From a field of millions of global applicants, Dominican small business founder Leanne Morancie has claimed one of the coveted 10 remaining spots in Colossal’s 2026 Entrepreneur of Impact competition, advancing through a series of rigorous preliminary selection rounds to reach the public voting phase.
Hosted by Daymond John—celebrated business magnate, founder of iconic streetwear brand FUBU, and star investor on ABC’s long-running entrepreneurial reality show *Shark Tank*—the competition has now entered a critical stage: public support will decide which 10 competitors move forward into the final Top 5. Public voting is currently open, and supporters can cast one complimentary vote per day, with additional paid votes available through donations. All proceeds from paid votes go directly to GENYOUth, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding access to nutritious school meals and inclusive physical activity programs for K-12 students across North America.
A native of Grand Bay and a graduate of Dominica’s Convent High School, Morancie first developed the concept for her clean skincare brand, Leanne Lutterness™, during her time competing in beauty pageantry. Like many people with sensitive, reactive skin, Morancie spent years cycling through commercial skincare products that failed to address her specific needs, leaving her frustrated and searching for an alternative. Drawing on her lifelong familiarity with the therapeutic properties of crystals, and building on formal education she received at the University of the Virgin Islands, Morancie began formulating her own transdermal skincare solutions. What started as a personal project soon grew into a full brand, when she discovered her formulations worked not just for her, but for a large community of people living with persistent skin conditions and underlying inflammatory ailments who also struggled to find effective, gentle products. Today, Leanne Lutterness™ stands as a successful woman-owned, ethically produced crystalline skincare brand with a loyal global customer base.
Beyond building her skincare business, Morancie is deeply committed to expanding access to financial literacy for working families, a mission aligned with her work with World System Builder. This initiative, which counts Morancie among its core advocates, has set an ambitious goal to deliver evidence-based financial education to 30 million families worldwide by 2030. For Morancie, the dual focus of building a responsible consumer brand and advancing economic empowerment is exactly what the Entrepreneur of Impact competition was designed to celebrate.
If Morancie takes home the competition’s top prize of $25,000, she plans to invest the full amount into expanding her brand’s marketing strategy and distribution networks, allowing Leanne Lutterness™ to reach more customers in need of gentle, effective skincare while growing her capacity to advance youth empowerment and community development work in her home country of Dominica.
“I am always grateful for the opportunity to make meaningful impact,” Morancie said in a statement. “Thank you for the encouragement I have received so far. I am immensely grateful to my supporters, our loyal clients, for recognizing me as an Entrepreneur of Impact. This experience has been especially meaningful given my ongoing commitment to youth empowerment and community-focused initiatives.”
She ended with a direct appeal to voters: “Vote me Entrepreneur of Impact 2026.” Voting is open to the public worldwide, and daily votes are free. The voting window will close at 1 PM local time on Thursday, April 23.