A new race experience that places the audience at the center of the action. Expert drivers and their vehicles come from five different race disciplines to form each team to compete in the global race series. Their navigator is The Human Baton Athlete who is passed across the race course as the wingman and storyteller becoming the eyes and ears of the audience, the thread that ties the team together.
This high-energy race takes place over land, sea, and air, and throughout a continent rather than a traditional racetrack environment. It is a Super Sport Relay Race, however unlike historical relay races, the baton is not an inanimate object… it is a live human being, The Human Baton.
The race combines the speed of Super Cars, Drift Cars, Thundercats, Endurance Horses, Rally Cars and Helicopters into one race course with multiple legs. The Human Baton will participate in and endure each leg of the race as a co-pilot and navigator that will keep the world engaged throughout the journey.
Stev Stephens is the Co-Creator of The Human Baton franchise. He recently held the title of Executive Producer and Director of Business Development for ATS Filmworks, after producing over 800 television episodes and winning three Image Awards with Public Broadcasting Systems (PBS) of America.
With Tokyo Broadcasting and ATS Filmworks he collaborated to bring adventures to life on the highly acclaimed, international Ninja Warrior franchise. He has created a successful career in the media industry by leveraging his producing and logistical talents.
Alongside Mark Burnett and Co., he developed the television and event ground production plans for the Emmy nominated, “Eco-Challenge: Australia Adventure Race” covering over 300 miles of the Australian territories.
Stev specializes in developing large events and television shows that take place in multiple locations all over the world including political conventions, acclaimed reality shows, and arena-scale live productions.
Phillip Carrington served eight years in the Royal Marines Commandos gaining skills and experience, which allowed him to become an accomplished expedition leader, commercial diver, and professional rope access climber.
He has created international adventure sports shows for television and is the Co-Creator of The Human Baton. Phil doesn’t just create these spectacles – he lives them; including planning and executing a two-man crossing of the Atlantic in a rowboat, kayaking 2300 miles down the Yukon River, 1000 miles from Switzerland to the London Eye down the Rhine, and then running 7 marathons back to back through the Grand Canyon, and a host of numerous adventures around the world.
Phil lives in Santa Barbara, California with his wife and two kids, yet he still trains and makes time for expeditions and competitive races.Linkedin
Mr. Brett Williamson is a serial entrepreneur dating back to early childhood. He joins THB to secure and manage the critical team owner relationships. He is also a successful entrepreneur, filmmaker and philanthropist.
Most recently he exited a successful snack food company as the Vice President of Product Development and held an integral part in its sale to private equity.
Brett works with large corporations like Wal-Mart, Costco, Aldi, Walgreens, and Tesco, designing and selling successful product lines. With his product development and management experience combined with his adventurous spirit, The Human Baton is a perfect fit.
Gene is a serial entrepreneur who owns, manages and advises companies in various industries including entertainment. technology, healthcare, hospitality and affordable housing. Gene’s reputation and extensive background in strategy, business development, marketing, fundraising and management spans nearly 30 years. He has worked with prominent clients such as Disney, Paramount, DreamWorks, Microsoft, Sony Toyota, Marriott and UCLA Health to name a few. On the philanthropic side, Gene served as Global Chairman of the Strategic Alliances Committee for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), a global entity of entrepreneurs in over 64 countries. He forged relationships with the UN, G20, NYSE, the White House, Fortune 500 companies, the media, foundations, and universities. Gene helped create and launch NYSE Big Startup with EO to bring together the world’s most recognized companies and business leaders to engage with EO’s fast-growth entrepreneurs to create jobs, revenue and increase GDP. He also represented the U.S. on the G20 YEA (Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance), a global network of industrialized and developing nations championing the cause of entrepreneurship and world economic development.
Thomas (Tommy) Caprio joins THB to assist in the development of story content and production for THB studios. His task is to find, create, and highlight the most exciting storylines and action to bring the audience the most entertaining experience possible. Tom is a lifelong athlete and fan of sports who is excited about giving fans a new way to engage with the sport they love.
Tommy is an entertainment and television broadcast producer with 20+ years of experience and produces Emmy nominated shows for major broadcast networks in every field of entertainment.
Phil is one of the talented visionaries who capture THB’s human stories and the incredible action that form the visual journeys within The Human Baton universe. His work is ubiquitous across the THB Studios platform.
Born in Mountain View, California, he has directed many films and T.V. projects; most of which are aimed at changing the world’s perspective on how we treat our planet. Phil is also a world-class photographer and thrill seeker who is always in search of the next project that will change the world.
Jeff Romeo is a multi-award winning marketing professional of 20 years.
He specializes in developing global strategic programmes for sports, entertainment and technology clients working with business leaders to enhance the reputation and accelerate growth.
