LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Femme It Forward, Live Nation’s female-led entertainment joint venture announced the launch of Next Gem Femme, a mentorship program intended to accelerate career opportunities in the live entertainment industry for young women of color.
The program will seek to pair established female talent execs with promising young women for a year-long mentorship along with the opportunity to build moving forward. During the year, the mentorships will try to balance practical business experience with ongoing professional coaching, résumé-building, and networking opportunities.
So far, more than 100 leading female industry execs from some of the biggest players in the industry have signed on from a list of companies that includes Amazon Music, Apple Music, iHeartMedia, Atlantic Records, CAA, Capitol Music Group, Maverick Management, Columbia Records, Endeavor, ICM Partners, Interscope Geffen A&M, Live Nation, Pandora, SoundCloud, Spotify, TikTok, Viacom Digital Studios, Revolt Media, Essence, WME, YouTube, and more.
The inaugural program will see 200 female women of color who are pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees or currently serving in entry-level positions provided with mentorship slots. Of that 200, Femme It Forward has committed to recruiting at least 100 candidates from historically Black colleges and universities.
Mentees will also be able to apply for scholarships, book stipends, food stipends, and other financial aid during the program.
“Women succeed when we support each other, and as a company dedicated to celebrating the depth, power and talent of women in music and entertainment, we have a special responsibility to cultivate the next generation of female leaders in the workplace,” said Heather Lowery, founder and CEO, Femme It Forward. “We are at a pivotal moment for progress, and if we can help more women pay it forward there’s no telling how much we can accomplish together.”
