MEET YOUR MENTORS

Learn from industry experts and creatives who are shaping the future, gain insights, guidance, and mentorship to elevate your craft.

As seen on

The path is hard because you walk alone.

Insights & mentorship.

Explore tailored sessions designed to refine your craft and expand your skills.

Discover your mentors.

Purpose Mentors

Vashti-Iona Beckford

Varren Wade

Denis M. Wade

Jazz Montell Wade

Deanyboy

Leon Wright

Grandmother Wade: Matriarch of the Wade Family Legacy (Celebrating 90 years)

“As a mother, I tried to do my best to help my husband as much as I possibly could. I helped bring in the cash, and we had to send help back home to our girls in Jamaica. We both had a standard for our family, and by 1967..”

Matriarch of the Wade Family speaks to the Next Generation.

Film & Music Mentors

Stefan A.D Wade

Nina Malone

Sheldon Shephard

Tapy Nyoni

Jack Smith

Alex Igbanoi

Stefan A.D Wade the 360 artist (Actor, director, producer, animator, illustrator, graphic designer, singer/songwriter)

“A writer needs a director to bring their words to life, and an actor needs all those elements to perform. Half of the things I've done, I haven’t paid for. I would trade services. It’s about collaboration and leveraging what you can offer in exchange for what you need to grow..”

Stefan A.D Wade Insights (the 360 artist)

“If you don't have a spiritual life, you're missing out because you are a spirit, and everything you do comes from your cerebral body. I'm tapped in. I pray, I meditate, and I tap into that cerebral energy every day. The reality is, a lot of people have made something of themselves because they're connected to a higher power..”

Creativity flows from a higher Source.

“Your stories are going to come from your life, from your experiences. I wrote the Source project in Brazil, during a time when I was escaping from a low point after losing my job. I needed an escape, a release.”

Creatives use their life experiences.

“A lot of you have connections to other countries. Being in the West, you're often diluted by the differences. From a creative aspect, find your family roots from where your parents are from and consistently tap into your heritage and culture..”

Creativity and your origin Culture.

Nina Malone Agent at IAG

“There's still a long way to go, but it's changing. On the ground, there are more TV roles for authentic accents. The scene is opening up and becoming more global. Theres a push for things to be more inclusive .”

Nina Malones Insights (Talent Agent IAG)

“I'm a talent agent and work for IAG. Talent is the first thing we're looking for, but hustle is just as important. You have to have self-belief and see a career path for yourself. Everyone who gets booked has to believe they can do it..”

Hustle is just as important.

“With accents, there's been a shift as more briefs come in for film and TV work. They're no longer insisting you have to be American or British, which used to be the norm. In more recent projects, you'll notice a broader range of world-based accents being represented..”

There’s a big push for diversity.

“The scene is opening up and becoming more global. There's a strong push for diversity, and it's important to keep working on your craft in your own accent. The opportunities are growing, so stay focused and keep improving..”

Actors with alternative accents.

Alex Igbanoi Director, writer, producer & Acting coach

“I am a director and acting coach with a background in film production and directing. I have worked as an acting coach with several actors who have gone on to star in films and series. My journey led me to work at Identity School of Acting, RADA, and ArtsEd, and I now run my own acting class..”

Alex Igbanoi Insights (Director, Acting Coach & Producer)

“I have always wanted to bridge the gap between directors and actors. I believe a director is only as good as the actors in their film, and actors are only as good as the films they star in.”

Directors & Actors.

“I think there's a feeling sometimes that what we want is bigger than us. But I believe that the dream we desire is sitting right next to us. The most important thing is to look at that giant and shrink it..”

What we seek is next to us.

“The only way out is through. You have to take each day as it comes and just work through it..”

Work through it.

Tapi Nyoni Marketing Expert, Producer & Writer

“Ultimately, the way you bridge the gap is by living and breathing the industry you want to be in. Nobody in my family was in the industry I’m in, but I immersed myself in it completely..”

Tapi Nyoni Insights (Marketing Guru)

“At the time, when I was 16, I wanted to be Bob Iger. I took down his CV and studied it back to front. From my research, I learned about a graduate program at Saatchi & Saatchi, and I managed to get in. I was the only Black person there while working as a runner, earning just £13K a year. But you have to find ways to get to where you want to be..”

Follow a path

“The answer everyone expects is to go on social media and hope for the best. The real answer is that you have to know who your audience is..”

The real answer to marketing

“If it's millennials, focus on Facebook and Instagram. If it's young people, use TikTok and Snapchat. You have to think about your audience first—once you know who they are, you'll know where to put your content..”

Know who, to know where

Jack Smith Cinematographer & Film tech Specialist

“Don’t wear a mask, but also never play the victim. Hold your head up high and focus on what you’re supposed to do. People respect hard work more than they do their own racial bias..”

Jack Smith Insights (Cinematographer & Film tech Specialist)

“From a practical standpoint, you can break into the industry through extra work, as it’s an accessible entry point that doesn’t discriminate..”

Break into any industry.

“A lot of people, regardless of their background, race, or even connections through nepotism, don’t realize the value of starting from the bottom. I’ve seen many people let their ego get in the way, and it ended up hindering their progress..”

No ego, start from the ground up.

“We all experience this in different ways. Speaking from my own experience, when I was a shy 16 year old getting into commercials, I felt like I had to put on a mask to fit in. Looking back, I’d be honest with anyone going through something similar—don’t ever do it. Just be your authentic self.”

No masks, be authentic.

The Power of Authenticity Vashti-Iona Beckford LIVE

“It's the power of authenticity—people can sense who you truly are. It doesn’t make sense, especially in campaigns, when someone takes on a campaign just for the money as opposed to something that aligns with who they are as a person. The conversions just don’t make any sense—people don’t buy the products because it’s obvious that it’s not authentic.”