Rideback Rise , the nonprofit POC content accelerator launched by then-producer Dan Lin, has set its first CEO. Diana Mogollón , the founder and former head of Warner Bros.’ Stage 13, takes over the Rise leadership from founding Executive Director Sabrina Pourmand.
Mogollón will lead the nonprofit in its support of POC writers and filmmakers who are financially and creatively supported as they seek to develop their own market-ready mainstream television and film projects. Under Mogollón’s leadership, the upcoming 2024 and 2025 cohort of Rise fellows is being reconfigured and expanded from five to up to 15, who will each receive $40K stipends in addition to accessing development funds to secure IP, create visual materials and shoot proof-of-concepts. The new configuration significantly increases the investment in Rise creators and replaces the prior configuration of five fellows and 10 Residents, who each received $50K and $10K, respectively.
The application period for the 2024 and 2025 fellowship runs June 1-30. “In a short time, Rise has established itself as a highly respected institution doing the necessary work to advance narrative change by developing mainstream content by diverse creators, and I am honored to have been entrusted to lead Rise at a time when the industry is contracting and the need to amplify POC stories is both real and good business,” said Mogollón. “Since stepping in I have been in awe of the excellence of our current cohort, and I’.
