and non-binary people of color whose goal is to grow on the corporate side of entertainment. This includes future executives, managers, agents, and producers who will be making the industry decisions in the years to come.
Mentees will need to be based in LA as we will be focusing on cultivating in-person connections whether that be 1:1 meetings between mentors and mentees or program-wide networking events.
Our ideal mentee is motivated to succeed, can commit enough time to the program, and are ready to take ownership over their experience to make mentoring worthwhile. It is important for each mentee to feel comfortable asking questions, be open to feedback, and come with a positive attitude and eagerness to learn.
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Mentors and mentees are both expected to have availability to meet 1:1 or their small group POD in person or virtually at least once a month.
Mentees will be expected to initiate communication to plan a monthly check-in. During these meetings, they should come with agenda items and updates on the goals set together at the beginning of the program. Our mentees will be expected to be excellent communicators who respect mentors’ boundaries.
Mentors are expected to keep open communication with their mentees and be accessible through their preferred method (email, text, slack, etc.).
Both mentors and mentees are expected to touch base with our Head of Mentorship when they receive check-ins as well as communicate if there are any complications or issues throughout the mentorship.
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This year, we will be accepting approximately 30 mentors and 30 mentees.
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While you may qualify for both in terms of experience, you may only apply as either a mentee or a mentor for a given program cycle.
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We welcome past mentors to apply again. If you previously participated in the WW mentorship program as a mentee, we ask that you please not reapply as a mentee candidate, and consider applying as a mentor. Your experience can be monumentally valuable to a new incoming applicant and we hope you'll join us in this new rotation as a mentor.