Soho House Mentorship: meet some of our mentees

Since launching in 2018, Soho House’s dedicated mentorship programme has been committed to supporting a new generation of creative talents in cities around the world, providing everything from guidance and community to real-life opportunities.
 
The creative industries are notoriously difficult to break into: class, ethnicity, disability and more have long been barriers to entry – something Soho Mentorship aims to address. Our 16-week Soho Futures social impact programme pairs established Soho House members with young, aspiring creatives from underrepresented backgrounds to help them hone in on their passion, grow their confidence and experience, and provide them with a route into their chosen creative field.
 
Each of our mentees is given a Soho House membership to help grow their network, while members who choose to participate in the mentorship programme receive training on how to deliver advice and coaching. The programme currently runs in 18 cities globally, with new launches in Manchester, Barcelona, Stockholm and Bangkok scheduled for 2024. To date, it has offered over 2,000 young people the support they need to excel as creative innovators.
 
‘As of 2023, at the beginning of the programme, 55% of UK mentees felt able to build positive relationships and make industry connections. This had risen to 85% by the end of the programme,’ says Min Shrimpton, Director of House Foundations Communications at Soho House. Meanwhile, 100% of mentees in the Americas would recommend Soho Mentorship, and 92% of mentees in Asia said it has helped them feel more confident. In the UK, 98% of mentors reported they had a good understanding of the barriers to access for young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds as a result of the programme.’
 
The programme supports our 2030 ESG goal to have 5% of Soho House membership intake part of a creative access programme. As of 2023, this stands at 3%, with our largest cohort of mentees to date. The full 2023 ESG report is now live and can be read here.
 
Here, some of our past and current mentees share their experiences with Soho Futures. The photographs accompanying their interviews were shot by photographer Hannah Norton in locations that are personal to each mentee and their creative journey so far. Norton is currently in residence at the late fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen’s Sarabande Foundation, which is a partner in our Soho Fellowship programme.

UK
London
 
1.  Nyasha Ngondonga
 
London-based Soho House mentee Nyasha Ngondonga has been a part of the programme since 2019. Passionate about music and culture, his dream was to work in the music industry and eventually become an entrepreneur, but with no direct contacts and little experience, getting his foot in the door proved difficult.
 
‘The mentorship programme paired me with legendary British composer David Lowe,’ says Ngondonga. ‘Having a mentor who is in the industry and knows what it’s like has been so impactful for me.’ In 2020, a year after joining the programme, Ngondonga set up his music production company, Plus TRBE Productions, with guidance from Lowe, who acted as a consultant for the launch.
 
‘We create music for films and TV shows that are rooted in Black culture,’ he explains, ‘Since launching, we have signed deals with the BBC and Sky to produce Library music for them, which has been featured on shows including Black Ops, The Rap Game UK and Nail Bar Boys, among others.’ Ngondonga has also established Ancestral Futures, an experiential events company. ‘We host live music events, screenings and exhibitions to promote Africa and connect the continent with the diaspora.’
 
For Ngondonga, the Soho House mentorship programme has been pivotal in building his businesses. ‘Access to networks and funding has been a challenge,’ he says. ‘Having a mentor who has been in the same space as me, someone I can bounce ideas off and who can advise me has been impactful.
 
His cohort community has proven to be of great value, too. ‘We’re all like-minded individuals that are as driven as each other, which is motivating,’ Ngondonga says. ‘Soho House has also been supportive in other ways, as I have been able to host various Ancestral Futures events at the Houses.’
 
On his shoot location:
‘I picked my local cafe near my team's studio – it’s a place where we often meet and talk and have lunch.’
 
 
2.  Jeng Au
 
‘One of the barriers I've faced as an advertising creative is not seeing myself reflected in the industry,’ says Soho House mentee Jeng Au, who joined the London cohort in 2020. A creative director and graphic designer, Au had spent years perfecting their craft but the lack of diversity in the industry had been challenging to navigate as a queer person of colour. ‘When I applied to the Soho House mentorship, I was at a low point with my relationship to creativity and so close to quitting’, they admit. ‘All I knew was that I wanted to make things and be around other creatives – I thought joining the mentorship programme would help me build confidence in my creativity and the creative industries again.’
 
Since becoming a mentee, Au, who is currently an art director at Amazon, has launched various creative ventures with the support of their mentors. ‘My mentor encouraged me to develop my gourmet mushroom-growing hobby into a branding project,’ they say. ‘As a result, I created SPAWN, a fungi project that explores and shares the mighty world of mycology through growth, education, community, and experimentation projects. I also began exploring ways to express my trans identity, which led to myself and some friends starting an all-trans+ arts and camping festival called Camp Trans CIC.’
 
