Last Story Standing
Produced by the local chapters of the National Speakers’ Association, this annual competition spotlights up to 10 storytellers competing to reach the national finals. They have exactly 5 minutes, and if they go over, they are removed from placing, so the stakes are high! Here are some of the 2026 competitors coached by Melissa Reaves and MISSY AI to help them.
1st Place: Minda Zetlin
"The Path Found: Learning to Lean After Getting Lost in the Woods"
2nd Place: Ben Morley
(People's Choice Awardee)
"Caterpillar Soup at 30,000 Feet: Navigating the High-stakes Hallway of Transition"
3rd Place:Â Bryan Gross
(People's Choice Awardee)
