Judging Criteria

Inspirational Speech (100 pts)  
Stage Presence (20 pts)
  • Charisma, confidence, star power
  • Poise
  • Commands and holds attention
  • Speaks powerfully
  • Embodies their message
  • Mesmerizing

Emotional Connection (20 pts)
  • Vulnerable, shared deeply, personal and intimate
  • Inspiring and Impactful
  • Resonates, passionate, heart touching
  • Ability to connect the audience emotionally to their speech

Universal Message (20 pts)
  • Powerful and meaningful message
  • Strong moral to the story
  • Great learnings
  • Message worth sharing

Storytelling (20 pts)
  • Powerful personal story
  • Vivid and descriptive
  • Entertaining
  • Relevant learnings from story

Uniqueness (10 pts)
  • Creativity
  • Innovative
  • The “It” Factor

Language (10 pts)
  • Compelling use of language
  • Powerful word selection

Timing Criteria (4-6 minutes)​
Green at 4 minutes
Yellow at 5 minutes
Red at 6 minutes
Points Loss: Speakers begin losing points at 6:31, at the rate of 1 point for every part of 3 seconds that they go over.