Now in its third year, Camp Trans CIC not only produces sell-out festivals for hundreds of trans+ people, Au and their team curate exhibitions, run trips, and create merch for the community. ‘Looking back at the mentorship, it’s wild to see how much work has been put in and what’s been built,’ they say. ‘Topics that I explored during the programme have developed into bigger things now.’
 
 
On their shoot location:
‘This was taken just outside my gorgeous home, A House for Artists. AHFA is a project in Barking, east London, set up to provide flexible live-work spaces for resident artists, who in turn offer free or low-cost creative programming to the neighbourhood, such as ceramic courses, life drawing classes, board game nights, film screenings, photography lessons and sound tech intros.’

3. Tele Lawal
 
London mentee Tele Lawal always had a side hustle, nurturing her creative mind by building her experiential e-commerce platform, Kouture Paradisé, as she worked full-time: first in politics and later as a management consultant. In 2021, at a time in which she was looking for support on how to take her business to the next stage, she was introduced to the Soho House mentorship programme through a friend.
 
‘My friend DJ Tems was enrolled in the Soho House x Creative Mentor Network programme,’ Lawal recalls, ‘It was great seeing how the guidance and insight he was receiving from his mentor at the BBC was shaping his career, and I thought why not give it a shot myself next year? I knew I needed some creative direction and guidance – having a mentor from Soho House seemed like the missing piece of the puzzle.’
 
During the programme, Lawal was mentored by Charlie Beeson from FutureBrand, who she credits for helping her successfully navigate the challenges of running a creative business – especially when her two partners decided to pursue other ventures. ‘Charlie provided invaluable support for me. He helped me refine the brand identity, craft the value proposition, and frame my ideas,’ she says. ‘I vividly recall one session at 180 House where we scribbled notes in my blue notepad – a particular phrase that stuck with me was “they zig, and we zag”.’
 
In 2023, armed with new tools and an expanded network, Lawal was ready to leave her day job in consultancy to focus her energies on building Kouture Paradisé, alongside her second business, Faith Book Club.
 
On her shoot location:
‘I chose Fulham Library. It holds a special place in my heart and shooting there brought back a flood of nostalgia. I made the move to Fulham in 2022 after spending my entire life outside London, in Noak Hill. Transitioning from a small town to the city was quite daunting; the library provided a sanctuary for me.’

 
4. Cyrus Jarvis
 
Cyrus Jarvis was an 18-year-old fashion communications student at Central Saint Martins in London when he joined the 2022 cohort of the Soho House Mentorship programme. ‘I was unhappy at the time,’ he admits. ‘I had known the university route wasn’t for me, but since I hadn’t been able to bag a role before September came around, I decided to take my offer at UAL as a plan B. I was on a course that many people all around the world would kill to have a place on, but it just felt like a waste of time and money for me. It was too slow-paced, and I couldn’t afford to study in London. I had the maximum student loan and I tried to work on the side, but I was still barely covering my rent. When I got the opportunity to join the mentorship programme, I immediately accepted with the goal of getting into work instead.’
 
On joining the programme in 2022, Jarvis was paired with a mentor who helped him secure a full-time job at a creative agency. ‘Not only did I learn so much at that job, but I learned so much from my mentor and I continue to learn from other mentees too,’ Jarvis says. ‘The connections I’ve made at Soho House are so valuable and the advice I’ve received from the community there has been incredible. I've had a couple of really cool opportunities through past mentees too.’ He has since pursued a career in journalism, contributing to titles such as Mission Magazine – where Jarvis is currently working on a project with Donatella Versace – and TPM (aka The Persian Magazine), a youth culture magazine based in Tehran, Iran.
 
On his shoot location:
‘I used to hang out in this sports complex a lot. It was opened by Prince Philip in the 1950s and abandoned in the 1980s. I discovered it in 2016 when I was 13, after jumping the fence behind a petrol station and coming across it in the middle of the woods; it felt like this private space where I could do whatever I wanted.’

Brighton
 
5. Shauna Pentony
 
Brighton-based mentee Shauna Pentony was on a gap year from her music course at the Open University when she applied for the Soho House Mentorship as part of the February 2023 cohort, in hopes of finding guidance for a career in music.
 
‘Music has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember,’ she says, ‘I started out taking lessons on the violin and from there I just wanted to learn any and every instrument I could get my hands on: the clarinet, the euphonium, the piano, the ukulele, the African drums. I have been writing my own songs since I was 15 years old and I think I have the same dream as most other songwriters in my position – to hear my song lyrics being sung back to me.’
 
