Rise AV has announced the mentor-mentee pairings for its inaugural 2026 APAC mentoring program, marking a significant milestone in the organization’s global expansion and mission to support women in the AV industry.
Following the successful launch of its U.K. program in January 2025, the nonprofit is expanding into the APAC region in response to growing demand. Rise AV said the launch of the APAC program was made possible through the support of its global headline sponsor, QSC.
“The launch of Rise AV in APAC is an important step for the industry. The region continues to demonstrate active growth and innovation across the AV landscape. Through our involvement in the Rise AV regional council, QSC is pleased to participate in and support local collaboration focused on skills development and inclusion across the AV community,” said Duncan Savage, vice president and general manager, Q-SYS APAC at QSC.
According to Rise AV, 31 mentees have been paired with 31 mentors. The nonprofit noted this year’s APAC cohort aims to bring together a mix of emerging female talent and experienced industry leaders from across a wide range of disciplines, including sales, engineering, marketing, events and project management. Mentors come from globally recognized organizations such as MGM Macau, JPMorgan and Meta.
Rise AV said over the course of the six-month program, participants will receive:
- One-to-one mentorship, providing personalized guidance and support
- Virtual networking opportunities to foster cross-regional collaboration
- A blend of global and region-specific training sessions, covering areas such as public speaking, active listening, personal branding and LinkedIn training
- Culturally tailored workshops addressing local nuances across APAC markets
- Select in-person networking opportunities and industry engagement, including partnering with key user events in Australia and Singapore, participation at InfoComm Asia, and exclusive site visits such as MGM Macau
2026 Rise AV APAC Mentor and Mentee Pairings
- Aditi Bansal, Samsung Australia, will be mentored by Pujan Doshi Dowsett, IAG
- Cassie Fong, AVI-SPL Hong Kong, will be mentored by David McKinney, Generation AV
- Chenxi Li, Samsung Asia, will be mentored by Cong Wei, QSC
- Chermaine Gan, Kayreach System, will be mentored by Azrina Abdullah, Midwich Asia
- Chris Pang, AVI-SPL Hong Kong, will be mentored by Vivian Zhao, L-Acoustics
- Cora Xue, Brompton Technology, will be mentored by Dina Menon, Electronics & Engineering
- Cynthia Chiu, QSC, will be mentored by Priscilla Chang, The Noise People / WOW! Media Resources
- Hannah Hung, AVI-SPL Hong Kong, will be mentored by Peter Hunt, Hewshott
- Iris Teong, PTS Consulting Singapore, will be mentored by Leslie Goh, Samsung Asia
- Ivy Leong, Ideal Systems Singapore, will be mentored by Jason Tay, Netgear
- Jennifer Chuang, Samsung Asia, will be mentored by Sujith Sivaram, ESCO
- Jude (Xiuzhu) Lin, Brompton Technology, will be mentored by Darren Kopas, MGM Grand
- Kate Tang, Lightware Visual Engineering, will be mentored by Yun Leu, JLL
- Lauren Addison, DBS Consulting, will be mentored by Maureen Aw, Marina Bay Sands
- Lauren Hansom, University of Sydney, will be mentored by Ngaire O’Leary, Sydney Catholic Schools
- Mandy Tsui, Kinly, will be mentored by Piyanut Boonkhun, sAVe
- Marisa Macedo, Pro AV Solutions, will be mentored by Shanelle Stokes, Sony
- Marta Stanke, Electro-Voice, will be mentored by David Seow, Ideal Systems Singapore
- Mei Ying Ong, ESCO, will be mentored by Candice Siow, Lightware
- Melody Bilegt, Ideal Systems, will be mentored by Mavis Leung, Crestron
- Oleksandra Fil, Samsung Electronics, will be mentored by James Sheridan, Igloo Vision
- Penny Chang, LG Electronics Australia, will be mentored by Eamon Drew, Turtle AV
- Pooja Dhir, Sharp Business Systems India, will be mentored by Praveen Chandola, Talendor People Consulting
- Priscilla Ho, ESCO, will be mentored by David Claringbold, Claringbold Consultants
- Pui Kuan Hon, MGM Macau, will be mentored by Carla Sepulveda, Show Spectrum
- Rachel Jacob, Munro Acoustics, will be mentored by Mohan Subramaniam, Meta
- Rucha Deo, Intart Tech Solutions, will be mentored by Prashant Govindan, Generation AV India
- Scarlett Wang, Sennheiser Electronics Asia, will be mentored by Kagi Lau, Kinly
- Susie Yin, QSC, will be mentored by Alexis Figueiras, JPMorgan
- Vivi Chiang, Brompton Technology, will be mentored by Adrash Mohan, Vstream Asia
- Vruchi Satra, Generation AV India, will be mentored by Mustafa Rampurawala, Solutions India Systems
“Launching the APAC Mentoring Programme marks an exciting step forward in our mission to support women globally across the AV industry. The level of interest across the region has been incredible, and with the support of our Regional Council and global partners, we are proud to deliver a programme that reflects the diversity, ambition, and unique cultural landscape of APAC. By combining global best practices with local insight, we are creating meaningful opportunities for women to grow, connect, and lead,” said Peter Hunt, chairperson of the Rise AV APAC Regional Council.
Rise AV said it is actively seeking additional sponsors across APAC and globally to support future cohorts and expand programs into new regions.