Lionesses legends and Ellen White surprised a group of young women aspiring to break into the football media industry, by delivering an inspiring speech at their graduation ceremony.

turned prime-time pundits offered words of wisdom to 12 graduates from Pixel FC Academy – a landmark programme delivered by Pixel, supported by , and to provide ambitious female creators with the opportunities, training and inspiration to break into the business.

Developed in partnership with women’s sports experts The Powerhouse Project, the five-month Academy programme has featured workshops on every aspect of modern sports media, from TV punditry, production and written press, to creating viral social content.

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The programme, available to women aged 18+, began in January, following research by YouGov which revealed that 70% of female sports fans aged 16-24 believe sports media is a male dominated industry, with 63% stating that they would be more likely to apply if they saw a greater number of women in prominent roles.

Since beginning in January, Pixel FC Academy members have produced 120 social media posts of their experiences, with 1.6 million views in total, contributing to an average personal follower uplift of 145% on TikTok and 33% on .

Rosie and Mollie Kmita, The Powerhouse Project founders said: “It’s been a privilege to work with such a talented group of young women and give them a platform to showcase their skills. The programme has provided them with unique experiences across sports media and content creation opportunities with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool FC and the FA, so it’s amazing to see them utilise Pixel’s AI tools and camera capabilities to produce such high quality material.

"We’re so proud and can’t wait to see what they do in the future.”

White said: “I’ve loved seeing all the incredible work as well as hearing about the positive impact Pixel FC Academy has had on the graduates and it’s provided crucial industry experience which will set them up brilliantly for their future careers. The girls are incredibly talented, so they should believe in themselves and they’ll succeed.”

Carney said: “The growth in women’s football has been amazing to see over the past few years and it’s great to see the drive to do more in the game. I love the work Pixel FC Academy is doing, empowering more women to enter the industry.”

“My message to girls watching, who want to get into the sports media industry would be to go for it. You can see the impact that programmes like this can have and the support is now there to help you achieve your dreams.”

Hannah Baptiste, Pixel FC Academy graduate said: “Pixel FC Academy has broken down barriers and given me a unique opportunity to explore new areas of sports media, where I’ve been able to learn in a safe environment with an amazing group of girls.

“The support we’ve received from the women’s football community has been brilliant and for two legends of the game like Karen Carney and Ellen White to speak at our graduation is truly inspiring.”

For more information about Pixel FC Academy, visit: