Introducing The emPOWER Pathway: A Network of Challenge Buddies

We are thrilled to announce the launch of The emPOWER Pathway – a mentoring network of Challenge Buddies who are here to walk alongside you through personal and professional challenges.

It’s a safe, supportive network where lived experience is shared openly and generously. Our Challenge Buddies are people from across the emPOWER community who have faced difficult moments in their own lives and careers, and who are now generously offering their time, insight and empathy to help others.

Whether you’re navigating loss, burnout, family challenges, or simply need someone who understands what you’re going through, our mentors are here to listen. They are not counsellors, but friends who will stand with you and share what helped them through.

Meet Our Challenge Buddies

The network brings together a remarkable group of voices from across our industry:

• Maxine Hose, Head of Production at Grey London, she champions openness around menopause and greater inclusivity in the workplace.

  
  

• Leila Bartlam, Chief Production Officer at Accenture Production Studio, who advocates for neurodivergent inclusion through her own lived experience of autism.

  
  

• Sue Higgs, award-winning creative leader and fierce advocate for equality, who brings humour, honesty, and decades of resilience to her mentoring.

  
  

• Jody Allison, co-founder of Heads Up Production and a breast cancer survivor, who combines professional expertise with deep compassion and loyalty.

  
  

• Alessia Small, agency producer and mother, whose journey through postnatal depression and personal recovery informs her calm, balanced approach to support.

  
  

• Liam Preston and Matt Dearsley, co-founders of Dad Still Standing, who have turned their own heartbreaking experiences of baby loss into a space for fathers to find strength and solidarity.

  
  

• James Hayhurst, creator of The Parents Promise, who is working to change the conversation around separation and family wellbeing, while drawing from his own experiences as a father.

• Athene Parker, Founder of The emPOWER Breakfast, who channels her experiences parenting a non-speaking autistic son into building workplaces rooted in empathy and storytelling.

Each of these voices carries something rare and powerful: the willingness to share their story so that others feel less alone. This is a gift our mentors are giving freely to our community, and we truly hope you’ll take up the opportunity.

Meet the mentors and connect through The emPOWER Pathway here.