A Scottsdale “relationship architect” and author and her author-explorer husband are competing for $20,000 and other rewards in the 2025 America’s Favorite Couple Contest.

People have until Thursday, Aug. 21, to vote for Akshay and Melissa Nanavati at americasfavcouple.org/2025/akshay-and-melissa as they vie for a spot in the contest’s quarter finals.

Hosted by actor Jeff Goldblum and his wife, the contest is is organized by Colossal, a nationally registered professional fundraiser that partners with DTCare, a registered Pennsylvania nonprofit that provides emergency relief to Ukraine and Lebanon.

As such, while one vote for the couple is free, supporters can donate a dollar per additional vote in the couple’s behalf.

The winner gets $20,000 and a feature in Variety Magazine.

The Nanavatis’ story “combines bold life changes, perseverance, and mutual empowerment,” a contest spokeswoman said.

Indeed, it has a fairy tale element for the couple, who are both public speakers and authors on their respective specialties. They also are co-authoring a book, “Peak Performance Love,” that is aimed at high-performing personalities.

Melissa moved from Oregon to Arizona in search of love on an “intuition” she’d find it. After meeting Akshay, they married in six months.

Akshay is a speaker, war veteran, adventurer and author of “Fearvana,” which was endorsed by the Dalai Lama. “He has overcome drug addiction, PTSD from fighting in Iraq with the Marines, depression and alcoholism that pushed him to the brink of suicide,” the contest spokeswoman said.

To exorcise his personal demons, he lived for 17 days in pitch darkness, survived 100 days alone dragging heavy sleds through the polar regions, and most recently dragged a 420-pound sled for 500 miles alone in Antarctica for 60 days.

Some experts have called his trek “the boldest Antarctic expedition in modern times.”

“Akshay now works with organizations to build resilience, lead effectively under pressure, and sustain high performance without burnout,” the contest spokeswoman said. “His keynotes combine real-world lessons from the extremes of human endurance with cutting-edge science, designed to help teams thrive through uncertainty, adversity, and change.”

Melissa “helps high performers master the skills of relationships so their love life thrives at the same level as their career,” according to a release.

As a speaker, author, and relationship architect, “she blends neuroscience, biology, and lived experience to teach high achievers how to apply the skills that make them successful in business to love.”

A textbook author and Fortune 100 consultant, she and her husband raised $1.1 million globally to fund his Antarctic expedition while they ran two businesses.

 The couple said winning the contest would extend their efforts to help “more couples to seek out and nurture a healthy, loving, and intentional relationship that supports their foundation for success in every aspect of their lives.”

“If we were to win the America’s Favorite Couple Contest, we’d invest the $20,000 prize money to grow our mission of guiding high performers to reach the heights of peak performance and the depths of romantic partnership” said Melissa.

“Through our speaking, books, and coaching, we teach actionable tools to thrive in both purpose and love. This funding would amplify our impact, helping more people create relationships that elevate ambition, strengthen connection, and become the foundation for a life of meaning, impact, and enduring love.”