However, as a young woman from a lower socio-economic background without any contacts, and knowing how brutal the music industry can be, Pentony knew she needed some support. ‘The programme has been incredibly impactful on my life in so many ways,’ she says. It connected with me an amazing mentor – Miriam from Brighton-based creative agency Designate – who gave me the confidence and support to fully push for what it was that I wanted. She arranged for me to perform on local radio station 1BTN. Those experiences, Pentony says, connected her with a fellow mentee, Jack Watson, who went on to her 2023 debut EP, S.W.A.L.K.
 
‘Miriam also helped me with everything from single artwork – which my friend Poppy (another mentee from the group after me) took all the photos for – to the legal aspect of copywriting and licensing. She even helped me put together a launch event at a local venue with the help of another mentee, Teddy.’
 
On her shoot location:
‘For the photoshoot I chose the living room and balcony at my flat. It’s where I wrote my entire debut EP over many late nights.’
 
 
Amsterdam
 
6. Ammar Bader
 
Ammar Bader joined the Soho House mentorship programme in the summer of 2023, just after emigrating to the Netherlands from Syria on his own. ‘At the time, Amsterdam felt overwhelming yet full of potential,’ he says. ‘I was surrounded by opportunities but lacked direction. I needed guidance to navigate this new chapter of my life and to help me focus on my goals amidst the uncertainty. That’s why the mentorship programme appealed to me.’
 
Bader’s creativity lies in storytelling through music, acting, theatre, and fashion. His goal is to enact positive change through artistic expression. ‘By being seen and heard, I aim to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions, particularly of a Syrian, Muslim and Arab immigrant like myself,’ he explains. ‘The barriers I've encountered in pursuing this career path have been multifaceted. Firstly, coming from a different background and a developing country I've often felt a sense of inferiority, which has affected my confidence. Financial difficulties have been challenging, as well as the need to fulfil Dutch immigration requirements, such as language proficiency and other obligations.’
 
Becoming a part of the mentorship programme helped to ease some of these barriers, while inspiring him to actively pursue his passions. ‘Being paired with my dear mentor Ajay provided me with invaluable guidance and support, helping me to navigate challenges and build my confidence,’ he says. ‘The programme has ignited a hunger within me to seize every opportunity that comes my way and to embrace whatever serves my path and journey. Connecting with other mentors and mentees has provided me with a network of like-minded individuals, which I hope to continue to grow.’
 
On his shoot location:
‘More than just a physical space, my home in Amsterdam symbolises resilience, perseverance, and the beginning of a new chapter in my life after enduring a challenging period of living in refugee centres for over a year. It’s the first place I can truly call home.’

7. Kadigia Farah
 
Creative marketer Kadigia Farah joined Soho House Mentorship in September 2022, after being introduced to the programme through our partnership with Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, where she was working at that time. ‘I was immediately interested as I had just finished my first job and I was looking for a bigger challenge, more meaningful work,’ she says. ‘The Soho House mentorship programme was an opportunity to broaden my network and to learn how to brand myself as a creative.’
 
As a young, Black, Muslim woman from a small town in the Netherlands where creative work was never viewed as a ‘real job’, Farah felt she really had to prove herself in the industry. ‘It was a big goal of mine to work as a freelancer with a diverse set of clients,” she says. ‘The mentorship introduced me to many new faces in the creative industry, who I now work closely with. It also really allowed me to be vulnerable in my creativity and to appreciate the process more. I was programmed to only focus on the end result and make sure that everything looked slick and clean. While I still do that now, I can also enjoy the messiness of the creative process.’
 
One of the big goals Farah set for herself was to create a video for the annual late-night cultural festival Museumnacht Amsterdam – a milestone she hit with the support of her mentor. ‘My mentor really challenged me by holding me accountable for my biggest and boldest dreams,’ she says. When I made the video, it was displayed in the Van Gogh Museum and from that moment onwards, I realised that my big, crazy dreams were not as crazy as I thought.’
 
On her shoot location:
‘The photo was taken at my home – a creative hub filled with photography, books, doodles, notes and things that inspire me. It's a place for me to refuel and get inspired. My work is mostly online, so I’m able to travel and work as much as I like. But my house is still my creative haven.’
 
 
8. Yael Daila
 
Singer-songwriter Yael Daila joined the Soho House mentorship programme in Amsterdam in September 2022, with the aim to building a network in the music industry and ultimately growing her passion into a career. ‘I needed some guidance for my brand, so being matched with a branding manager as my mentor was perfect for me,’ she says. ‘I was also eager to connect with people who share similar interests and ambitions as myself.’
 
