POC Content Accelerator Rideback Rise Announces 2026 Fellows

Rideback Rise, a non-profit content accelerator dedicated to supporting mid-career POC writers and filmmakers in creating commercially viable entertainment that drives narrative change, announced its 2026 Fellowship cohort on Friday. The selected fellows will receive financial and creative backing to develop television and film projects, including fully scripted screenplays and pilots.

The 2026 Fellows include: Sabrina Almeida, Karen Chee, Nik Dodani, Winnie Kemp, Gabriel R. Lugo, Fredrick Leach, Justin S. Lee, Elaine Loh, Zoey Martinson, Hisonni Mustafa, Allison Sanchez, Jorge Thomson, So Young Shelly Yo, and William Yu.

In addition, Rideback Rise introduced 175 new members to the Rise Circle, an annual network of POC creatives who gain access to workshops, master classes, networking events, and other development opportunities alongside the Fellows. Together, the Fellows and Circle members comprise the full 2026 Rise cohort.

CEO Diana Mogolln announced the fellowship recipients at the Rise Cohort Kick-Off event held at Rideback Ranch in L.A.s Historic Filipinotown. Special guests included actor-producer Steven Yeun and producer Christina Oh. Mogolln praised the cohort, saying, This is a brilliant, ambitious group of writers and filmmakers whose talent is matched by their drive to redefine storytelling. Through Rise, they become creative entrepreneurs, crafting culturally resonant, commercially compelling projects for a changing audience.

Each 2026 Fellow will receive a $40,000 unrestricted grant for the year-long program and may access additional Development Funds to secure rights, create pitch materials, short films, or visual content to support their projects.

Since its launch, Rise has supported 381 creatives with over 1,000 hours of programming, including development workshops, rewrite sessions, pitching modules, and summits on financing, distribution, marketing, and technology. Founded by producer Dan Lin, who now serves as Chairman of Netflixs film division, Rise has distributed $1.4 million in direct grants. About 60% of fellowship projects have successfully secured deals or development agreements with major studios and production companies.

Author: Jackson Miller