Rideback Rise

RISE Y2 is off to an amazing?star -- we're reaching new heights this year with?programming by?in-house mentors Jessica and Rob,?along with?inspiring speakers Meg LeFauve, Joe Forte, and Kemp Powers engaging with our Fellows and Circle Members in recent workshops. A huge thanks to Flavors From Afar for the delicious catering. Rideback RISE is ready to tackle the year with full stomachs and open minds!

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Our hearts are with the victims and everyone affected by the LA fires. We've gathered a list of support centers and resources to help during this devastating time—swipe through the post to access them. Let's come together as a community to support those in need. Please share this post to spread awareness and ensure help reaches as many people as possible. Together, we stand strong for LA.?

To our incredible Year 1 creators and storytellers — THANK YOU.? This is not goodbye, but see you soon. Over the past year, your passion, dedication, and drive to tell your stories have been truly inspiring. Watching you pour your heart and soul into your art has been nothing short of extraordinary. We are so proud of you and look forward to cheering you on as you continue writing, dreaming, and achieving greatness.? A special thank you to Dan Lin, Jessica Sharzer, the RISE team, and all our amazing speakers and guests for making this dream a reality.? We are especially grateful to Angela Robinson for your heartfelt closing speech. You left us with a message we will carry forward! We also welcomed the official launch of Year 2 of our RISE cohort with an inspiring celebration.?The day included thought-provoking conversations featuring Jessica Gao, moderated by Kara Brown, and Destin Daniel Cretton, moderated by our CEO Diana Mogollon, and a lively happy hour filled with laughter and community. A special thank you to our partners Diageo and Sanzo for showing up time and time again to elevate our events. To our fellows and residents — stay connected, keep dreaming, and keep rising.? This is just the beginning, and we cannot wait to see the incredible strides this talented group will make.? Let’s continue this amazing #JourneyTogether. -- The RISE Team

Rideback RISE Presents: Lights, Camera, PitchFest! On Friday, October 25th, we hosted our first-ever PitchFest and we couldn’t be more proud of the result. Executives, producers, financiers, and top industry players gathered to watch as our 15 talented RISE storytellers showcased their original TV and Film projects. The pitches were nothing short of amazing, and we’re still buzzing from the energy in the room. A huge thank you to our sponsors Sanzo and Diageo for helping us put this showcase together, we have endless gratitude for your continued support. A million thank yous to our RISE mentors, team, guest showrunners, industry partners, donors, and most importantly our talented, inspiring creators. We’re so happy to see your hard work pay off. Congrats again to you all! Stay tuned and follow our journey as we continue to drive real commercial and creative change in support of our mission.

What an inspiring weekend at Rideback RISE! Our Indie Financing Summit was truly a game-changer for filmmakers. We gathered industry experts to dive deep into the world of indie financing, exploring everything from festival routes to foreign sales and distribution. Our panelists helped us learn that while studio financing may provide a structured and sizable budget, indie financing requires resourcefulness and creativity in the path to getting your project made. Helping our filmmakers find the right partnerships can make all the difference in ensuring a film reaches its intended audience and achieves success. A HUGE thank you to chef Nyesha J. Arrington for the delicious food that kept us energized and to Sanzo for keeping us hydrated throughout the event. We couldn't have done it without our amazing partners, panelists, and sponsors: Sophia Yen from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, Christopher Perez from Donaldson Callif Perez, LLP, Charlotte Koh from Lionsgate, Ted Hope from Double Hope Films, Benjamin Kramer from Creative Artists Agency, Julia Nelson from 2AM, Chris Quintos Cathcart from Unapologetic Projects, Theresa Page from Ley Line Entertainment, Carissa Knol from Knol Hanly P.C., Joseph D. Chianese (He, Him) CPA, MBT from Entertainment Partners, Lee Kim from Resolute Films and Entertainment, David Acosta from East West Bank, BALA Firm LLP, City National Bank, Comerica Bank, Counsel for Creators LLP, Fifth Third Bank, MUFG, Sunflower Bank, N.A., and Western Alliance Bank. We hope to see you at the next RISE event!

