Meet the Changemakers
The MenCare Changemakers are influential stakeholders from business, the media, culture, civil society, governments and more, working together to understand how we achieve health and wellbeing for men and boys together with women and girls, and how to solve some of the biggest problems facing men, boys, and manhood around the world today.
The Changemakers
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Regan Mitchell
Director: Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Strategy, Our Watch
Regan Mitchell
Director: Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Strategy, Our Watch
Regan is a proud First Nations Wiradjuri and Ngunnawal woman from regional New South Wales, Australia.
With extensive lived and frontline experience, Regan is highly skilled in navigating complex systems and providing intensive support to women and children experiencing domestic, family, and sexual violence. Their voices inform her role as Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy at Our Watch.
Widely respected for her expertise, Regan is passionate about ending violence against all women and children with a particular focus on First Nations women in remote communities – the most impacted and the least seen. Through truth telling, she shines a light on the root causes of the unacceptably high rates of violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and what we must all do individually and collectively to stop gender based violence before it starts
Widely respected for her expertise, Regan is passionate about ending violence against all women and children through truth telling with a particular focus on First Nations women in remote communities – the most impacted and the least seen.
“To achieve true equity, we have to recognise that the starting line is not the same for everyone. For some, the starting line is completely out of reach.”
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Dr. Rosemary Morgan
Associate Professor: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Dr. Rosemary Morgan
Associate Professor: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Rosemary Morgan, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH) where she holds the Edgar Berman Professorship in International Health. Dr. Morgan is recognized as a specialist in gender analysis in health and health systems research, interventions, and programs. Her work spans research, teaching, and policy engagement to examine how gender norms, roles, and relations shape health and health system experiences and outcomes, and to advance more equitable, people‑centered health systems for all. Dr. Morgan co-directs the Gender and Health Track in the Global Health Summer Institute and coordinates the Gender and Health Certificate at BSPH.
“Gender equality cannot be achieved without challenging and changing norms that harm men and those around them.”
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Dr. Derek M. Griffith
Chairman, Global Action on Men’s Health
Dr. Derek M. Griffith
Chairman, Global Action on Men’s Health
Dr. Derek M. Griffith is the Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Population Health and Health Equity University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also serves as Senior Advisor on Health Equity and Anti-Racism. A leading scholar on racial, ethnic, and gender equity in health, he specializes in community-based interventions to advance Black men’s health and intersectional approaches to health policy. Dr. Griffith chairs Global Action on Men’s Health and edits the International Journal of Men’s Social and Community Health. Widely published and honored, his work bridges research, policy, and practice to dismantle structural racism and promote health equity globally.
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Brett Kubicek
Chief Advisor: Science and Strategy, Public Safety Canada
Brett Kubicek
Chief Advisor: Science and Strategy, Public Safety Canada
Brett Kubicek joined the Canadian public service in 2005 after completing his PhD in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a post-doctoral fellowship at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies at Ohio State University, as well as a BA from the University of British Columbia. He is currently Chief Advisor Research and Strategy for the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence, housed at the Department of Public Safety. The Canada Centre was established in 2017 to lead the federal government’s efforts to counter radicalization to violence, online and offline, a role which is separate from but complementary to national security and criminal justice approaches to countering violent extremism. From 2007 to 2016 he served as Public Safety’s liaison for the National Justice Statistics Initiative, and from 2011 to 2016 he was also the manager responsible for Public Safety’s Kanishka Project, a five-year $10M Government of Canada initiative investing in research on terrorism and counterterrorism, where the focus was on building evidence for preventative approaches.
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Ashley Kolaya
Executive Director, Mental Health Storytelling Initiative
Ashley Kolaya
Executive Director, Mental Health Storytelling Initiative
Ashley Kolaya is the founding Executive Director of the Mental Health Storytelling Initiative (MHSI), a coalition of 80+ entertainment, mental health, and philanthropic organizations working to shape how mental health is portrayed in media and culture. MHSI operates as a translation layer between the full ecosystem of social and mental health knowledge — research, clinical practice, community organizations, and people with lived experience — and the storytellers who shape culture. The goal is to ensure that what’s true and hard-won about human experience actually makes it into the stories reaching millions of people.
With more than 15 years of experience at the intersection of storytelling and social impact, she has built initiatives that help creators and institutions better understand, engage, and move their audiences. At TED, she built the global youth voice platform, TED-Ed Student Talks, and served as the founding Director of Curation and Coaching for TED Masterclass, where she coached speakers and developed programs to help leaders communicate ideas that shape culture. Her background is in civic engagement education.
“The stories boys grow up watching shape the men they become — stories that make room for vulnerability, connection, and belonging are the ones we need more of, and we’re building the infrastructure to make sure they get made and seen.”
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Charlie Marshall
Head of Communications & Marketing – WOW – Women of the World
Charlie Marshall
Head of Communications & Marketing – WOW – Women of the World
Charlie is a strategic communications and marketing expert, with 20 years’ experience working across the cultural and charitable sectors. She specialises in purpose-driven work, digital strategy and brand leadership. As Head of Communications and Marketing at WOW – Women of the World, she is responsible for building its global reputation as a joyful, creative movement championing gender equality through arts-driven activism. Before joining WOW, Charlie worked at theatre companies and led-communications for place-led cultural projects.
