OUR MISSION
To inspire a generation of overcomers to discover
and live out destiny.
passion,
find purpose,
OUR STORY
Germaine Ransome
Co-Founder, Speaker, Facilitator
I grew up in Scarborough Ontario, in Canada. The fam consisted of my mother, grandmother, brother and sister. As the eldest in my family, I had the daunting task of being the cool older brother while managing the weighty expectation of being a good role model for said sister and brother. It was not easy. But it was awesome! Summers were spent playing road hockey, basketball, and catching frogs by the local creek. Most of them got away.
Fast forward a few years later and I’m a freshman in Highschool. I take a liking to a girl. As fate would have it, we were in the same drama class. Sweeet! And there is where I fell in love… with acting. Acting opened up a whole new world to me. Through acting I discovered my love for using art to communicate truth.
This passion opened doors to acting gigs, writing and directing opportunities. I was the Assistant Creative Director for an Independent Media company. There is where I shot my first short film. I got the opportunity to write several High School plays that toured the Greater Toronto area and United Kingdom. I also wrote two musicals for a community-based organization (but don’t ask me to sing).
I was invited by a friend of mine to visit him while he was speaking to grade school students. The topic was bullying. He was a dynamo! His ability to connect with the audience in a meaningful way lit a fire in me to want to do the same.
Germaine has been married to his best friend and soulmate Debbie for 9 years. They have two Children. A rambunctious toddler named Maverick, and their 6 month year old daughter Margot.
Joel is also a very big family guy. His parents fostered kids for 30 years, and through it he gained two more younger sisters. He also is the proud uncle of 10 nephews and nieces,
with one more on the way!
Joel David Witton
Co-Founder, Speaker, Facilitator
I was born in Kamloops B.C. (So my birth certificate is green…IYKYK ), but by the age of three my family moved to the Durham Region, just east of Toronto, Ontario. This is where I grew up, with my dad, my mom, my older brother, and two younger sisters. Some of my fondest childhood memories consist neighbourhood hockey, baseball, and ball tag, skiing in the winter, while playing club soccer in the summers.
There were also many days spent at my grandparent’s cottage, swimming, fishing, and playing various card games with my brothers and sisters, while tuning in for the odd show we could watch on the one or two channels available on the cottage tv-if we adjusted the tv antennas just right.
I also got involved in acting from a young age, taking lead roles in school and church plays. This is when I was introduced to my passion for the stage and for creative self-expression. This continued into high school, where I literally used to say that apart from gym class, my favourite thing to do at school was to present in front of the class…as long as I was prepared and knew what I was talking about.
After high school I ended up getting involved in working with youth, and even started a few school programs and youth drop-in centres. I ended up joining an organization where I facilitated day retreats for high school students, as well as spending some time travelling around with a friend who was a dynamic youth speaker himself. It was through these experiences that I realized that youth speaking was to be my path of purpose.
THE REASON WHY YOU'RE HERE...
Germaine and Joel have been friends for over 20 years, and have had the opportunity to partner together in the arts and in different contexts as speakers. But it was only in late 2016 that they began to seriously consider the potential of officially teaming up to build something really special! They both knew they had a passion and gifting for speaking, and a desire to inspire the next generation, but their secret sauce is the chemistry of their friendship and value of the combined perspective and experience. So at the beginning of 2017 Inspiration Republic was born!
One of the first things they did was begin meeting with educators and community leaders to better understand the felt needs that students were facing. From there they began to build presentations to address some of the most pressing issues within school communities. They took their time over the first few years and began serving schools with presentations for grades K-12 in the Greater Toronto Area. During Covid they pivoted to virtual presentations, and have since continued presenting in-person and virtually across the nation.
They have now presented for upwards of 125,000 students grades K-12 (while presenting for parents and teachers as well) in-person and virtually in all 10 provinces, and in North West Territories. We have started working with board/divisions to offer board-wide virtual presentations as well, and are gearing up for some in-person school tours across the nation during this coming school year.
THE JOURNEY SO FAR
Established in 2017 as Inspiration Republic
We have impacted and influenced over 125,000 students, parents, educators and community members.
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Presented in all 10 Provinces, & North West Territories. We look forward to serving the rest of Canada and abroad!
BOOK iREP
Interested in having us present for your school community? Then please fill out the form below...