Showrunners’ Mentorship Matters Diverse Writers Initiative Selects 2024-2025 Participants

EXCLUSIVE: Mentorship Matters, a year-long mentorship program created by showrunners to help boost opportunities for emerging diverse writers, has selected 19 scribes for 2024-2025.

Now in its third year, the program, sponsored by Screencraft and Coverfly, includes a year of consistent, in-depth mentorship and creative advocacy from a committed showrunner. It also includes guidance with developing and polishing an original writing sample along with panels and seminars with high-level industry professionals.

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The 2024-2025 Mentees were selected by showrunners from over 700 applicants with varying experiences and backgrounds. They include Miida Chu, Casey Seline, Samantha Lee, Mahalia Latortue-Pridgett, Jackie Akiko Cloud, Stephen Nolly, Philippe Bowgen, Renee Cunningham, Taylor Henriquez, Sejal Pachisia, Mike Wells, David Aguilar-Rodriguez, Jamie Holt Aguilar-Rodriguez, Monica Cecilia-Lucas, Cassidy Lee, Joshua Kazemi, Richard Scott, Adriana Ducassi and Nick Ducassi.

“With less shows being made, budgets being slashed, writers rooms getting even smaller, and so many fellowships losing their funding, it’s more critical than ever for showrunners and mentors to help create a pathway for underrepresented voices on our own staffs,” said Raelle Tucker (Sacred Lies, True Blood) one of Mentorship Matters’ founding mentors. “We’re thrilled to have partnered with Coverfly. Their commitment to amplifying diverse voices aligns with our mission to change writers rooms of the future and the stories they will tell.”

In its first two years, 21 mentees found representation, 14 mentees have been staffed on shows including Neuromancer (Apple), Tracker (CBS), Will Trent (ABC) and Dexter: Resurrection (Showtime), and 1 signed an overall deal with Sony TV Studios.

“The success of Mentorship Matters speaks volumes about the power of industry leaders taking direct action to create meaningful opportunities for emerging voices. Their impressive track record – with 21 writers finding representation and 14 being staffed on major shows – demonstrates exactly the kind of impact we aim to support,” said Tom Dever, VP of Business Development for Coverfly & ScreenCraft. “The caliber of showrunner mentors they’ve assembled, combined with their deep commitment to nurturing diverse talent, makes this program an invaluable force for positive change in our industry. This partnership perfectly aligns with our mission to identify and elevate promising writers, and we’re proud to support such a thoughtfully designed, results-driven program.”

Showrunner Mentors include Leslie Bohem, Jen Braeden, Jennifer Cacicio, Maisha Closson, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Hilly Hicks, Terri Kopp, Britt Matt, Wendy Mericle, Tom Pabst, Dawn Prestwich, Lisa Randolph, Keto Shimizu, Jordan Young, Aaron Zelman, Richard Keith and Erin Cardillo.

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