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Weszt Hart
Head of Player Dynamics, Riot Games
Weszt Hart
Head of Player Dynamics, Riot Games
Weszt is the Head of Player Dynamics at Riot Games, where he is helping Riot “git gud” at social experience design (SXD) across their entire game ecosystem. Weszt’s design career mission is to “make social simple” for gaming and tech companies and to help billions of gamers thrive.He is a 15 year veteran of the gaming industry, co-lead / editor / author (Digital Thriving Playbook), podcaster / show host (“Digital Thriving with Weszt Hart”), board member (Thriving Games Group), advisor (various groups), speaker / facilitator, and music artist (“Weszt”).“Force multipliers have the real power to elevate us all. Despite global connectivity, many potential multipliers—especially men—remain underserved. We must learn to unleash the exponential potential of everyone online.”
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Ana Moreno
Technical Secretary, Global Alliance for Care
Ana Moreno
Technical Secretary, Global Alliance for Care
Ana Moreno is a social anthropologist and journalist with over 30 years of experience in public policy, international, and local sustainable development projects. She specializes in defining and implementing collaboration platforms and multi-stakeholder alliances, participating in intergovernmental processes, and designing advocacy and outreach strategies for sustainable development and resource mobilization.
Notable roles include serving as Coordinator for the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) and the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum (2012-2018), as well as Director of the UN-Habitat Office for Brunei-Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Additionally, she has held key positions with the Barcelona City Council, Spain’s Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
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Vicki Shabo
Better Life Lab Senior Fellow: Gender Equity, Paid Leave, and Care Policy and Strategy, New America
Vicki Shabo
Better Life Lab Senior Fellow: Gender Equity, Paid Leave, and Care Policy and Strategy, New America
Vicki Shabo is a gender equity expert, policy strategist, and coalition builder, who has helped to win paid leave, equal pay, and pregnancy fairness policies affecting tens of millions of people across the United States. Shabo also founded and directs Re-Scripting Gender, Work, Family, and Care, which focuses on helping to shape and celebrate authentic, engaging, relatable storytelling in television and film. Previously, Shabo led workplace and work-family initiatives at the National Partnership for Women & Families, practiced law, and was a public opinion researcher. She began her career in electoral politics and on Capitol Hill.
Shabo is a trusted resource for policymakers, advocates, researchers, journalists, business leaders, and entertainment industry stakeholders. She has testified numerous times in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures. Her op-eds have appeared in publications ranging from the Boston Globe to The Hollywood Reporter, and her insights and analysis have appeared on television and radio and in major news outlets. Shabo is a graduate of Pomona College (B.A.), the University of Michigan (M.A., political science), the University of North Carolina (J.D.). She lives in Washington, D.C. but enjoys spending ample time in her native city, Los Angeles.
“Allowing all people – regardless of their gender – to live with freedom, autonomy, dignity, and security requires breaking down gender stereotypes that limit our expectations about gender roles in workplaces and families. Instead, we must embrace and support – through culture, practice, and policies – our shared human desires to care for and sustain ourselves, our blood and chosen families, and our communities.”
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Sabeena Akhtar
Head of Projects & Programmes, WOW – Women of the World
Sabeena Akhtar
Head of Projects & Programmes, WOW – Women of the World
Sabeena is an award-winning festival programmer, curator, writer, and cultural leader with over a decade of experience delivering pioneering events across the UK and internationally. As Head of Projects and Programmes at WOW, she develops and curates world-class festivals and participatory programmes, working with global partners to platform diverse voices and urgent ideas.
A co-founder of the award-winning Primadonna Festival and Prize, Sabeena is passionate about equity in the arts and championing working-class creativity, drawing deeply from her own background and lived experience. Alongside her programming work, she is the editor of Cut From the Same Cloth? and the author of Talking About Islamophobia. A mum of four, Sabeena balances creativity, care and community within her work.
“Arts and culture don’t just reflect society, they shape it. Policy can shift structures, but art shifts imagination. If we want to change systems, we must also change the stories and narratives that sustain them”
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Cynthia Miller-Idriss
Director, Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL), American University
Cynthia Miller-Idriss
Director, Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL), American University
Cynthia Miller-Idriss is a Professor in the Schools of Public Affairs and Education at the American University, where she is also the founding director and chief vision officer in the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL). She writes frequently for the public, most recently in Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism, as an opinion columnist for MS Now, and in recent by-lines in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, Politico, and more.Her current book-in-progress, on how gender is dividing a new generation, reports on qualitative research with young men across five countries.
“None of us wants our best measure of violence prevention to be how good we’ve become at barricading the doors. Solutions need to begin much further upstream, starting with ensuring every individual feels seen, heard, and needed.”
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Jim Milne
Deputy Director: Strategy, Planning, and Management, Gates Foundation
Jim Milne
Deputy Director: Strategy, Planning, and Management, Gates Foundation
Jim Milne is a global social impact leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing global health and development initiatives across the public, private, and social sectors. He serves as Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning and Management in the Gender Equality Division at the Gates Foundation, where he partners with senior leaders to set strategy, steward complex investment portfolios, and embed evidence and learning into decision-making.
Jim’s work advances gender-equitable norms, women’s leadership, adolescent and youth outcomes, and sexual and reproductive health equity. He brings deep experience aligning global strategy with regional and local priorities, ensuring execution reflects lived realities and delivers sustainable, long-term impact. Earlier in his career, Jim advised public and private sector organizations on strategy, organizational change, and performance improvement. He brings a deep commitment to evidence, partnership, and collective action to advance wellbeing for men and boys in parallel with progress for women and girls.