Jeff has served as a Senior Director at the global communications agency, Edelman, and a Founder and CEO of marketing strategists, VJR Consulting. He has provided counsel to industry leaders including Sony, Microsoft, Adobe, Twitch and BAFTA; has led teams in Rio 2016, UEFA Champions League, Africa Cup of Nations, FIBA, Formula One, World Endurance Championships and has worked with a catalogue of leading athletes and stars from stage and screen.
Previously, Jeff founded the successful lifestyle marketing agency, Motion PR & Management boasting an impressive client list including athletes Tony Hawk, Kelly Slater, Shaun Palmer, Dave Mirra and Terje Haakonsen, events; BoarderX Tour, BikerX Tour and the Swatch Wave Tour and brands; Pepsi Co., Extreme Sports Channel and Mean Fiddler.
Kyle Hudson runs THB’s social media strategy and implementation. He has also played an integral part in the implementation and development of THB’s early-stage tech, as well as physical fitness programs.
Before joining the THB team, Kyle served as a Reconnaissance Marine as well as an Arabic, Spanish, & French translator in the Marine Corps for 7 years. After his service, Kyle received his BA in International Relations and his MBA from the University of Southern California.
In 2016, Kyle founded Highlanders Distribution, where he served as CEO from inception through acquisition. Kyle brings diverse knowledge and experience to the THB team ranging from intense physical rigors in Marine special operations to international dealings and creative entrepreneurial business insight.
Andrew (aka Bertie) Ager is a talented strategic and creative communications specialist with over 16 years’ experience working with some of the world’s leading brands, sponsors and events to develop creative & strategic communications campaigns which deliver standout international media coverage, consumer awareness and brand profile in the areas of youth, sport, drinks and entertainment.
Andrew has developed marketing and communications campaigns across a broad range of international sports-based clients, and has first-hand experience delivering marketing campaigns for major sports events including; multiple Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race plus extreme sports including the Freeride World Tour.
Ben is considered to be one of the leading experts in the UK on Rally Raiding and Race logistics. Having participated in over a decade of Dakar rallies in his 25 plus years of Motorsport, Ben has worked in every role from mechanic to Team Owner and has raced across the globe as a result.
Knowing how a race works from the inside out his crucial. Ben will be bringing his hard-earned race knowledge to the dynamic THB Team, to design and sharpen the race route, rules, transition camps and logistics across all the genres of the sports.
International Racer, Team Owner, and Race Advisor to Dakar Rally, will also function as the Compliance Manager and Road Rally Division Manager.
Erik Placko is the race and training Baton Athlete Manager. Together with his team, he’s responsible for developing the training and education program for the athletes that THB is preparing to become the first Human Batons, in the super sport main race event.
Erik has life-long experience training and participating in extreme sports. He has worked with global broadcasters and production companies – stunt testing for international broadcasts of the Ninja Warrior franchise. He is an experienced Obstacle Course Racer and constantly works to hone his skills in the discipline of Parkour/Freerunning. His expertise as a professional athlete opened up doors toward building and testing official Ninja Warrior courses all around the world.
Currently living in Sweden, he is a serial entrepreneur whose background is engineering in Computer and Electrical Science.
Dr. Kim Lannon, “Dr. Kim” is the Performance Readiness Coach and Advisor to the Human Baton. She provides our athlete batons support through performance integration strategies in conjunction with the physical training team to help you reach your optimal level of success as the Human Baton.
Being a former competitive elite athlete, Dr. Lannon understands the need for a systems approach to endurance coaching in demanding physical settings. Faltering motivation and outside pressure are only a few of many factors that can cause mental stress and setbacks. Dr. Lannon and her company, GameFace Sports Consulting, was founded with this in mind.
Dr. Lannon’s qualifications allow her to provide the most efficient evidence-based techniques. She provides The Human Baton with on the spot assessments and performance readiness evaluations to optimize the team. Her work emphasizes holistic and preventative mental skills training, which is important for peak performance.
As a doctor of Clinical Psychology, a licensed mental health counselor, and a certified sport psychology coach, Dr. Lannon and GameFace Sports Consulting represent the best of what she’s learned and experienced over more than two decades of being an academic and healthcare professional.
As part of the Baton Athlete Management (BAM) Team, Theo designs the comprehensive training programs that will help a new breed of athletes develop the skills and the physical fitness required to become the first Human Baton.
Living in the French Alps, Theo is a passionate Personal Trainer and Life coach, always eager to bring out the best in everyone. A trained biologist and food tech engineer, Theo is a mountain sports enthusiast, a multi-sport athlete (skiing, rugby, golf,…) and an adrenalin seeker with infinite curiosity and creativity. He breathes to Transform Humans through Evolution and Openness (THEO).
