Impact Speaker

Get ready for the center stage for changemakers to speak up for a better tomorrow!

This year’s Impact Speaker contest theme is “Less is more!” This is also the main theme for Impact Day 2024.

We, together with SpeakSmart and SEB Bank, believe in the power of simplicity and how small actions can make a big difference. If you have a great idea or story around this concept, we’d love for you to apply and share it with us. Let’s inspire each other by showing that sometimes, doing less really can mean achieving more!

Apply for the contest

2000+
€ prize money
2500+
participants around you
1
winner

WHO?
Speakers from all walks of life

We know that speaking is not an easy skill to master, so we don’t expect you to be a professional speaker to participate. It doesn’t matter who you are – an executive leader, a bright high school graduate, an industry expert, a motivated student, a passionate activist, a creative freelancer or a visionary entrepreneur – anyone who has the drive to inspire through their voice is more than welcome to participate!

The most important thing is to focus your speech on a theme that piques your interest and present it in a compelling way. We expect you to inspire, empower, and bring about change through your words.
Prize

In addition to the opportunity to challenge oneself in writing a powerful speech, the most compelling speaker will…

– have the chance to perform on the main stage of Impact Day – Nordic-Baltics’ largest sustainability festival with over 2500 participants;

– receive the prize fund of at least €2,000. If the number of guests at Impact Day exceeds 2,000, an additional €1 will be added per guest (for example, €2,568 for 2,568 guests).

NB! SEB Bank will give a special prize—a Nordic Business Forum 2025 ticket—to one of the finalists.
Timeline & criteria
APPLICATION PERIOD:

Length of speech: 5 minutes. Language: ENG
- 12.08: Application period begins (virtual)
- 10.09: End of application period (virtual)
- 16.09: Announcing semifinalists
SEMIFINALS:

Length of speech: 8-12 minutes. Language: ENG
- 25.09: Semifinal 1 (virtual)
- 27.09: Semifinal 2 (virtual)
FINALS:

Length of speech: 8-12 minutes. Language: ENG
- 05.10: Finalists’ public speaking training (at SpeakSmart’s office or virtually)
- 09.10: Final at SEB Innovation Centre (on-site)
- 11.10: Winner’s performance on Impact Day’s main stage (on-site)

Feedback

Check out what some of the previous participants said about the contest!

Kati Orav Creativity Catcher, pioneer of visual thinking and winner of Impact Speaker Contest 2022
Participating gave me both stage nerve, skills, and self-confidence to move forward with my dream. It was also so well organized that I felt safe every step of the way. The best way to challenge yourself and make your voice to be heard is to do it outside your comfort zone. In addition, you will meet very inspiring people!
Martin Jõesaar Co-founder of Combat Ready
Taking part in the Impact Speaker Contest was a great opportunity for me to improve my public speaking skills and focusing ideas. As an instructor and a leader, I talk to crowds all the time, but making an impact in a very limited time is always a challenge. There is always room for improvement and taking part of this kind of events is a great method to accelerate your skills.
Harald Lepisk Impact Speaker 2023
Have you ever dreamt of giving a TED talk? Impact Speaker Contest is perfect for sharing your big idea on sustainability to make a difference. It pushes you to connect with what you really stand for, to develop new material, craft your speaking skills, master storytelling and with that earn your spot on the big stage. The production quality of Impact Day is world-class – your message wants to become alive on that stage! The process of finding, crafting and delivering your message is a priceless journey on personal transformation.

Submit your application…

and be ready to share your speech about sustainability in front of thousands of participants!

apply to the contest

Last year's winner speech

Harald Lepisk - For the 7th Generation

The theme of Impact Speaker 2023 was "Are we doing enough?"

Organizers

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Impact Speaker

Impact Speaker

Speakers from all walks of life

Prize

Timeline & criteria

APPLICATION PERIOD:

SEMIFINALS:

FINALS:

Feedback

Submit your application…

Harald Lepisk - For the 7th Generation

Organizers