Fiona Cherbak nominated for Women in Tech Hollywood Mentor & Champion Award

Rocket Game Talent Head of Agency Fiona Cherbak has been nominated by the Women in Technology: Hollywood Foundation for its Mentor & Champion Award, recognizing more than two decades of mentoring women and emerging talent in games. Winners will be announced Oct. 21 at the 9th Annual SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit in Los Angeles.

Why it matters: - The nomination spotlights one of games’ long-running mentorship figures at a time when the industry is still working to widen access for women and emerging talent. - The Women in Technology: Hollywood Foundation’s award recognizes leaders who help others advance in media and entertainment technology. - Cherbak’s work spans community organizing, studio leadership and talent operations, giving the recognition reach beyond a single company or role.

What happened: - Fiona Cherbak, Head of Agency at Rocket Game Talent, was nominated for WiTH’s Mentor & Champion Award. - The honor recognizes more than 20 years of mentoring women and emerging talent in the games industry. - Winners will be announced Oct. 21 at the 9th Annual SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit. - The summit will be held at the Directors Guild of America Los Angeles Theater Complex and will be available both in person and virtually.

The details: - WiTH says the Mentor & Champion Award honors leaders who lift others as they rise. - The organization brings together women technology leaders from Amazon, Disney, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures and other major studios. - Recent honorees included Beate Chelette of The Growth Architect, Krystyn Hilliard of Tubi and Samira Panah Bakhtiar of Amazon Web Services. - Cherbak said the nomination reflects “more than twenty years of mentorship” and the people who opened doors for her. - Cherbak formerly chaired the IGDA Women in Games Special Interest Group. - Cherbak co-founded Women in Games International, now in its 21st year. - Cherbak co-created GameMentorOnline, described as a first-of-its-kind industry mentoring program. - Cherbak also co-founded the Boston Festival of Indie Games. - At Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios, Cherbak supported 14 PlayStation studios and teams as Talent Acquisition Lead. - At Xbox Game Studios, Cherbak led talent programs across 23 first-party studios as Lead Talent Program Manager. - At Xbox Game Studios, Cherbak built inclusive hiring programs, hosted GDC career conversations and supported the Gaming for Everyone, Accessibility, USO and Neurodiversity initiatives. - Cherbak also supported career counseling for Xbox Game Camp graduates. - Cherbak has spoken at USC Games, MIT and Savannah College of Art and Design. - Cherbak has advised BAFTA Games and the European Women in Games Conference. - Cherbak joined a White House women-in-games initiative. - Cherbak co-produced the inaugural Women Create Games Forum in Milan, sponsored by Xbox. - Today, Cherbak helps indie and growing studios with talent work at Rocket Game Talent and serves on the advisory board of Women in Games International.

Between the lines: - The nomination ties Cherbak’s community-based mentoring history to her work inside major game publishers, underscoring how talent pipeline work often starts in grassroots groups and scales through industry institutions. - WiTH’s emphasis on mentorship, networking and professional development suggests the award is meant to reward influence that is not always captured by titles alone. - The event also serves as a networking and visibility moment for women working across technology, media and entertainment.

What's next: - WiTH will announce the Mentor & Champion Award winner on Oct. 21 in Los Angeles. - The 9th Annual SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit will run under the theme “Built for This Moment.” - Registration is available at withollywood.org. - Rocket Game Talent says it continues to help indie and growing studios build hiring systems and inclusive recruiting programs.

The bottom line: - Cherbak’s nomination recognizes a career built around one theme: helping more women and emerging developers get into games and move up once they are there.