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WIA Spotlights Mentorship Successes with New Case Studies Release

Written by former AWN editor-in-chief Jennifer Wolfe, the detailed profiles share valuable and important insight into the Women in Animation initiative that continues to support and inspire the careers of numerous mentees.

Women in Animation has just unveiled several case studies spotlighting successful sets of Mentors and Mentees who have gone through WIA’s Mentorship Program over the years. Former AWN editor-in-chief Jennifer Wolfe spoke in depth with four pairs of Mentors and Mentees, including Phil Lord & Chris Miller with Mentee Emma Dudley; Connie Nartonis Thompson with Mentee Jeannette Jimenez; Marlene Chazot with Mentee Megha Jois Mugur; and Philip Malamuth with Mentee Joi-Noelle Worley. These success stories provide valuable insight into why this program is such an important initiative for WIA.

Designed to empower, educate, and support Women in Animation members by increasing their access to information via relationships with knowledgeable mentors, WIA’s Mentorship Program was launched in 2014 to bolster its mission of “50/50 by 2025,” and has exploded from 80 Mentees in 2018 to more than 1,500 through the first quarter of 2021.

WIA Mentors volunteering their time are working professionals from a broad range of disciplines including writing, directing, producing, editing, storyboarding, and more. Aimed at fostering the personal and professional growth of participants, Mentors working at all levels of their careers share knowledge, skills, information, and perspective.

The program’s impact has been enormous, with 86% of Mentees in the most recent survey stating that they were able to accomplish their goals. Mentors have benefitted from the program as well, with many reporting that the process helped them refine their own thinking and that their participation gave them a richer and more nuanced understanding of the industry as a whole.

According to WIA president Marge Dean, “The WIA Mentorship Program is really at the core of what WIA is about. We’re so proud of the tremendous success of this program and the many careers the program has supported and inspired over the years. We’ve received endless feedback from both mentees and mentors about how the program has had a profound impact on their lives.”

Also note that with the Annecy festival now over, you can watch the full Women in Animation World Summit at Annecy 2021 program on the WIA website.

Learn about becoming a Mentor by emailing mentorship@womeninanimation.org for more information.

Source: Women in Animation

Dan Sarto's picture

Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.