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Sara Qasem
Poet, Community Advocate, and Educator
Sara Qasem
Poet, Community Advocate, and Educator
Sara Qasem is a Palestinian poet, community advocate and educator based in Ōtautahi, Aotearoa New Zealand. Her writing moves between memory, testimony and resistance– exploring what it means to carry homeland, grief and belonging across diaspora. Through poetry, essays and public speaking, Sara works to ensure diasporic stories are neither silenced nor forgotten, believing that language can serve as both archive and lifeline.
Sara’s work has been published and performed across Aotearoa– frequently speaking on issues of identity, community and justice. Alongside her creative practice, she contributes to advocacy and policy conversations through her work connected to The Christchurch Call and wider community initiatives addressing hate and violence.
Guided by her experience as a Palestinian and Muslim woman, Sara writes toward collective memory and survival, holding space for grief while working to ensure the conditions that enable hatred and violence are not repeated.
“Stories and dialogue are how we refuse erasure– and how we make sure the conditions that give rise to violence are not allowed to grow again.”
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Adewunmi Emoruwa
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gatefield
Adewunmi Emoruwa
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gatefield
Adewunmi Emoruwa is a global policy leader and CEO of Gatefield, a Sub-Saharan Africa-focused public strategy and media group. He has led landmark policy and regulatory reforms across public health, governance, fiscal policy, democracy, and gender equity, contributing to improved health outcomes, stronger democratic institutions, and expanded economic opportunity for millions of Africans.
He advises foundations and multilateral institutions — including the Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Luminate, Open Society Foundations, the World Bank, African Development Bank, and the European Union — on strategy, narrative, political risk, and public accountability. An investor in African media, he is known for building coalitions, shaping public discourse, and holding institutions and political power to account by aligning evidence, narrative, and platforms to deliver lasting reform. Adewunmi regularly speaks on evidence-based advocacy, gender and power, and the politics of policy design, contributing to global debates across the World Economic Forum, The Guardian, Project Syndicate, Bloomberg, BBC World, and Al Jazeera.
“Outcomes reflect choices about people, power, and platforms. When systems fail at scale, those failures are designed.”
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Dr. Emma Fulu
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Equality Institute
Dr. Emma Fulu
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Equality Institute
Dr. Emma Fulu is a feminist activist, researcher, and entrepreneur who has dedicated her life to advancing gender equality and ending violence against women and girls. She is the founder and CEO of the Equality Institute, a global organisation dedicated to creating a more just and inclusive world that has worked in more than 30 countries. Emma has led some of the world’s largest studies on violence against women, including at the United Nations, and co-founded VOICE, supporting women and girls in crisis settings. A TEDx speaker and writer with a PhD from the University of Melbourne, she brings together data, storytelling, and lived experience to inspire change. Emma has advised governments, UN agencies, and global brands, and her work has been featured on Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, and beyond. She believes deeply in the power of evidence, activism, and bold communication to create lasting change.
“I believe what we focus on expands, so even when we are working to stop extremism and harm, we must do so by centring love, care, and our shared humanity.”
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Declan Ottaro
International Development Leader of Operations, Ushahidi
Declan Ottaro
International Development Leader of Operations, Ushahidi
Declan Wakhu Ottaro is a Nairobi-based international development leader and Chief Operating Officer at Ushahidi, a global open-source technology non-profit. With over 20 years of experience across 30 countries, he has led multi-million-dollar programmes at the intersection of technology, innovation, and social impact for leading NGOs and multilateral development organisations.Beyond his professional work, Declan is a founding member of a mentorship group that brings together boys and the fathers and male authority figures in their lives, equipping them to grow into responsible, engaged citizens. He believes men carry a profound responsibility to shape the next generation of men — and that intervening early, while boys are still forming their values and identity, is one of the most powerful levers for lasting societal change.
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Ramya Subrahmanian
Chief: Research on Gender Equality, Child Rights and Protection, UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti
Ramya Subrahmanian
Chief: Research on Gender Equality, Child Rights and Protection, UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti
Ramya Subrahmanian is an international gender equality and child rights expert with over thirty years’ experience working with NGOs, within academia and with the UN. Currently she leads the Gender equality, child rights and protection research team at the UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti, with a portfolio that includes gender, care, social and family policy; violence against children and women, migration and displacement, child marriage, child labour, and children’s care reform. Previously she was Executive Director of Know Violence in Childhood, a global learning initiative that collaborated with 140 researchers on the evidence on effective strategies to prevent violence against children. Prior to that, she has worked as a Social Policy specialist at UNICEF India and has been a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex where she also co-directed and taught the MA Programme in Gender and Development. She is passionate about working across sectors, across institutions, and across actor networks to find innovative and impactful ways to drive and sustain change.
“To achieve gender equality we need to focus on understanding both the relational and structural aspects of inequalities between boys and girls, and men and women, and find ways to address them through transforming how we relate as humans, how we care collectively, and how we collaborate intentionally for more equal and just societies.”