Despite her passion for music, Daila struggled with stage fright. Many of her loved ones didn’t see music as a viable career path, adding an additional layer of difficulty in pursuing her dreams. ‘The mentorship programme played a crucial role in helping me overcome these barriers,’ Daila says. ‘Not only was I inspired by my mentor and the other aspiring creatives in the programme, but I also got the opportunity to perform my first gig. Soho House helped my career move forwards two months later when I was booked for an in-House event. That led to the opportunity to perform for an international brand at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Being flown out to another country for work was so fulfilling; it made me realise that my work is worthy of being showcased internationally.’
 
The experience also allowed Dalia’s family to see her potential as a musician, while widening her network through relationships with other mentees and mentors. ‘My goal is to be on the Soho Rising roster,’ she says, ‘and to one day be a mentor for someone else.’
 
On her shoot location:
‘I decided to do the shoot at home. Last year I moved into an apartment within a creative community, which means my building is filled with people from the creative industry. It’s become my safe haven for both work and relaxation.’

New York
 
9. Adina Farinango
 
New York artist Adina Farinango uses art as an act of resistance, healing and self-expression. Her work is informed by her lived experiences as an Indigenous woman. ‘As a Kichwa-Otavalo woman, my art is an extension of myself and my entire being,’ she says. ‘Through it, I express myself unapologetically, whether it's with digital illustrations or mixed media, such as embroidery in photography.’
 
Aware of the challenges she faced within the art world as both a self-taught artist and an Indigenous woman, Farinango was looking for guidance to help navigate what – from the outside – appears to be a very closed shop. She joined the Soho House Mentorship programme in 2023, to not only connect with a mentor but to also engage with fellow creatives from different New York City boroughs.
 
‘The Soho House mentorship programme has created a safe environment for young creatives from lower-income and marginalised backgrounds to connect and learn from one another,’ she says. ‘This space has empowered me to fully embrace my artistic journey as an integral part of who I am. Interacting with fellow mentees in different fields and hearing about their experiences working with their mentors has been inspiring and informative.’
 
One of Farinango’s favourite mentee experiences was attending a House Talk between Indigenous fashion designer Jontay Kahm and Indigenous fashion editor Christian Allaire. ‘It left me feeling incredibly inspired,’ she says. ‘I doubt I would have had the opportunity to meet these remarkable individuals if it weren't for Soho House. To me, this is the essence of genuine representation and inclusion – creating spaces where people from all walks of life can flourish and connect.’
 
On her shoot location:
‘I chose Union Square because it's my favourite place in the city. It holds deep significance for me beyond just being a park. It's a place where artists have always sold their creations as a means of survival. It also brings back memories from my childhood.’
 
 
10.  Mika Zembic
 
When Mika Zembic joined Soho Mentorship three years ago, they were building out an art media company while working as a film director and editor. Yet their real passion was always music. ‘I have been a musician for the past 15 years, though my career feels like it is just now starting to move forwards towards that,’ they say. ‘I applied for the Soho House mentorship programme to connect with someone who would understand my vision and support me in my creative goals.’
 
One of the most challenging aspects of pursuing a music career had always been around getting paid for the music they create. ‘I can support myself through live event audio engineering or studio recordings, but I’ve always found it a bit trickier to find fair compensation as a musician,’ they say. Since completing the programme, things have taken a turn for the better on that front. They have toured North America with Arlo Parks and Zembic continues to benefit from the opened doors and opportunities being a mentee has led to.
 
‘Soho House has connected me with so many incredible friends, and it's been an honour to learn and grow alongside them,’ they say. ‘The memories I've made at the Houses are genuinely so meaningful, and having Soho House in many of the new cities I've travelled to feels like a safe and comfortable space that I can retreat to. I’m so grateful for all of the fun meals, drinks, and events I’ve had there. They've shaped my life in many ways these past three years and I hope to continue these traditions for years to come.’
 
On their shoot location:
‘My home studio means so much to me. I'm so grateful to have a dedicated space in my home where I can work on music and creative projects. I've lived in my space for about five years, and it's gone through so many iterations. But the place it's at now – I feel like I'll be creating my best work yet.’

11. Jericka Handie
 
‘Entering this programme, I knew I had a chance to find, connect with, and support other people who are using their creative talents to make an impact,’ says New York mentee Jericka Handie. Having spent most of 2020 and 2021 in isolation, she joined the Soho House mentorship in 2023 with the aim of finding new ways to tap into her creativity.
 
As co-founder of SwiftEnough – a lifestyle brand focused on advancing equity within the mental health industry through purposeful merch, action and resources – much of Handie’s creativity lies in fostering candid, honest conversations around the complexities of our constantly changing world.
 
