WCN launched our Rising Wildlife Leaders Careers Program in 2022, and since then it has been empowering local conservationists with the training, mentorship, and networks they need to succeed.
By reducing barriers to employment and fostering career growth, the program strengthens local leadership and ensures conservation remains rooted where it matters most. The result is a boon not only for the individual conservationists, but also for the entire network of organizations they serve, and the wildlife that they seek to protect.
Core Components
- Personalized Professional Development Plans guide participants’ career growth over three years
- Up to $4,000 per year to support relevant courses and convenings aligned with their goals (excluding academic degrees)
- Professional mentorship for the duration of the program to provide guidance, accountability, and support
- Community building through facilitated peer learning, networking, and knowledge-sharing opportunities to build long-term collaborative relationships
- Access to targeted financial support through mini-grants
Why it Matters
- Builds strong, effective conservation leaders with the skills, confidence, and guidance needed to lead impactful conservation efforts over the long term
- Addresses real-world career challenges and overcomes barriers to growth
- Strengthens peer and professional networks and builds lasting support systems
- Promotes sustainable conservation impact by ensuring conservation outcomes are driven and sustained by locally grounded leaders.
- Supports diversity and inclusion in conservation, including women and underrepresented groups, to thrive and remain in the sector.
Management & Governance
Rhino Cohort Advisory Committee
- Nina Fascoine, Executive Director, International Rhino Foundation
- Laura Gruber, Senior Programs Manager, Wildlife Conservation Network
- Martha Parker, Director of Grants & Partnership Development, International Rhino Foundation
- Markus Hofmeyr, Rhino Recovery Fund Director, Wildlife Conservation Network
Cohort one to three Selection Committee
- Hugo van der Westhuizen, Conservation Director, Frankfurt Zoological Society
- Laura Gruber Senior Programs Manager, Wildlife Conservation Network
- Resson Kantai Duff, Director Portfolio Funding, Maliasili
Program Manager
- Bwalya Kampamba, Wildlife Conservation Network
Current Mentors
Rhino Cohort Mentors
- Angus Sholto Douglas, Managing Director, Kwandwe Conservancy
- Craig Sholto Douglas, Environmental Manager, Kwandwe Conservancy
- Colleen Begg, Director, Niassa Carnivore Project
- Jeff Muntifering, Science Advisor, Save the Rhino Trust
- Kerri Rademeyer, CEO, Alinea
- Micheal Hicks, Project Manager, Wildlife Protection Solutions
- Sam Ferreira, Scientific Officer, African Rhino Specialist Group
Cohort Three Mentors
- Dr Rui Branco, Director of Conservation, Associaca Natura, Mocambiq
- Ever Chinoda, Director, Speak Out For Animals
- Craig Packer, Professor, University of Minnesota
- Agostinho Jorge, Director of Conservation, Niassa Carnivore Project
- Bupe Ritah Banda, National Administrator, Zambia Community Resource Board
- Bwalya Chibwe, Programme Manager and PhD Candidate, Linkoping University
2026 Participants
Pangolin Cohort
Six conservationists, working across landscapes, borders, and illegal wildlife trafficking routes to save pangolins.
2025 Participants
Rhino Cohort
Rising conservation leaders from Africa and Asia, working to protect and restore four different species of rhino.
Apply to the Career Program
Learn more about what’s included in the program and how to apply, or nominate one of your colleagues.
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Your donation to the Rising Wildlife Leaders program empowers local conservationists with the training, mentorship, and networks they need to succeed.
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