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Dr. Celmário Castro Brandão
Coordinator: Men’s Healthcare, Brazilian Ministry of Health
Dr. Celmário Castro Brandão
Coordinator: Men’s Healthcare, Brazilian Ministry of Health
Coordinator of the Coordination for Men’s Health Care at the Brazilian Ministry of Health (COSAH/DGCI/SAPS/MS), leading the nationwide implementation of the National Policy for Comprehensive Men’s Health Care, with a particular focus on the pillars of violence prevention, sexual health, reproductive health, and fatherhood and care. He possesses 16 years of experience in the management of the Unified Health System (SUS) and serves as a federal public servant—specifically, a Technologist in Public Health Policy Management. He holds a Ph.D. in Collective Health from the University of Brasília (UnB), where his research analyzed Federal Governance in Primary Health Care Management during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil; a Master’s degree in Collective Health from the same university, focusing on Management Capacity within Municipal Health Secretariats; a postgraduate specialization in Collective Health with a concentration in Primary Health Care Management from the Institute of Collective Health (ISC/UFBA); a postgraduate specialization in Microbiology from the Faculty of Pharmacy at UFBA; and a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from UFBA.
“Para conhecer o amor, os homens precisam ser capazes de abrir mão da vontade de dominar . Precisam ser capazes de escolher a vida em vez da morte. Precisam estar dispostos a mudar.” – bell hooks
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Vidhya Ramalingam
Founder and CEO, Moonshot
Vidhya Ramalingam
Founder and CEO, Moonshot
Vidhya Ramalingam is Founder and CEO of Moonshot, an organization empowering people to thrive online. Under her leadership, Moonshot has pioneered a proven model to offer lifesaving services online to people considering violence; collaborations with tech companies like Spotify and Google to ensure safer user experiences; and critical support to institutions and individuals facing online abuse. Moonshot has twice been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies list. Vidhya is also recognized internationally for her role leading policy responses to terrorism. Following the 2011 attacks in Norway, she led the European Union’s first intergovernmental initiative on white supremacist terrorism. She has been recognized by Fortune’s Most Powerful Women and sits on Spotify’s Safety Advisory Council. Watch her TED talk: The real-world danger of online myths.
“Our work to create a safer future must be rooted in the fundamental belief that – even in the darkest of moments – change is possible.”
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Jordan Stephens
Creative, Musician, Author
Jordan Stephens
Creative, Musician, Author
Jordan Stephens is a creative, musician, and author, best known as one half of the chart-topping duo Rizzle Kicks. Jordan is also an established actor, having made his debut as the lead in the London stage production of Entertaining Mr Sloane. On television, he has appeared in series such as The Ex-Wife (for two seasons), Starstruck, and Catastrophe, alongside film roles in Teen Spirit and Star Wars: Rogue One. He also hosted the ITV2 show Don’t Hate The Playaz for four series.
By speaking openly about his own mental health struggles, Jordan has become a leading voice in raising awareness and tackling stigma. His #IAMWHOLE mental health campaign reached over 120 million people online and was mentioned in the UK Parliament. He published a children’s book, The Missing Piece, a personally inspired story about joy and connection, and his first book for adults, Avoidance, Drugs, Heartbreak and Dogs.
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Paula Peláez
Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, IDB Invest
Paula Peláez
Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, IDB Invest
Paula Pelaez leads the Economic Opportunities work at IDB Invest, advancing a more inclusive and sustainable private sector across Latin America and the Caribbean. Her work focuses on shifting market systems and business practices to expand economic opportunity, with emphasis on gender equality and social inclusion. With more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of private sector and international development, Paula partners with companies and financial institutions to address structural barriers, reshape incentives, and embed inclusion into core business and investment decisions. Her expertise spans inclusive finance, sustainability strategy, and the design of innovative financing mechanisms that translate social commitments into measurable outcomes at scale. Paula has worked across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. She holds a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from York University (Canada) and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de los Andes (Colombia).
“Expanding agency and building systems of belonging.”
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Dilip Pattubala
Co-Founder, Centre for Men and Boys – South Asia
Dilip Pattubala
Co-Founder, Centre for Men and Boys – South Asia
Dilip Pattubala is the co-founder of the Centre for Men and Boys – South Asia. Over the past 15 years, his work has explored how shame, silence, and gender norms shape the lives of young people, especially concerning bodies, health, identity, and care.Previously, he founded Uninhibited, an organisation that has worked with over a million adolescent girls on menstrual health and gender-responsive education. He now works to understand boys and men more deeply and to help institutions, markets, and systems respond to them in ways that advance gender justice. Dilip is a Mulago Fellow, an Acumen India Fellow, and a GLG Social Impact Fellow.
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Jake Stika
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Next Gen Men
Jake Stika
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Next Gen Men
Jake is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Next Gen Men – a nonprofit he began building at 26 with two friends over a decade ago, that has grown into an internationally recognized organization working across Canada and the United States. He is passionate about creating a positive vision for masculinity – toward a future where boys and men experience less pain and cause less harm.He has brought conversations about boys, men, and masculinities to everyone from the United Nations to Fortune 500 CEOs to the man on the corner. He co-authored A Kids Book About Masculinity and co-created Cards for Masculinity, a facilitation tool with thousands of decks in use by parents and practitioners around the world. A social entrepreneur with an MSc from the London School of Economics, he became publisher of Voice Male in 2024 – a pro-feminist magazine founded in 1983 – taking up the torch from one generation and passing it to the next.“Every boy is already on a journey toward manhood. The question is who shows up to walk with him.”
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Jude Kelly
Founder Director, WOW – Women of the World
Jude Kelly
Founder Director, WOW – Women of the World
Jude Kelly CBE is one of the UK’s most powerful cultural leaders. She is an award-winning creative, a business leader and mentor, and a celebrated global champion of equality, with a particular focus on intersectional gender equity. In 2018, she founded The WOW Foundation as a force for change. WOW – Women of the World began as a festival created at London’s Southbank Centre in 2010 where Jude was artistic director for 12 years. Now an independent charity, WOW has seeded a global movement with activity in 45 locations across six continents and reached 5 million people.