‘I cannot emphasise enough the invaluable guidance provided by my mentor, Liz Hershfield. When we were first matched under the Soho House Mentorship x Creative Futures Collective programme, I set very specific goals and objectives, and she helped me tackle each one at a time,’ says Handie. ‘Meeting my sustainability goals for my business posed challenges that required someone who could listen attentively and help to tactically address our needs. Liz’s personality naturally fitted mine. I appreciate and treasure everything she has taught me so far. Over time, she has become not just a mentor but a friend.’
 
The friends she has found through the Soho House mentorship programme is something Handie values deeply. ‘I can’t imagine living in the city and not having the community I’ve gained through this programme,’ she says. ‘I’ve met and connected with creatives spanning many disciplines – artists, rappers, stylists, and everything in between – and found so much inspiration in the process.’
 
On her shoot location:
‘I chose BedStuy, Brooklyn, for my photo shoot because it holds a deep significance for me. This neighbourhood embodies an entrepreneurial spirit that resonates with my roots and upbringing in Tulsa, Oklahoma; particularly the historic Greenwood District where Black Wall Street is located.
 
‘BedStuy's collective unity and shared Black experience are palpable in its streets, local markets, and community events. The interactions I've had there remind me of the resilience and strength of our communities, both past and present.’
 
 
12.  Nat Magloire
 
Soho Mentorship came just at the right time for New York mentee Nat Magloire – after working in the film and TV world for a few years, in 2021 he was gearing up to shift the focus of his career into art. ‘My creative passion lies in the visual arts, particularly in photography and videography,’ he says. ‘The programme seemed like a great space to make that pivot.’
 
That creative passion is founded in a childhood fascination for music videos, particularly those directed by the likes of Hype Williams and Director X. Like many artists, however, funding was a persistent issue on Magloire’s own creative journey. ‘I’m rarely short on ideas but as someone very tied to my vision, I didn’t always have the resources to bring them to life as I saw them,’ he says. ‘In talking to people, I’ve learned ways to acquire funding. I’ve also learned that funding isn’t the only form of support that can help – it can also be in the form of friends sharing their time and expertise. I’ve had beautiful shoots come together off the strength of a handful of people believing in my vision and the work I do.’
 
Learning the power of community has been among Magloire’s biggest takeaways from his time as a mentee. ‘I’ve gained a lot of valuable insight on the media and fine-arts spaces and had some impactful moments that confirm I'm doing what I'm meant to,’ he says. ‘At our mentee showcase in 2021, I presented photographs from my collection, Look What You Left Me With, to a room full of esteemed creatives. Needless to say, I was nervous but the reception my work received warms my heart to this day. I hope to continue to build community through mentorship. I’ve met tons of great people with rich stories and as iron sharpens iron, I hope we can grow together through collaboration and conversation.’
 
On his shoot location:
‘I’ve chosen the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Park. I've always found it cool and futuristic. Growing up in Queens, my friend and I would often take our cameras out and walk. We’d end up there, chatting and photographing whatever caught our eye.’

13.  Justice Rossman
 
New York-based mentee Justice Rossman had never heard of Soho House or the mentorship programme when it came across their suggested posts on Instagram in 2023, shortly after completing a degree in creative writing at Columbia University. ‘What drew me to apply was wanting to be in a space where I could share art without feeling like I was in a classroom,’ Rossman says. ‘It sounded like the cohort was super close-knit and as someone who was reluctant to share their work publicly, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to be vulnerable in a smaller circle.’
 
While Rossman loves creativity in all its forms, from fashion and art to film, music is their passion. ‘There’s nothing that excites me more than talking about the latest in pop culture with my best friends, Shazaming a song in the corner of the club so I can revisit it when I’m looking for inspiration, or dissecting each lyric from a song on the train,’ they say. ‘Right now, I’m making music under the name June Castor. But it’s a little nerve wracking to think of where I want my music career to be in the future because I’m still in the beginning stages.’
 
The ways in which the mentorship changed their self-perception has been an invaluable part of the process to bringing Rossman to where they are today. ‘I definitely have a different perspective on how I view myself as an artist,’ they explain. ‘The first mixer I went to, I was welcomed with open arms and told that I would be engaging in a non-judgemental space. Usually I hide my creative process (and I sometimes still do), but the end-of-programme showcase really helped me come out of my shell and share the journey to the final product. Being a Soho House mentee has changed my life in so many ways.’
 
On their shoot location:
‘I chose to do the shoot at my home in NYC because most of my memories were made here. My home has also played a big part in my creative process. I wrote some of my favourite songs while walking to the deli and watching the sunlight hit the water on the train ride home.’
 
Apply for Soho Mentorship here.