WE ALL HAVE
A UNIQUE STORY TO TELL
Whether you are a rock collector or a rock star we are defined by our stories.
Since 2004 we have been developing an idea to help do this by interviewing people.
That’s why we created trails.
What began as a simple question on a mountain road has grown into a global methodology for human connection.
Our Origin Story
Fifteen years ago, filmmaker Stuart Acker Holt was on a road trip through the French Alps with his university music tutor, Suade Bergerman. As they drove up a steep Alpine pass, Stuart was captivated by Suade's seemingly limitless knowledge—from the geological formation of the mountains around them to identifying tree species by their silhouettes as the light faded.
Struck by his friend's extraordinary mind, Stuart wondered: "Who would this remarkable person find most interesting?" He posed this question to Suade, who immediately mentioned his uncle, Sir Roger Graef, the BAFTA lifetime award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work had influenced society's thinking on critical issues.
Later, upon meeting Roger, Stuart asked him the same question, which led to journalist Angie Mason, who in turn introduced Stuart to a single Jewish mother who had become the UK's greatest reggae promoter.
This chain of fascinating individuals became the first "Trail"—a methodology of human connection that Stuart would go on to document in over 200 films, taking him across continents and into the lives of extraordinary people from all walks of life.
Our Mission and Vision
Mission: To bring extraordinary individuals and ideas to the surface, ensuring the most qualified voices are heard by the most receptive ears and influential minds.
Vision: We envision a world where hidden talent emerges, where cross-cultural understanding flourishes through human stories.
Our Core Principles
Exceptional Perspectives Exist in Unexpected Places
We discover extraordinary minds where others aren't looking.
Authentic Human Connection
Without human life, trust and markets are meaningless.
Meritocratic Revolution
We believe in creating pathways for extraordinary individuals to be discovered and valued.
Cross-Cultural Understanding
We enable communication across cultural divides through the universal power of human storytelling.
Trust in the Trail
Our linear generative curation system—The Trail—creates unexpected connections that yield profound insights and opportunities.
-
Stuart Acker Holt
FOUNDER
Stuart Acker Holt is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, and the creator of The Most Interesting Person projectr. For over 15 years, he has been following chains of human connection across continents, capturing extraordinary stories that might otherwise remain untold.
With over two decades of experience working with major broadcasters and publishers and institutions including the Van gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Sheffield Documentary Festival. His TED talk on the power of human connection has inspired audiences worldwide to reconsider who they find most interesting—and why.
Stuart also brings his expertise to education as a lecturer at Fontys School of Journalism, where he teaches creative storytelling and innovative documentary approaches.
He believes that by following nomination chains, we discover not just fascinating individuals, but also the bridges that connect otherwise divided communities, creating forums for authentic dialogue in an increasingly fragmented world.
-
Shayne McCreadie
PRODUCER
Shayne McCreadie studied Media & Culture at the University of Amsterdam. During her first year, she worked as an ambassador for the theatre company De Trust, which later merged with Rozentheater to form Theatercompagnie. Over the past 20 years, she has worked in various cultural institutions, including Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, as a Friday night programmer at the Van Gogh Museum, and in different roles at De Melkweg.
She was also a marketer for the International Queer & Migrant Film Festival at Amerpodia. Shayne founded De Cultuurshifters, an organisation specialising in Diversity & Inclusion training, and worked as an impact producer at Een van de Jongens, contributing to the documentary series Klassen on educational inequality in the Netherlands.
-
Geertje Geurtsen
PROGRAMMING
Geertje Geurtsen is a scenographer, set and costume designer, and visual theater maker with a great passion for socially engaged theater and youth theater. She has gained her knowledge and experience through studies in theater design & fine art and education at the HKU.
This combination of expertise has not only provided her with practical skills but also a deep understanding of arts education. She is currently involved in multiple projects at the community theatre group Stut Theater, including Stuk Maken, a collaborative festival, and a large-scale production with young caregivers 'Met Zonder Zorgen'.
Events and partners
-
MIP Berlin 2013
MIP Berlin was a 24 hour event in the Balhaus Ost in Prenzlauerberg, Berlin. It featured a trail of the most interesting people living in the city. Each participant was given the space to do whatever they wanted that interested them at the moment in time. There were exhibitions, talks, performances and more.
-
MIP Global 2014
An exhibition of all the trails documented worldwide for our 10th year anniversary.
-
MIP x TED 2015
Ted Talk connecting the most interesting TED speakers from around the world