She has received many awards and accolades, including BBC’s Most Powerful Women in the Arts. She is an inaugural member of Connected Women Leaders, sits on the Global Advisory Board of Pathfinders Presidents Council and the Advisory Board of Julia Gillard’s Global Institute for Women Leaders. Her TED Talk ‘Why women should tell the stories of humanity’ has had over 1m views. She has given keynote talks to business, governments and global leaders, including at UNESCO, COP 22, CHOGM 2022 and at the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos.
“The campaign is called MenCare because it affirms we are born as a species to seek care, and we’re also wired to care. As people take part in this initiative, they should expect to feel challenged and inspired; and they should feel an obligation that they have to act.”
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Dr. Yalda T. Uhls
Founder and Executive Director: Center for Scholars & Storytellers, University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Yalda T. Uhls
Founder and Executive Director: Center for Scholars & Storytellers, University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Yalda T. Uhls is the founder of UCLA’s Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS), the leading organization bridging developmental science with entertainment and media creation. A former senior executive at MGM and Sony Pictures, she now collaborates with studios, streaming platforms, and game companies to bring research-based insights into storytelling and youth-focused content. Dr. Uhls is an internationally recognized expert on media’s impact on adolescent development and the author of Media Moms & Digital Dads.
“Young people are growing up with screens, and the stories they consume shape their understanding of themselves and their world. We’re building a future where stories help young people thrive.”
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Galen Lamphere-Englund
Team Leader, Christchurch Call Foundation
Galen Lamphere-Englund
Team Leader, Christchurch Call Foundation
Galen is a senior advisor and consultant with over 15 years’ experience at the intersection of counter-terrorism, conflict prevention, and technology. He leads efforts to address online and AI-related harms linked to extremism, advising governments, tech platforms, and international organizations. As Team Leader at the Christchurch Call Foundation and co-founder of the Extremism and Gaming Research Network, Galen focuses on building safer digital ecosystems and protecting those who work to keep them secure. He has worked in more than 30 countries and is committed to creating a more inclusive, resilient, and joyful world—both online and off.
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Laura Addati
Global Care Policy Specialist, International Labour Organization (ILO)
Laura Addati
Global Care Policy Specialist, International Labour Organization (ILO)
Laura Addati leads global policy research and technical assistance on care policies and gender equality at work at the ILO, the only tripartite specialized agency of the United Nations, bringing together governments, employers, and workers to advance decent work and social justice. She contributed to the ILO’s work leading to the adoption of the Resolution concerning decent work and the care economy in 2024 and coordinates implementation of its follow-up Plan of Action.
Laura has more than 20 years of experience across the UN system at global and regional levels in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. She has authored major ILO reports, policy tools, and initiatives on the care economy, maternity protection, parental leave, childcare, work-family policies, and decent work for care workers, in support of gender equality, labour rights, social protection and the world of work.
“Care work, paid and unpaid, is essential to all other work. It is the foundation of decent work, equality, and social justice. When care is valued, shared, and supported, everyone thrives. It is time to place care at the centre of policies and workplaces.”
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Taveeshi Gupta
Director of Research, Evaluation, and Learning, Equimundo
Taveeshi Gupta
Director of Research, Evaluation, and Learning, Equimundo
Taveeshi is Director of Research, Evaluation, and Learning at Equimundo and a global expert on gender equality, masculinities, and the transformative power of care. Her research bridges developmental psychology and social change, advancing equitable caregiving and challenging harmful gender norms worldwide. She has advised the United Nations, OECD, APEC, and Movember, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Lancet Commission on Violence against Women and Girls. Her widely cited work, featured in The Guardian and NPR, explores issues such as the “manosphere,” men’s isolation, and the redefinition of masculinity through care.
“When we meet boys and men with genuine care – acknowledging their vulnerabilities and strengths – we create space for transformative change, because supporting men’s health uplifts everyone.”
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Alanna Williams
Vice President and Managing Director, American Institute for Boys and Men
Alanna Williams
Vice President and Managing Director, American Institute for Boys and Men
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Hyeshin Park
Head of Unit: Gender and Development, OECD Development Centre
Hyeshin Park
Head of Unit: Gender and Development, OECD Development Centre
Ms. Hyeshin Park is Head of the Gender and Development Unit at the OECD Development Centre, where she leads analytical work and policy dialogue to advance gender equality as a driver of inclusive growth, social inclusion, and sustainable development. Her work focuses on how gender norms and social institutions shape development outcomes and economic opportunities. She oversees the OECD’s Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI), leading global and regional analysis and supporting governments in translating evidence into policy reform.
Ms. Park joined the OECD in 2011. Her expertise spans gender equality, women’s empowerment, labour markets, and international migration. She holds a Master’s degree in Development Economics from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
“We have expanded women’s possibilities without redefining men’s; in that gap, backlash can grow. The future of equality therefore depends on reshaping expectations and making care a shared standard.”
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Seán Cooke
Chief Executive Officer, Men’s Development Network
Seán Cooke
Chief Executive Officer, Men’s Development Network
Seán Cooke is the Chief Executive Officer of the Men’s Development Network (MDN)and has been since October 2018. MDN is a developmental organisation working with and engaging men and boys on their health, wellbeing, gender equality and ending gender-based violence. Sean has over 30 years’ experience working in Community and Voluntary sector in Ireland, both at front line and senior management level.
