American Family Insurance Announces the 2023 TIME “Dreamer of the Year”

For the second year in a row, American Family Insurance is partnering with TIME to present the TIME “Dreamer of the Year.” The “Dreamer of the Year” was created to recognise an individual who works tirelessly to protect, restore and champion dreams, while inspiring others to pursue their own.

This year’s recipient is Syd Kitson, an American real estate developer and former professional American football player, whose ambitious project, Babcock Ranch, is a sustainable, master-planned community in southwest Florida. Babcock Ranch is the first solar-powered town in America, providing a model for sustainable living by integrating green technologies and eco-friendly practices into its design and operation.

To celebrate, Elite Media, a long-time creative agency partner for American Family Insurance, worked with TIME and its award-winning Red Border content division to create a series of 2:15, :30 and :15 videos that spotlight Syd Kitson and his Babcock Ranch project. As Syd Kitson said, “There becomes an intersection of being a dreamer and a doer… when you step forward and say 'I’m going to make this happen.’”

The :30 version debuted today and will run on broadcast TV. The longer-length video will appear across American Family Insurance and TIME social media channels and digital properties. Media was handled by Performics. 

American Family Insurance’s partnership with TIME dates back to 2020 when the companies combined to stage a virtual reality exhibit bringing to life Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom – the ultimate dream. Last year’s inaugural TIME "Dreamer of the Year" was Donnel Baird, founder and CEO of BlocPower, a Brooklyn-based climate-­technology company that retrofits buildings in low-income neighbourhoods to help lower energy bills and reduce planet-warming emissions.

“We are proud to, once again, partner with TIME to recognise the 'Dreamer of the Year,’” said Telisa Yancy, enterprise president, American Family Insurance Group. “American Family Insurance believes everyone should have the ability to pursue their own dreams, and honouring the 'Dreamer of the Year' is one way to champion this pursuit. We applaud this year’s dreamer, Syd Kitson – someone who has reimagined what is possible and helped build stronger communities, for today and tomorrow.”

Added Sherina Smith, American Family Insurance Group enterprise chief marketing officer, “Now in its second year, we are excited about continuing the 'Dreamer of the Year' partnership with TIME. We're committed to developing unique platforms to highlight individuals who are inspiring, protecting, and restoring dreams, and look forward to building on this work in the years to come."

You can learn more about the “Dreamer of the Year” here; and here’s a clip from an interview given by Syd Kitson about Babcock Ranch on “60 Minutes.”

“I am honoured to be recognised as ‘Dreamer of the Year,’” said Syd Kitson, chairman/CEO of Kitson & Partners, developer of Babcock Ranch. “This award is an achievement not only for me and Kitson & Partners, but for the entire Babcock Ranch community as well as our many partners who’ve helped bring this dream to life, sharing a common passion for protecting our planet and making a difference. Thank you to American Family Insurance for recognizing dreamers who are committed to actionable change for the long-term benefit of generations to come.”