CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--There’s The Voice. There’s America’s Got Talent. But a televised competition based on changing the world? This is exactly what co-founders Jeff Levin and Loren Michael Harris are doing with The Next Impactor, which just completed its premier finale and is now accepting applications for Season 2.
In March 2019, Harris and Levin shared a dream over an evening of pizza that resulted in the world’s first and only competition based not on singing or dancing but on Impact—people throughout the globe with impactful messages, missions and talents with the ability and desire to identify the world’s greatest challenges and to make a massive difference for good.
Entering is easy. Applicants from around the world pay just $25 and submit an entry video to www.TheNextImpactor.com. The 50 top entrants are notified and come together via webcast in April where their names are drawn at random into 5 groups of 10, led by celebrity coaches. For 10 weeks they select and support a philanthropy or cause while engaging in weekly projects led by a different member each week. In July, the competition gets even fiercer as the pool of 50 is culled to 25 finalists, 5 per team, who continue to work with their coaches on collective and individual missions while also amassing the votes that will lead to their final success.
The conclusion: a day-long summit of motivation and training that concludes in the televised finale event. The 25 are winnowed down to 10, to 5 and then all who are present witness the selection of the year’s Next Impactor, who is propelled forward in their efforts with a $500,000 prize package of services to advance their platform in 2019 and beyond.
At the first finale event for Next Impactor 2019, participants from all parts of the world heard from the program’s five celebrity judges: Jason Sisneros (CEO of Anton Jae), Vicky Omifaloji (Social Entrepreneur, Psyhotherapist and CEO of Lipsy), Melissa Hull (CEO of Global Media Co), Cheryl Snapp Conner (CEO of SnappConner PR) and Todd Speciale (CEO of Omnigroup Global).
Leadership coach Dom Fausette and Sofia Fausette were the evening’s emcees, who led the distilling of the 25 finalists into the top 5 and presented the First Place winner for 2019:
- Tamara Hunter, 2019 grand prize winner. A survivor of cancer, Tamara Hunter, is determined to see that no one faces cancer alone. Now the Executive Director and co-founder of a nonprofit that supports this mission named Chemo Buddies for Life. A 501(c)3, Chemo Buddies for Life is working to end isolation during diagnosis, treatment, recovery and the “new normal” life. This program, “The Buddies Network” believes in “Healing Through Connections.”
- Emily Seelman, 2019 Runner Up. As a co-founder of Networking4Moms, Seelman is building a community of stay-at-home moms transitioning back into the workforce. Her goal is to provide life-changing conferences across the country, starting in her current town of Charleston, South Carolina, an online community of mentorship and guidance for moms, and career placement into cutting edge companies who value the skills that moms acquire raising children.
- Mistie Layne, 2019 3rd place winner. Mistie is the best-selling author of "What Goes Up,” a keynote speaker, life shifter and president of the #BethatONE Transparency Movement.
- Christopher Casson, 2019 4th place winner, an individual with Asberger’s Syndrome, He’s the creator of Thru Autistic Eyes Show and an Autistic Photographer who is working to raise awareness and increase understanding and success for people with Autism throughout the world.
- Scott and Nancy Kiesling, 2019 5th place winner, run a relationship building and empowerment show called “Shoot the Shit” and lead an annual Adventure Therapy Retreat in Costa Rico in May of each year.
The finale event was a tremendous experience for all who attended, giving many of the Top 25 finalists the chance to meet each other and their coaches in person. The event also welcomed primary sponsor Catalyst Collective (www.catalystccg.com), who provided a sponsorship of $50,000 which provided videos, slides and technical production in addition to cash support for the premier event.
Though the first year in any program is sure to be filled with rocky surprises, the finale event was a resounding success. For the future, Harris and Levin intend to expand the program to broadcast, to allow the program to benefit thousands of additional viewers and participants worldwide.
For more information, visit www.TheNextImpactor.com.