What an incredible night! A huge thank you to the legendary Jon M. Chu?for leading an amazing RISE Master Class where he shared insights into his remarkable career, strategies for success, his new book?Viewfinder, and an exciting glimpse into the upcoming?Wicked?movie! Our RISE community had the honor of hearing from one of the industry's most accomplished and trailblazing?filmmakers?in an inspiring conversation hosted by our very own RISE Founder, Dan Lin. ?A special thank you to chef?Roy Choi?who not only attended but also supported our RISE mission by bringing his iconic Kogi BBQ?truck to serve our community his incredible fare. And thank you to?Glazeology?for keeping us energized with some delicious onsite donut making! ? Thank you to?BULLEIT Frontier Whiskey?and Seedlip Drinks?Non-Alcoholic Spirits, our valued partners whose continued support and shared vision perfectly align with RISE's mission. Bulleit celebrates those on the frontier of culture, breaking new ground in art, sustainability, food, cocktails, and technology. Seedlip is on a mission to change the world by turning expectations on their head, and opening new possibilities. ? Of course, a heartfelt thank you to Sanzo Sparkling Water, Diageo, KACE Tea, and Boba Guys?for keeping us refreshed throughout the evening. ? We hope to see you at the next RISE Master Class!?

WHAT. A. NIGHT! Our biggest event of the year #RISEForComedy|ll was action-packed with laughs and love. We are still reminiscing ?? Performances by Jo Koy, Gabriel Iglesias, Jimmy O. Yang, Becky Robinson, Lou Lou Gonzalez, Ken Flores, and current RISE resident Biniam Bizuneh had us blown away. THE BEST OF THE BEST! ?? A HUGE thank you to our partners Panda Express, Don Julio, Boba Guys, ASOAE, Icon Concerts & 3G Productions LLC for setting us up for success, and a huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to Jo Koy & team. You always know how to RISE for a great cause and we couldn't have raised $251k+ without any of you and the RISE community to support mid-career creators of color! ?? ?? Last but not least, thanks to some pretty terrific partners who made our night extra special Charity Benefit Auctions, Tochi Snacks, Sarmie Sister Sweets, The Coca-Cola Company, EBOOST, The Billionaire Burger Boyz, Dream Downtown Hotel, Sanzo, Theredchikz, Baking with Ish, & Gene Bautista for an awesome set. Here's to a 3rd year of laughter, building community, and most importantly, the journey of uplifting and empowering POC creators! ? ?? #IPOC #filmmaking #screenwriter #nonprofit #pocwriters #Film

We're #hiring! Looking for fall development #interns and social media #interns. See position details below -- and feel free to share with your network! Interested? Send your resume and a brief cover letter to [email protected]. Come join us and #RISE!

?? ?? The WHY that fuels our mission at Rideback Rise. Building long-lasting community and connection amongst POC creators and filmmakers while receiving precious gems of wisdom from one of our industry's icons - Ava DuVernay! ?? This, in turn, drives the inspiration, creatively and practically, to imagine BIG and be entrepreneurial in every way on this splendid storytelling journey. The conversation moderated by ARRAY's own Paul Garnes was eye-opening and beyond aspirational!! ?? Thank you #AvaDuVernay, Paul Garnes, Tilane Jones, Tammy Garnes, and the ARRAY team for making this Master Class so memorable! Honored to amplify Dan Lin's vision with the amazing Rideback Rise team: April S. Chang, Kristina "Krissey" Nardecchia, Caroline Rugo, Chris Day, and support from our Board of Directors - Andrea Cherng, Brickson Diamond, Michael LoFaso, Alice Rhee, Strauss Zelnick. Here's to the change-makers creating lasting impact!! ?? #storytelling #BIPOCstories #community #creativity #POCstories #innovation