Previous experiences include working in Youth and Community programmes in some of the most disadvantage communities in Ireland. Seán is passionate on communicating the transformational model to engaging men and boys ensuring an invitational and a strengths-based approach is applied.
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Priscilla Souza
Museum Educator, Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR)
Priscilla Souza
Museum Educator, Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR)
Priscilla is Black, lesbian woman. A museum educator for over 10 years, she has worked at the Rio Art Museum since 2014. She develops and organizes projects, courses, and seminars focused on the relationship between art and education through cultural mediation and educational practices intersected by racial, gender, and sexuality relations. She develops art and education projects in collaboration with the school community and cultural institutions.
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Kay Rufai
Artist and Researcher
Kay Rufai
Artist and Researcher
Kay Rufai is a Photographer, Poet, Filmmaker, Author, Mental Health researcher and founder of the internationally acclaimed S.M.I.L.E-ing Boys projects. He is currently the first Artist in residence for West Midlands Police Artist as part of Coventry City of Culture, using creative arts to improve relationships between police and marginalised young people. His work spans the past 8 years in a handful of countries including the UK, USA, Ethiopia, Bhutan, Germany, Scandinavia, Mexico, Nigeria and Colombia.
His work explores themes of masculinity, identity, mental health, serious youth violence and community cohesion through art, photography, educational workshops, residencies, training and public events.
A great deal of his work has directly engaged diverse communities, young people in custody, at-risk youth, refugee and displaced groups of people as well as collaboratively creating bodies of work with them.
He has recieved numerous accolades for his research-led series of workshops and exhibitions across the country. His work has been exhibited at The Barbican, City Hall, Tower Bridge, the Royal Court and The Battersea Arts Centre. His award-winning work has been featured on the BBC, Channel 5 News, in the Guardian and HuffPost.
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Felicity Mulford
Research Manager, Centre for Information Resilience (CIR)
Felicity Mulford
Research Manager, Centre for Information Resilience (CIR)
Felicity Mulford leads work tackling Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) and partners with academics to test AI systems. Through this work, Felicity combines her commitment to gender equality and gender-informed tech development with data-driven insights to strengthen evidence and empower communities.
At the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), she leads a TFGBV programme in Ethiopia (evidence gathering, community building, and designing youth-led toolkits) and research on gendered abuse in the 2024 US elections. She spearheads the organisation’s annual “16 Days of Activism Against GBV” campaigns and the “Gender Lens” initiative – a dedicated hub for investigating and exposing Gender-Based Violence through digital investigations.
Felicity is a Hillary Rodham Clinton Global Challenges Scholar and worked with international lawyers to investigate war crimes. She holds a BA and two MAs (International Relations & Law), with multiple publications and academic awards. Beyond work, Felicity manages a music event to raise funds for various charities.
“For a world without violence we must redefine strength: not dominance, but care.”
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Gary Barker
President, Chief Executive Officer, Founder, Equimundo
Gary Barker
President, Chief Executive Officer, Founder, Equimundo
Gary is CEO and co-founder of Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice and a global leader in engaging men and boys for gender equality. He co-founded MenCare and MenEngage, created the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), and leads the State of the World’s Fathers reports. Formerly Executive Director of Instituto Promundo in Brazil, he has advised the United Nations, World Bank, and governments worldwide. Named by Apolitical among the 20 most influential in gender policy, he is an Ashoka Fellow and Voices of Solidarity Award recipient. He speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
“True democracy asks more than casting a ballot; it demands that each of us – especially as men – step into the roles of caregivers, connectors and collaborators, so our communities don’t just survive but flourish.”
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Peter Baker
Chief Executive, Global Action on Men’s Health
Peter Baker
Chief Executive, Global Action on Men’s Health
Peter Baker is a leading advocate for men’s health with decades of experience in public health, policy, and communication. Now Chief Executive at Global Action on Men’s Health, he previously served for 12 years as Chief Executive of the Men’s Health Forum (England and Wales) and later led HPV Action UK, a coalition that successfully secured gender-neutral HPV vaccination in the UK. Peter was a consultant to the European Cancer Organisation for five years and received the Royal Society for Public Health’s 2018 award for Outstanding Contribution to Public Health. He lives on the south coast of England with his partner and has three children, all of whom are now grown up.
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Richard V. Reeves
President, American Institute for Boys and Men
Richard V. Reeves
President, American Institute for Boys and Men
Richard V. Reeves is the founder and president of the American Institute for Boys and Men(AIBM). Before founding AIBM in 2023, Reeves was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. While at Brookings, he focused on policies related to economic inequality, racial justice, social mobility, and boys and men.
Reeves is the author of several books, including “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why it Matters, and What to do About It” and “Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That is a Problem, and What to do About It.”
Inspired by his own experiences as a father and policy expert, Richard founded AIBM to bring awareness to the challenges facing boys and men today and to develop evidence-based solutions.
