Rise Fund
The Women’s Media Group Rise Fund was initiated in 2022 to provide financial support to members to enhance career knowledge and growth through education, experiences, and other professional development endeavors.
2025 Recipients
Bennett Cerf, the legendary co-founder of Random House, is getting the full biography treatment by Gayle Feldman, a longtime WMG member and self-employed journalist and author. Her deeply researched book about this key figure in the history of American book publishing will be published next fall. Gayle received $500 to help her develop a website to promote the book.
Britta Lokting will be traveling to California to do important hands-on research for an article she sold as an independent journalist to The Nation. Her Rise Fund grant of $700 is in support of her travel expenses.
Sangeeta Mehta is a self-employed independent development editor, who recognizes the importance of learning about the helpful role that artificial intelligence tools can play in the editing process. She received $400 to attend an "AI for Editors" live online training course.
Deborah Mortimer is the founder and owner of Leap Forward Publishing, LLC, an independent hybrid publisher that develops books that focus on diversity, inclusion, and representation. With $400 in assistance from the Rise Fund, she will attend the Independent Book Publisher Association University in St. Paul, Minnesota, to expand her publishing knowledge and network.
After a career in corporate media, Courtney Reimer recently founded her own creative podcast strategy company called Sounds Great. To establish herself as a thought leader in the podcast world, Courtney will be speaking at a variety of conferences this year. Courtney's Rise Fund grant of $500 will be put towards fees for a public speaking coach to help her prepare for these growth opportunities.
2024 Recipients
Lisa Durden is a seasoned social justice journalist and producer working on a self-produced documentary called Blind Divas, which is about two women who are champions in the blindness community.The Rise Fund granted Lisa $1,000 toward production expenses for a video trailer designed to seek fundraising for her film, which has a tentative release date of early 2025.
Corynne Corbett has produced more than 85 episodes of her podcast, Start Right Here!, which puts the spotlight on the career paths of BIPOC beauty pros. She received $400 for a website redesign project, which aims to help expand her podcast's reach and impact.
The Rise Fund is supporting Sally Ekus, who lives in New England, with $500 to help fund her attendance at Gathering of the Ghosts, the first-ever national convention of professional ghostwriters happening this week in Manhattan. The networking and knowledge Sally will gain from this event supports her role as Senior Literary Agent at The Ekus Group, a boutique culinary division of The Jean V. Naggar agency.
Freelance writer and editor Jean Gazis received a $600 grant to partially fund her participation in Writing Career Catalyst, a year-long coaching program for professional writers that provides a structured plan for developing a writing practice, building confidence, setting goals, and balancing other life obligations.
2023 Recipients
Golda Arthur received $700 towards sound editing for a podcast she’s writing/producing on ovarian cancer.
Diane Debrovner received $700 towards a grant-writing certification from the Global Grant Writers Collective.
Yona Deshommes received $700 towards a community literacy event she conceptualized and is coordinating.
Stasha Healy received $400 towards a digital marketing skills class from Coursera.