Grammy Winner Phillip Lawrence and Fashion Icon Francesca Sorrenti Join Forces with Michael Flutie and Michaela Goddard Quesada to Launch an Anti-Algorithm Talent Pipeline Delivering Real Careers ...

The Talent Revolution Starts Now: TESTBOARD Awards Flip the Script on Discovery in the Age of Algorithms

New Platform Backed by Grammy Winner Phillip Lawrence Proves Small-Town Dreamers Don't Need Followers—They Need Vision

First Winners Already Landing Milan Fashion Week, Nashville Recording Sessions & Major TV Roles

NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- While the entertainment industry obsesses over follower counts, a radical new platform is proving that raw talent still wins.

TESTBOARD—the vision-first discovery platform founded by industry leaders Michael Flutie and Michaela Goddard Quesada—is redefining talent discovery for a new generation. The platform's early results reveal what the industry has forgotten: the future of talent isn't found in algorithms. It's found in the work.

Three unknowns walked into the first TESTBOARD Awards with nothing but a 60-second screen test. Weeks later:

Bella Yorke, a teenager from Atlanta, is recording her debut in Nashville.
Bridget Fahey, a high-school senior from Pennsylvania, signed with Why Not Models Milan and will walk Fall/Winter 2026 shows.
Nils Schmolka is screen-testing for film, stage, and television roles in Los Angeles.

Undeniable talent—and a platform brave enough to see it.

The Anti-Algorithm

In partnership with TINGS Studios (co-founded by Justin Campbell), TESTBOARD is engineering a fundamental shift: replacing viral luck with intentional discovery, development, and mentorship.

"A kid in Idaho with a smartphone and a dream can now access the same opportunities as someone born in Beverly Hills," says Flutie.

TESTBOARD's foundation is mentorship that matters.

Phillip Lawrence (Bruno Mars, Rosé), Grammy-winning producer, leads music talent.
Francesca Sorrenti and Justin Campbell bring editorial and cinematic vision.
Michaela Goddard Quesada, former President of Elite Model Look, ensures emerging voices are protected—not exploited.

"If you think your gift might be in the arts, record a screen test," Lawrence says. "We're not looking for perfect. We're looking for real."

Why Now Matters

Social media has turned talent discovery into a lottery—one where authenticity is traded for likes and young creators are overexposed before they're ready.

TESTBOARD is the antidote.

The platform's cinematic editorial franchise, The TINGS Covers, produced by Campbell and Sorrenti, frames winners not as influencers but as artists. Their collaborative lens—seen in work with Sofia Carson, Nicholas Galitzine, Dove Cameron, and Harris Dickinson—transforms raw potential into undeniable presence.

"Talent today doesn't want virality," Campbell explains. "They want vision."

The Backstory That Built This

Flutie and Quesada's decades-long friendship and partnership is rooted in the belief that real talent doesn't need manufacturing—it needs discovery and development.

Over a four-decade career that began at Elite Model Management under John Casablancas, Flutie launched Company Management and Madwood Studios, produced Scouted on E!, and created Netflix's The Westside. As a talent brand manager, Flutie helped establish early talent-driven brand partnerships well before "creators" existed as a category. He also led global campaigns for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, guided by an ability to identify voices with the power to influence markets, shape consumer behavior, and move culture. Flutie is represented by United Talent Agency.

Quesada's years overseeing global scouting as president of Elite Model Look gave her firsthand insight into both the magic and the darker realities of traditional discovery. TESTBOARD is her answer: innovation without exploitation.

What Happens Next

Submissions for Round Two close December 10 at thetestboard.com/register.

The requirements? Sixty seconds of courage.
No follower minimum. No industry connections required.

Winners receive:

• Professional editorial features
• International mentorship which include Phillip Lawrence, Francesca Sorrenti, Justin Campbell, Beri Smither, Jennifer Frommer, and others
• Career development infrastructure
• Global platform visibility

"We're not handing people a stage," Flutie says. "We're teaching them how to own it—and rewrite the story for everyone who follows."

ASSETS AVAILABLE:

High-resolution imagery from the TINGS Covers editorial series
Screen-test footage from Bella Yorke, Bridget Fahey, and Nils Schmolka
Behind-the-scenes mentorship content
Interviews with Flutie, Quesada, Lawrence, Campbell, Beri Smither, and Jennifer Frommer

ABOUT TESTBOARD

TESTBOARD is a talent discovery platform prioritizing creativity over algorithms. Founded by Michael Flutie and Michaela Goddard Quesada, the platform identifies and develops emerging voices in music, fashion, and entertainment through intentional mentorship and professional development. Learn more at thetestboard.com.

The revolution won't be algorithmically optimized. It will be discovered.

Media Contact:
Lindsay Wilk
4439496259
405656@email4pr.com

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