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Dr. Matthias Eck
Program Specialist: Education for Inclusion and Gender Equality, UNESCO
Dr. Matthias Eck
Program Specialist: Education for Inclusion and Gender Equality, UNESCO
Dr. Matthias Eck is a Program Specialist in the Section of Education for Inclusion and Gender Equality at UNESCO. He has worked with the Global Education Monitoring Report, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and UNICEF, leading on knowledge products, technical advice to ministries of education and project implementation.He played a key role in the design of SDG4. He has a lead-role in the two KIX projects “Lifting barriers: Educating boys for gender equality” and “Accountability for Gender Equality in Education (AGEE): Bridging the local, national and global”.Matthias is co-author of the “Education 2030 Framework for Action” and of global reports such as “Leave no child behind: Global report on boys’ disengagement from education” and “The Price of Inaction: the global private, fiscal and social costs of children and youth not learning”. His research work has been published with Routledge and in peer-reviewed journals. He has acted as a peer reviewer for academic journals, including from Springer Nature.“I believe that if we focus on promoting positive masculinities through education, we can support boys to achieve their full potential and to become who they want to be, while creating a more gender-equitable world.”
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Natalie Shoup
Industry and Data Lead, Safe Online
Natalie Shoup
Industry and Data Lead, Safe Online
Natalie Shoup is Industry and Data Lead for Safe Online, a UNICEF-hosted fund focused on child safety and wellbeing in a digital world. She leads research and technology tools efforts across a $100M portfolio. Natalie is pushing forward the launch of a Mental Health Fund, leads a $3M collaborative Research Fund with tech industry and academia, and spearheaded Data for Change – a community of over 100 experts – to strengthen the data ecosystem for online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Working at the intersection of technology, child protection, and social justice, previously Natalie directed programs for trauma-informed approaches to violence prevention with community organizations serving children at Nest and Developing Minds. At Data-Pop Alliance, she led work around ethical data practices for Big Data and social good initiatives. Natalie has a Masters in Education from University of Cambridge and a Bachelors in Engineering from Princeton.
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Diana Riley
Public Policy Specialist and Doctoral Researcher – Men, Masculinity, Fatherhood and Care
Diana Riley
Public Policy Specialist and Doctoral Researcher – Men, Masculinity, Fatherhood and Care
Diana Riley is an Australian public policy specialist and researcher working at the intersection of gender equality, caregiving, fatherhood and masculinity. With a background spanning public administration, academic research and the community sector, her work has contributed on both a domestic and international basis to human rights legal reforms, women’s safety initiatives, and gender equality policy development. Diana’s career began in women’s rights and gender-based violence policy, which led her to a central question: gender equality has transformed women’s lives — but how is it also reshaping the lives of boys and men. Her doctoral research advances this question by examining how law, public policy, and cultural narratives shape masculinity, fatherhood and men’s participation in care. Diana holds three Master’s degrees in Social Work, Human Rights, and Politics and Public Policy. Her work focuses on building more inclusive approaches to gender equality that strengthen outcomes for women, men, girls and boys alike — recognising that more equal, caring and connected societies benefit us all.
“A more equal world is built by recognising how deeply connected the futures of women, men, girls and boys truly are.”
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Renata Peppl
Head of Research Management, Queen Mary University of London
Renata Peppl
Head of Research Management, Queen Mary University of London
Renata Peppl is Head of Research Management at Queen Mary University of London and a Creative Researcher, with over 12 years of experience developing mid- to large-scale international research programmes connecting grassroots organisations, academia and policymakers across the UK, Latin America and South Asia.
Her work focuses on the use of arts-based and community engagement methodologies to research and address the themes of migration and gender studies, gender-based violence, mental health and urban violence.
Alongside her academic roles, Renata is a Co-Director at MinA – Migrants in Action, a London-based community arts organisation working with migrant women from the Global Majority. She is also the International Partnership Manager for the WOW – Women of the World Festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Cathy Morgan
Director of Secondary Prevention, England Department of Health and Social Care
Cathy Morgan
Director of Secondary Prevention, England Department of Health and Social Care
Cathy Morgan is a Senior Civil Servant and Director of Secondary Prevention at the Department of Health and Social Care in England. She brings 30 years’ experience across the UK Civil Service, with a career focused on shaping health and social care policy through major legislative, strategy and delivery roles. Cathy leads England’s first-ever Men’s Health Strategy, working across central and local government, the NHS, the voluntary and community sector, academia and industry to drive system-wide change and reduce health inequalities.
Cathy also leads the implementation of England’s HIV Action Plan which aims to eradicate the transmission of HIV in England by 2030 and has responsibility for a portfolio of analytical and behavioural science programmes focused on preventing ill health alongside multiple policy teams delivering key government priorities, including cardiometabolic health, sexual and reproductive health, and screening. She lives in Suffolk, England, with her husband, daughter and two sons.
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Freddie Feltham
Filmmaker and Digital Storyteller
Freddie Feltham
Filmmaker and Digital Storyteller
Freddie Feltham is a filmmaker, digital storyteller and host of political podcast ‘What’s Left?‘. After making several documentaries investigating the world of Andrew Tate and his impact on young men, Freddie has written in The Guardian and appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain. As a political strategist, Freddie was a key part of the Labour Party’s digital campaign, creating content in the ‘first TikTok election’. He now hosts his own show, with fellow Labour campaigner Jovan Owusu Nepaul, speaking to fellow progressives on how best to navigate an increasingly polarised and extreme political landscape.
