Fiona Cherbak Named Mentor & Champion Nominee
Cherbak’s efforts to create opportunities for women and up-and-coming talent in the gaming sector are what earned her this recognition
This tribute goes to the mentors who paved the way for me, and to all those who have allowed me to do the same for them. For over two decades, my mission has been clear: getting people into games, one opportunity at a time.”— Fiona Cherbak, founder of Rocket Game Talent
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Rocket Game Talent's Fiona Cherbak Up for Women in Tech Hollywood Mentor & Champion Award, Celebrating Over Twenty Years of Guiding Others in Gaming
From helping launch Women in Games International to overseeing talent initiatives at PlayStation and Xbox Game Studios, Cherbak is acknowledged for creating pathways for women and new talent
LOS ANGELES — Wednesday, October 7, 2026 — Fiona Cherbak, Head of Agency at Rocket Game Talent, has been selected as a nominee for the Mentor & Champion Award from the Women in Technology: Hollywood Foundation (WiTH), honoring more than two decades of guiding women and emerging professionals in the games industry. The winner will be revealed October 21 at the 9th Annual SoCal Women's Leadership Summit.
WiTH brings together women technology executives from Amazon, Disney, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures and other leading companies to support women and underrepresented professionals in media and entertainment technology. The Mentor & Champion Award acknowledges leaders who create opportunities for others as they advance. Past WiTH award recipients include 2025 Mentor & Champion honorees Beate Chelette of The Growth Architect, Krystyn Hilliard of Tubi, and Samira Panah Bakhtiar of Amazon Web Services.
“Being acknowledged by Women in Technology Hollywood for over twenty years of mentorship means a great deal to me. Whatever position I've held—whether community organizer, studio talent lead, or agency head—the core work has stayed the same: connecting people to the games industry and supporting their growth, one open door at a time. This honor truly belongs to those who opened doors for me, and to everyone who has allowed me to do the same for them,” said Cherbak.
Cherbak's path as a mentor started within the games community. Having previously chaired the IGDA Women in Games Special Interest Group, she served as a co-founder of Women in Games International (WIGI), which is now in its twenty-first year, and helped create GameMentorOnline, a pioneering industry mentoring platform. She also co-founded the Boston Festival of Indie Games, an event spotlighting up-and-coming indie developers.
That dedication carried into the industry's biggest studios, where she provided support to 14 PlayStation studios and teams as Talent Acquisition Lead for Sony Interactive Entertainment's Worldwide Studios, and subsequently directed talent programs across 23 first-party studios as Lead Talent Program Manager at Xbox Game Studios. In that role, she developed inclusive hiring initiatives, hosted GDC career discussions, and backed the Gaming for Everyone, Accessibility, USO, and Neurodiversity programs, as well as offering career guidance to Xbox Game Camp graduates.
Her influence as a mentor extends well beyond studio walls. Cherbak has given talks at USC Games, MIT, and Savannah College of Design, among other institutions, advised BAFTA Games and the European Women in Games Conference, participated in a White House initiative focused on women in games, and co-produced the first Women Create Games Forum in Milan, backed by Xbox. These days, at Rocket Game Talent, she supports indie and expanding studios in creating opportunities for the next wave of developers, while also serving as an advisory board member for Women in Games International.
Event Details
The 9th Annual SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit and WiTH Leadership Awards will be held Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at the Directors Guild of America Los Angeles Theater Complex, 7920 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046, with both in-person and virtual attendance options. Hosted by Amazon Web Services under the theme “Built for This Moment,” the day-long Summit gathers leaders from technology, media, entertainment, and business. Those interested can register at withollywood.org.
About the Women in Technology: Hollywood Foundation (WiTH)
Established in 2014, the Women in Technology: Hollywood Foundation (WiTH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing women in media and entertainment technology through professional growth, mentorship, networking, and community involvement. WiTH directs 100% of its awards sponsorship proceeds to local STEM nonprofits, and its Steering Committee includes representatives from Amazon Studios, Microsoft, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Disney. Additional details can be found at withollywood.org.
About Rocket Game Talent
Rocket Game Talent is a boutique fractional talent operations firm that assists game studios in building and expanding their hiring efforts. Founded in early 2026 by Fiona Cherbak, a former talent leader at PlayStation and Xbox, the company provides full-cycle recruiting, hiring infrastructure, employer branding, and inclusive hiring programs for indie and growing studios. More information is available at: www.rocketgametalent.com.
Media Contact: info@rocketgametalent.com
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