We have spent ten years celebrating other people. Every competition, every recap, every winner announcement is about the speakers. So when our team booked what they called a family catch-up call, we had no idea it was about us.
It started at our September show. Lauren was sitting in the audience when Dan talked about our 10th anniversary, and she had a thought: everyone celebrates the speakers, but nobody was really celebrating the two people who started it. She called Lillie, who has been with us since the very first day we opened our doors, and for a month the two of them worked in secret. With help from our editor on the edit, they reached out to our community and asked one question: what has Speaker Slam® meant to you?
Then they pressed play.
What we heard
Past winners. Judges. Coaches. Competitors from our very first season and from this year. A couple who met in the audience at one of our shows, got married, and built a business together. People from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Maryland and even Estonia.
By the end, Rina was in tears ("Oh my god, my mascara").
"I always forget the impact that we do make," Rina said after the video ended. "This is a beautiful reminder that we needed."
Dan put it another way. "Over 10 years, a lot of people say a lot of good things, but I don't want to get trapped in emotion, so I'm like, forward, forward, forward. It's very easy to miss all of this."
Why it landed
When you run events for a decade, you see the work up close: the venues, the bookings, the late nights, the shows where you wonder if anyone will show up. What you don't always see is what happens after someone walks off the stage. These messages were that missing half of the story. A speaker who found the courage to compete. A coach whose brand name exists because of a conversation with Rina. A speaker who landed his first TV interview. A surgery paid for by a speech.
Watch the full tribute above, and read every message below.
Martin Lespérance
Inspirational Speaker | Author | TEDx Speaker | Speaker of the Year
“You gave this French speaker from Montreal a place to grow, take risks and dream bigger. I'm proud to say that Speaker Slam® is part of my story.”
Darius Bashar
Creativity Coach, Portrait Photographer & Founder of ArtistMorning.com | Toronto, Canada
“The first time I saw Speaker Slam® on the internet, my jaw dropped. It's like TED and poetry slam had a baby, and it was Speaker Slam®. It was raw. It was gritty. It was heartfelt.”
Lauren Pires
Invisible Disability Ambassador, PR & Media Lead
“You say that one speech will change your life, but really, it's both of you. Both of you have changed so many lives, including my own.”
Blake Fly
Husband, Dad, Entrepreneur, and 8-Time TEDx Speaker | Ontario, Canada
“I cannot think of two more valuable, amazing, timely, necessary things on the planet than staying sharp and staying inspired. And you provide that for me and the masses.”
Mohsin Cheema & Christina Paruag
Met at Speaker Slam® in 2018. Married in 2024
“Because of you, we met. And if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have our business, Lounge Life Properties. I got to have the surgery that I needed with my Speaker Slam® video.”
Marcos Mendosa
Coach, Artist, Teacher | Ontario, Canada
“What you guys have done is you've applied a vision to a recipe. You've turned that recipe into some form of a secret sauce, and you've made it look effortless.”
Lilian Motta
Fascial Stretch Therapist & Coach
“Dan and Rina, you guys have for the last decade given people a platform for their voice, for their expression, for their stories, and that is just magical.”
Pierre Mousseau
Award-Winning Speaker, Author, Creator of the Before the Drift Leadership Workshop, Entrepreneur
“You're giving people an opportunity to change lives and touch souls, and you've given me that opportunity.”
Victor Lopez
Inspirational speaker & Founder of Think Victorious movement - Ottawa, Ontario
“You guys took an idea and turned it into a vision. That vision became a dream, and then that dream became a reality.”
Jennifer Maxwell
Personality Expert, Connection Coach, Entrepreneur | Ajax, Ontario, Canada
“Let's just talk about the impact. You're giving speakers a platform to change their own life, to change the life of the audience, and to build speaking careers and beyond.”
Bethelene Hart
Educator, Award winning speaker, Bestselling Author | Markdale, Canada
“Dan and Rina have just created this amazing platform for people to really rise and be seen and support one another.”
Robb Gilbear
Business Mentor, Author, and Founder of Growth Habit
“Few people do anything for a decade, let alone something this meaningful and this impactful.”
Adrian Leckie
Leadership Development Expert, Youth Success Strategist, Mental Health Speaker, Higher Education Professional
“Happy 10 years of creating impact and change, not only to the people listening to the speeches, but also the people who you work with, the contestants' lives.”
Anu Tähemaa
TEDx Speaker, Presentation & Public Speaking Expert | Tallinn, Estonia
“I felt that this is like far too big for me, but you taught me how to think bigger.”
Pat Doyle
Father, Entrepreneur, Storyteller, Community Builder | Pickering, Ontario, Canada
“It's a testament to how well you do your job and how well you coach people along in their public speaking journey.”
Michelle Weger
Productivity Expert, Resilience Speaker, AI & Business Automation Strategist | Ontario, Canada
“One speech can change your life, and so can two great people. You two are magic, and what you've created is magic.”
John Edward McGraw
Cultural Clarity Coach, Speaker, Facilitator
“Congratulations on 10 years of competition, of giving a stage to people who don't have a stage to share their messages.”
Dr. Jane Barratt
Ageism Expert, Author, International Speaker
“Some people applaud courage, but Dan and Rina help people find it. Every person that steps off that stage just stands a little bit taller and changes lives. And that's part of your legacy.”
To everyone who recorded a message, and to every speaker who has ever stepped onto our stage: thank you. Ten years ago we were two people with an idea and a lot of folding chairs. Everything since then was built by you.
Here's to the next 10 years.