The First Leaders to Watch

In November 2022, Speaker Slam® launched something new: the Brand Builder Competition. Every speaker knows that a clear brand is what gets you booked, so this competition asked entrepreneurs, speakers, authors and coaches to show who they are, who they serve and what sets them apart.

Thirty-five entrepreneurs entered the inaugural competition. Each one built a Brand Positioning Graphic and shared it with their community for votes, and ten reached the Top 10: five chosen by audience vote and five by the judging team. The finalists then competed on the virtual stage during the Momentum Pre-Conference, presenting their positioning graphic, their Special Sauce bio and a two-minute pitch in front of four industry-leading judges.

The Top 3 finalists earned the title of Leader to Watch.

1st Place: Angie Bailey

Calming Calligraphy Practitioner

Angie took Gold and became the first ever Brand Builder champion, a milestone co-founder Rina Rovinelli had promised the community ahead of the finals. She later returned as a first round judge for the 2024 competition.

2nd Place: Kristin Light

Accessibility Advocate for Disabilities of the Mind

Kristin took Silver with a brand built around accessibility for people living with disabilities of the mind.

3rd Place: Mell Balment

The Deep Belief Hacker

Mell took Bronze, rounding out the first class of Leaders to Watch.

Meet the Judges Who Made It All Happen

• Crystal Adair-Benning
• Mike Kim
• Stu McLaren
• Tiffany Neuman

Compete in the Brand Builder Competition

The Brand Builder Competition now runs every spring and fall, and entry is free. See the full results on the 2022 Brand Builder Competition page.

Meet the full lineup in Meet the Speakers for the Brand Builder Competition 2022 and the panel in Meet Your Judges for the 2022 Brand Builder Competition.