2026 Cohort
We come from different backgrounds and platforms, but we’re united by a shared belief in honest storytelling, community impact, and the power of using our voices to shape what comes next here in Michigan.
As a cohort, we reach a combined audience of over
16 million people across platforms.
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4.75M
INSTAGRAM
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9.3M
TIKTOK
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1.15M
FACEBOOK
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700k
YOUTUBE
Meet the Creators
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Allison Mertzman
@allisonmertzman
Allison Mertzman is a Michigan-based creator, breast cancer survivor, and LGBTQ+ advocate whose content centers resilience, joy, and community. Through personal storytelling and everyday moments, she creates a space where audiences feel seen, supported, and connected.
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Amber Boone
@getrealwithab
Amber Boone is a Michigan-based creator and entrepreneur known for her relatable, uplifting content rooted in everyday life. Through her work across business, lifestyle, and community storytelling, she helps her audience feel more connected, informed, and confident engaging in conversations that shape their local communities.
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Anna Przy
@akprzy
Anna Przy is a Michigan-based digital creator, comedian, and author whose work blends humor, vulnerability, and real-life storytelling. Known for her transparency and emotional honesty, she creates content that resonates deeply with women navigating mental health, identity, and community—while increasingly using her platform to bridge those conversations into civic awareness.
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Bailee AcMoody
@baileeinbloom
Bailee AcMoody, creator behind BaileeInBloom, shares life on the farm, motherhood, and the realities in between with honesty and heart. Her content blends storytelling and advocacy, offering an unfiltered look at family life while creating space for connection, community, and meaningful conversation.
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Brooke Van Nitishin
@momsformichigan
Brooke Van Nitishin is a Detroit-based creator, former journalist, and mother of three focused on making civic engagement accessible for families. Through clear, actionable content, she helps parents understand the issues impacting their lives and feel empowered to speak up and get involved.
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Haley Pepper
@itshaleypepper
Haley Pepper is a doula, creator, and maternal health advocate redefining how motherhood and wellness are talked about online. Through her work, she challenges misinformation, builds community among modern mothers, and uses her platform to connect personal experience with broader cultural and political conversations.
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Jess Worrall
@momma_wears_dad_jeans
Jess is a Michigan-based creator and longtime advocate for equality, known for her direct, unfiltered approach to political content. A former first responder and passionate organizer, she uses her platform to break down complex issues, call out injustice, and mobilize her audience to take action.
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Joe Spaulding
@processbeyond
Joe Spaulding is a Michigan-based strategist and creator using digital media to drive real political outcomes at the local level. With a background in campaign strategy and grassroots organizing, he creates content that helps audiences understand how power works—and how to influence it.
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Jon Kung
@jonkung
Jon Kung is a cookbook author and content creator who uses food as a medium for cultural storytelling. His work blends creativity, sustainability, and identity, offering a thoughtful exploration of how food connects people to heritage, community, and each other.
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Kris Cravens-Hutton
@kris.and.dave
Kris is a U.S. Army veteran and creator behind Kris & Dave, a platform that blends everyday life with civic engagement and storytelling. Alongside her partner, she invites audiences into an honest, values-driven life—showing that finding your voice and using it can be both powerful and deeply communal.
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Lenka Perron
@hear_me_out_on_this
Lenka Perron, creator of Hear Me Out On This, brings over four decades of political awareness and professional insight into her content. With a background in risk management and deep civic engagement, she helps audiences understand how policy decisions ripple across industries, communities, and everyday life—making complex systems feel both clear and actionable.
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Mari Copeny
@littlemissflint
Mari Copeny, known as Little Miss Flint, is a youth activist and clean water advocate who has been fighting for safe water in Flint, Michigan since she was eight years old. Through her platform, she raises awareness about the ongoing water crisis and broader environmental justice issues, making clear that Flint is not an isolated problem—but a national one.
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Meag Schwartz
@greatlakesgreatresponsibility
Meag Schwartz is an environmental educator and founder of Great Lakes Great Responsibility, a nonprofit focused on marine debris prevention. Through storytelling, education, and hands-on community engagement, she inspires people to see themselves as stewards of the Great Lakes and take simple, meaningful action to protect them.
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Natalie Brougham
@straightouttasalem
Natalie, known online as Straightouttasalem, is a digital creator delivering progressive news and commentary with urgency, clarity, and conviction. A self-described “rebel with a cause,” she uses her platform to break down how politics impacts everyday people while encouraging audiences to stay informed, engaged, and active in shaping the future.
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Nick Cutsumpas
@farmernick
Nick Cutsumpas, known as Farmer Nick, is a plantrepreneur, environmentalist, and award-winning landscape designer on a mission to make sustainability accessible. Through his work as a plant coach, author, and media personality, he helps people build confidence in creating green spaces while connecting environmental action to everyday life.
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Nkemdilem Bernard
@detroitfinds313
Nkemdilem Bernard is a registered nurse turned full-time creator and the voice behind Detroit Finds 313, a platform dedicated to celebrating the culture, people, and experiences that define Detroit. Through intentional storytelling and firsthand exploration, she connects audiences to the city in a way that feels both authentic and deeply community-driven.
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Nur Shah
@nurxxshah
Nur Shah is a Michigan-based lifestyle creator whose content blends beauty, storytelling, and cultural identity. As a Black and Bangladeshi Muslim woman, she brings a unique and deeply personal perspective, using a conversational, “get ready with me” style to make complex topics—from women’s health to community issues—feel approachable, engaging, and real.
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Parish Halsell
@pardonme.tv
Parish Halsell, known as P., is the creator behind Pardon Me TV!, an edutainment platform exploring media narratives, cultural accountability, and social issues. Through sharp analysis and engaging commentary, he challenges oversimplified conversations and creates space for deeper, more nuanced understanding of the world around us.
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Scarlett Longstreet
@scarlettlongstreet
Scarlett Longstreet is a writer and digital creator whose work explores divorce, coparenting, and millennial womanhood through a deeply honest lens. By connecting personal experiences to larger systems, she helps women understand how policy, culture, and power shape their everyday lives.
Meet the Advisors
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Tega Orhorhoro
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
@tegareacts
Tega is a Michigan-based creator and storyteller whose work blends real-life conversations, music, and personal growth. Through honest, reflective content, her explores comedy, politics, and identity, creating space for audiences to feel seen, understood, and connected. Her work centers everyday experiences while encouraging deeper conversations across communities.
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Nikki Sapiro Vinckier
LEAD CREATOR ADVISOR
@nikkivinck
Nikki Sapiro Vinckier is an OB/GYN Physician Assistant, author, creator, and founder of Take Back Trust, a platform helping people navigate reproductive healthcare with clarity and confidence. Through her work at the intersection of medicine, media, and advocacy, she translates complex health information into accessible, real-world guidance while building a more informed and empowered public.
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Haley Lickstein
CURRICULUM ADVISOR
@haleylickstein
Haley Lickstein is a political and lifestyle influencer, strategist, and public speaker who connects culture and advocacy to engage the next generation of leaders. Through her platform, she breaks down complex issues into accessible, relatable content, mobilizing young people to participate in shaping their communities and advancing reproductive justice and women’s leadership.