ROLE
Founder, Director of Product & Experience
TEAM
Director of Product & Experience
2 Coordinators
Up to 2 Marketing Interns
TIMELINE
Annually, for 3 years
"[Alexi] makes people around her want to better all around, and makes all projects she is involved with full of life, joy, passion, and success."
Jenn Cristy
Former Rising Star Mentor + MidWay Advisor
Rising Star Youth Competition
Where Battle of the Bands Meets The Voice
Experience Design
Journey Mapping
Data-Driven Optimization
Vision Development
Digital Strategy + Design
Brand Building
Integrated Marketing
The Rising Star Youth Competition was an immersive 3-month music competition in Indiana, where contestants were partnered with local celebrity mentors to prepare for a final showcase and compete for career-advancing prizes.
Originally designed as a brand awareness stunt, Rising Star exceeded expectations and evolved into a recurring program that ran for 2 additional years. The program paired aspiring musicians with local mentors whose careers aligned with their goals, creating a deeply personalized experience that introduced contestants to the music industry while making them feel like stars.
Prizes included high-value experiences - performing at MidWay Music Festival, radio interviews, studio time, and music lessons - from local partners. I designed the end-to-end participant journey, co-created curriculum, and built gamified activations to maximize skill development and engagement.
KEY RESULTS:
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83% retention with early adopters
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Validated scale into an org-wide program engaging 1,500+ members across 4 audience segments
CATCHING UP WITH THE WINNERS
"I felt so powerful as a young person and young woman walking away from this competition."
Maris Fish
Former Rising Star Participant
