Rise Academy Team

Andy Beale

Andy is Chief Engineer for BT Sport, joining the innovative and disruptive British broadcaster at the beginning of its journey in 2012 to oversee the technology and construction of the landmark BT Sport Production Hub in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

He played a pivotal role in the development and launch of Europe’s first commercial live sports Ultra HD channel “BT Sport Ultra HD”, and its HDR successor: BT Sport Ultimate. He led BT Sport’s pioneering Dolby Atmos launch and ground breaking advances in live VR 360. Recently he has delivered world firsts in 8K TV, 8K VR, 5G remote production and is now pushing the envelope with sustainable cloud production.

Previously he was Head of Engineering for Sports Media House, Octagon, and before that delivered projects worldwide for respected system integrator IPK.

Andy is co-founder of Rise Up, an award winning STEM schools programme that aims to inspire the next generation of broadcast engineers and on the board of inclusion advocacy group Rise. Andy is a SMPTE Fellow and was named Technology Leader of the Year at the 2021 IABM awards.

Lisa Collins

Lisa is a seasoned community builder and network creator with a deep-rooted passion for fostering growth and engagement. As the founder of Dovetail Creative Ltd, established in 2021, Lisa has been instrumental in transforming how organizations engage with their communities. She provides comprehensive support, ranging from community engagement to event planning, marketing strategies, and consulting services.

Lisa boasts an impressive tenure of over 25 years, collaborating with associations, membership bodies, and not-for-profit entities. A significant portion of her career, spanning 12 years, has been dedicated to the broadcast, media, and entertainment sectors. Her most notable recent engagement was with the membership organisation, IABM.

An acknowledged voice in her field, Lisa often takes the stage as a speaker and moderator at industry-centric events. Her leadership and influence extend to her roles on the boards of RISE and the Trade Association Forum. Through various mentoring programmes, she invests in the next generation, imparting skills and knowledge that bolster their growth.

Fuelled by a commitment to ESG initiatives, Lisa is co-founder of the Media Tech Sustainability Summit and Corporate Star Awards, underscoring her drive to make meaningful impacts in the industry.

Polly Hickling

Working in academia for 13 years, Polly has spent the majority of her career delivering Media Technology graduates to the industry whilst working as the course leader for Solent Universities Media Technology programme. This involved orchestrating the curriculum design through several iterations, always working closely with industry to meet their technical needs as well as aligning with higher education pedagogy. This close relationship with industry allowed for many student opportunities to be developed whilst they studied and ensured 100% employment rate into industry for several of the course titles within the programme.

During the last few years Polly has focused on resolving the educational pipeline as well as diversity and inclusivity. This has seen her sit on boards for several organisations. SMPTE, as Education Director and a SMPTE UK Manager, IET Media Network Committee member, the Head of Education for Women in Streaming Media and a Rise Up Champion. Her main output within these roles is around delivering education focussed meetings, events and initiatives.

Since September 2022 Polly has been working as the Learning and Development Lead for Media at Eviden. This role sees her tackling the knowledge and skills gap from within industry. In particular Polly is developing accessible learning strategies that amalgamates the knowledge needed for technology transformation project delivery

Jonty Archibald

Jonty was a Principal of Global Academy from April 2018 – March 2024, he took over shortly after the Academy opened. In the 6 years he was there he led the school to a ‘Good’ Ofsted judgement, successfully increasing student outcomes and student numbers, many students leaving to gain positions directly into the media industry.  Whilst at Global Academy Jonty engaged with Rise Academy delivering the first Rise Academy Summer school which was hosted at Global Academy.

Prior to Global Academy he was headteacher of a large comprehensive school in Southampton, where the school improved from an ‘Inadequate’ judgement to a ‘Good’ judgement, with the progress being well above average. Jonty is a current Ofsted Inspector. Jonty has gained substantial education experience both in and out of schools, previously working for a local authority and the arts council. Jonty comes from an Arts background and is passionate about ensuring the creative subjects are promoted in schools. Jonty is also a keen supporter of a careers and employment ready education for students.

Jonty is a current headteacher of a 11-16 school in Somerset and is bringing the ‘Work ready’ ethos to his new school and promoting a creative education.

Gemma Price

Gemma has built an impressive career in event management, showcasing her expertise across various industries, including Broadcast Media. From her early beginnings in Event Operations to organising prestigious events like the Chelsea Flower Show, she has demonstrated her passion and dedication to delivering exceptional experiences.

After taking a brief career break to focus on her family, Gemma transitioned to freelance work, leading her to join Rise Academy in April 2022. There, she played a pivotal role in launching and running the inaugural Rise Academy Summer Schools at the Global Academy in London. In December 2024, Gemma took the helm once again, overseeing the expansion of the Rise Summer Schools in 2025, which will now include Manchester, Glasgow, and London. Additionally, she will manage a variety of fundraisers, events, and exhibitions planned by Rise Academy.

With 25 years of experience in event management, Gemma’s journey into the Broadcast Media industry began in 2007 when she organized the Broadcast exhibition for EMAP. Her expertise further expanded as she managed BVE 2017 and 2018, followed by freelance projects such as speaker management for the MPTS Conference in 2022 and 2023. She has also contributed to initiatives like “The Best Places to Work in TV” Awards and venue sourcing for Broadcast Magazine’s events.

Throughout her career, Gemma has cultivated strong connections within the Broadcast Media industry and continues to thrive in its collaborative and inclusive environment. She remains committed to inspiring and supporting the next generation of media professionals while leveraging her extensive experience to deliver impactful and memorable events.