Matt Rusk is an accomplished Sustainability Specialist with 10 years of experience leading Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability strategy development, implementation, tracking, communications, and partnerships for preeminent organizations. Matt is a proven trailblazer who has driven positive impact and the adoption of new innovative sustainability practices in the entertainment industry. Strategically embedding sustainability into production operations, Matt has reduced the environmental footprint of film and event productions while increasing their social benefit and efficiency. Matt’s achievements include piloting new renewable energy and lighting technology, Zero Waste productions, 40+ tons of donations to community groups, and attaining EMA Green Seal certifications for all eligible projects. Matt also led Sustainability, CSR and philanthropy in the fashion, apparel and design industry while serving as Sustainability Manager for Swarovski. Matt also co-produced a documentary film, ‘Waterschool,’ highlighting young leaders in the Swarovski Waterschool program. The film screened at Sundance and Cannes film festivals, is available on Netflix, and has an ongoing social action campaign.
Courtney has spent 20 years in the automotive and technology sectors and has engaged in strategic planning & new technology deployments in gaming, entertainment and hospitality industries.
Companies she has worked with include Mobilitie, Dimension Data, Vodafone, Universal Studios, Ford, Rock Star Games, Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Qualcomm, EA Games, DarkTrace, Booking.com, and Allianz.
She will help implement and manage the technology roadmap, with a focus on extending & enhancing the THB Platform and APP in scheduled expansion projects.
Jozef has 16 years digital experience in the European web and media industries, both in fixed and mobile communications. Serial Entrepreneur with 3 successful exits at founder level. UK and European market entry specialist, building teams and presence for two leading US brands. Award-winning company builder and business leader, mentor and start-up advisor.
Dan Davis is a highly respected automotive top executive with a broad base of expertise and accomplishments. He brings over forty years of technical, process, and business experience to the THB management team. At Ford, Davis retired as the Director of Ford Racing Technology responsible for all North American racing operations and the performance parts business including sales and marketing functions for both activities. He directed Ford’s Formula One and World Rally Championship programs along with the North American NASCAR, CART/Champ Car, NHRA, USAC, and ARCA, off-road programs.
Dr. Ellen Helsper is Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor in the Media and Communications Department at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Her current research interests include new media audiences, digital literacy, the links between digital and social exclusion; mediated interpersonal communication; and quantitative and qualitative methodological developments in media research.
The two main research projects she is involved in at the moment are a European Commission Project in relation to Online Advertising and Children, the EU Kids Online (www.eukidsonline.net) project and the World Internet Project (www.worldinternetproject.net).
Currently, she is also working on a Fell Fund project related to the definition and measurement of digital skills, engagement and outcomes of Internet use
Christian is a C-Suite leader, experienced at building technology to improve consumers experience with both product and marketing. At the forefront of the mobile (and digital) economy across multiple sectors with a focus on entertainment, retail, luxury and fashion. Keen exponent of how to turn a marketing function from a cost centre to a customer focused revenue driver.
Esben is an entrepreneur and venture developer with extensive experience having launched and scaled companies across three continents. Currently, he is a Founding Partner at Rising Global Partners, a private equity investment and advisory firm, and a Co-founder of Nordic Impact Lab, an impact-focused
investment fund. Esben is an experienced business advisor with a particular focus in digital strategy and company scaling, and he mentors startups at Virgin Startup and Google LaunchPad. Esben is a visiting lecturer at Cass Business School Executive Program and an alumnus of MITs global entrepreneurship
program.
After a long and varied career David Cullen has recently retired from the Services. An Army Board member, as the Assistant Chief of the General Staff, he was the Army’s principal representative in theWhitehall, the Capital and Internationally: Working with senior officials, responsible for the development of Defence high level vision, concept and ideas; With Ministers and the Board responsible for the
development of the Army’s corporate strategy, for the delivery of military strategic advice, including international policy; As the Army’s Chief Operating Officer, responsible for the day to day running of the Army, the delivery of Defence transformation and the Army’s lead in managing significant change with international partners. He is a widely respected and highly capable commander and staff officer with unrivalled experience of operating at the highest levels of Defence within MOD, NATO and Internationally. Operationally experienced he has deployed to Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands, Cyprus, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and
Afghanistan. He is now engaged in a diverse portfolio of interests on both sides of the Atlantic, in Africa, Asia and the Middle East – Chairman, Trustee, Director, Adviser; a mix of executive and non-executive board level appointments across the sectors. “It is a big World and you only see a small part of it standing in one place.” He is especially interested and focused on the Veteran community, their employment opportunities
and careers.
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