Jake Heilbrunn

An emerging leader of his generation, Jake has reached thousands of people through his blog posts, inspirational videos and motivational talks at high schools. At 19, he has been featured in Psychology Today, Thought Catalog, Pick the Brain, The San Diego Union Tribune, and various other sites and media outlets.

More than 150 people from eight countries helped him fund a Kickstarter campaign to publish his inspirational memoir, Off the Beaten Trail: A Young Man’s Soul-Searching Journey Through Central America.

Jake was a well-adjusted Dean’s List student who dropped out of college after becoming depressed, anxious and developing a "chronic" skin condition. He then spent four months backpacking through Central America by himself with no cellphone and no knowledge of Spanish. His pilgrimage led him to realize there are limitless ways to live and that people can create their own destinies through self-reflection and then taking action.