At a time when those in power are working to silence, sideline, and strip women of their influence, Nevertheless set out to capture the unfiltered journeys of visionary female changemakers–all Elevate Prize winners–highlighting their struggles, victories, and unshakable determination to create lasting impact within their communities.
Nevertheless was the premiere project from Elevate Studios, the Elevate Prize Foundation’s new storytelling and production arm that was launched at Sundance Film Festival this year. It had the goals of:
It all started when we met Teresa, Cindy and Aparna and welcomed them to our Elevate community as Prize winners. Each of them was outstanding in their own right, all in wildly different circumstances but all driving systemic change around the world. We knew we had to tell their stories.
Months of story-mining and creative development shaped a format that gave changemakers agency over their narratives, pairing intimate interviews that told their stories with documentary-style footage revealing the on-the-ground impact of their work. We then embarked on a multi-country production across India, Kenya, and Detroit—partnering with directors, producers, and local crews to authentically capture each leader’s story.
Released weekly during Women’s History Month of 2025, the rollout was designed to build anticipation, sustain conversation, and foster solidarity through shared narrative experiences.
YouTube was chosen as the primary distribution platform for its unparalleled accessibility and reach. As of April 2025, Nielsen reports that YouTube held 12.4% of total U.S. TV viewership, securing its position as the #1 media distributor for the third consecutive month. With no logins, subscriptions, or paywalls, it was the ideal channel to maximize visibility and engagement among diverse audiences.
To promote the series, we partnered with the featured winners on Instagram, co-posting across Elevate’s owned channels to tap into their communities and spark authentic engagement. Beyond the 3M+ YouTube views, these short collaborative reels generated over 350K impressions and approximately 3.5K engagements—extending the series’ reach and impact well beyond its primary platform.
In a digital age obsessed with content but in search of purpose, Nevertheless stands out by telling stories that inspire—amplifying changemakers’ voices, sparking hope, and uniting audiences in a shared belief that change is possible.
In just a few months—and with minimal paid promotion—Nevertheless earned 3M+ views across 154 countries, gained 110K+ new YouTube subscribers, and achieved an 11.9% cross-platform engagement rate, demonstrating a strong global appetite for purpose-driven storytelling.
Two of the three episodes achieved a 28% average view duration, surpassing YouTube’s overall audience retention average (23.7%) and approaching top-tier performance for 5–10-minute videos (31.5%). These results show that audiences didn’t just click—they stayed, fully engaged in the stories.
Beyond metrics, the series created tangible opportunities for the leaders featured. Teresa Njoroge, founder of Clean Start Africa, was invited to the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity for the first time, where she joined our CMO Eva Bloomfield, Impact Media CEO Tim Chau, and creator Anna Sitar on a panel, sharing her journey and the impact of Nevertheless.
Following the event, Teresa told us: “After my recent participation at the World Woman Cannes Agenda Elevate Prize Panel, I have decided to write and publish my first book to increase visibility for my vision and mission, and take the Clean Start story to another level… This will help bring the much-needed change eventually.”
This is the ripple effect we strive for when we say we Make Good Famous—equipping leaders with the visibility and platforms to open new doors, inspire change, and carry their communities forward.