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Brian Waniewski
Executive Director, Harmony Labs
Brian Waniewski
Executive Director, Harmony Labs
Brian Waniewski is an innovative institutional leader whose work has spanned media and research, data and AI, systems design and spiritual development. He serves as executive director at Harmony Labs, a non-profit media research lab on a mission to research and reshape society’s relationship with media. For 10+ years Harmony Labs has helped storytellers and strategists, decision makers and dreamers, harness the immense power of media to shape a positive, pluralistic future and support human flourishing. Before Harmony Labs, Brian served as managing director at Institute of Play, a design studio for experiences that make learning irresistible. Brian helped establish Quest to Learn, a New York City public school that leverages game design to make school engaging and culturally relevant for young people, and GlassLab Games. Brian was trained as a poet and spends a portion of each year meditating, dividing his time between New York, Lima, and Rio.“Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing / you make of me! You would play upon me, you / would seem to know my stops, you would pluck / out the heart of my mystery, you would sound me / from my lowest note to the top of my compass; / and there is much music, excellent voice, in this / little organ, yet cannot you make it speak.”
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Caroline Hayes
Technical Specialist on Digital Strategies, Equimundo
Caroline Hayes
Technical Specialist on Digital Strategies, Equimundo
Caroline is Senior Technical Specialist on Digital Strategies at Equimundo, leading efforts to address harmful masculinities online and promote healthy, caring digital engagement. She oversees the LinkUp Lab and guides the design, implementation, and evaluation of digital-first interventions across research, programs, and advocacy. Caroline builds institutional capacity, forges partnerships with digital creators, tech leaders, and policymakers, and represents Equimundo in global forums on digital safety and gender justice. Previously, she worked with the White House Gender Policy Council and the U.S. Department of Justice on gender-based violence prevention, and served in the U.S. Peace Corps.
“I’m certainly no Luddite.” — J.G. Ballard
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Lib Peck
Director, Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) of London
Lib Peck
Director, Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) of London
Lib was appointed as Director of the first Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) in England and Wales in 2019, established by the Mayor of London to lead a public health approach to tackling violence. Under Lib’s leadership, prevention and early intervention is now embedded in London’s approach to tackling violence affecting young people. Figures show that when the VRU was set up, the number of homicides of young people was three times higher than today; and hospital admissions for knife injuries has halved over the same seven-year period. The strength of the VRU is strong partnership with the voluntary sector, NHS, London’s 32 councils, education system and police, alongside investment in more than half a million interventions for children and young people. Lib has championed the participation of young people and youth workers; developed the first London Inclusion Charter as a city-wide campaign around educational transformation; and co-created the award-winning community, neighbourhood programme, MyEnds.
Increasingly online harm has become a key feature of young people’s lives. The VRU is delivering targeted online and healthy relationship training, investing in mentors and young fathers, and publishing groundbreaking research on the relationship between online and offline violence to determine future opportunities to intervene. Lib is well established in local government. Prior to the VRU, she was Lambeth’s elected leader for seven years, and the first female leader for 20 years. She was vice-chair of London Councils and the Local Government Association. Lib is also a trustee of the Institute for Public Policy & Research, a leading UK thinktank.
“How to root systems in relationships; and how to embed approaches in young people’s experiences.”
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Dr. Hannah Phillips
Respectful Politics Policy Manager, The Jo Cox Foundation
Dr. Hannah Phillips
Respectful Politics Policy Manager, The Jo Cox Foundation
With a decade of experience in the public sector and academia, Hannah is an expert in advancing gender equality. Currently, she leads The Jo Cox Foundation’s policy development and advocacy to address abuse in public life and strengthen democracy. Her unique background spans local, national and international policy. She has significant experience advising and implementing strategic priorities, including at the United Nations and UK House of Commons. Originally from Scotland, she pursued her undergraduate studies at Harvard University. While also working, she studied for her MSc in Gender, Policy and Inequalities at the London School of Economics and completed her DPhil (PhD) at the University of Oxford.
“We can change institutional cultures for the social good through collaborative action.”
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Dian Castillo Maheia
Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology of Belize
Dian Castillo Maheia
Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology of Belize
Mrs. Dian Castillo Maheia has spent her life in and around schools. Raised by a mother who was a teacher and later a principal, she found herself following in those capable footsteps. After completing her Bachelor’s degree as a Fulbright scholar at 19, she returned to Belize and to her alma mater, SCA, where she taught English and Literature for 12 years, preparing students for CXCs and immersing herself in academic life.
In 2003, she led the planning of the first National Education Summit, which resulted in a four-day gathering, published papers, and a national action plan. She later served as Action Plan Coordinator for Belize’s Ministry of Education and worked with Macmillan Caribbean as a writer, editor, and trainer. In 2009, she co-founded Horizon Academy, a child-centred, inclusive school where she has served as principal since its inception. As a teacher, mother, and leader, Mrs. Maheia remains deeply committed to education and to Belize.
“When boys feel seen, heard, and valued, they rise. Our work at Belize’s Ministry of Education has always been about fostering environments where young men understand that their voice matters and their future is worth investing in.”
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Dr. Fidèle Rutayisire
Founder and Executive Director, Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC)
Dr. Fidèle Rutayisire
Founder and Executive Director, Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC)
Fidèle Rutayisire is Founder and Executive Director of the Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC), a leading organization advancing gender equality and preventing gender-based violence through gender-transformative approaches that engage men and boys as allies in justice and social change in Rwanda and the Great Lakes region.
He brings more than 20 years of experience in community-based programming, policy advocacy, and social norms transformation. Fidèle is a certified researcher and master trainer on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), working across twelve African countries to strengthen peace, governance, and human rights.
Through RWAMREC’s programs, he has supported communities to transform power, care, and relationships reducing violence, increasing men’s caregiving, strengthening women’s agency, and improving family wellbeing. His work connects grassroots realities with national, regional, and global advocacy, ensuring that women’s lived experiences and survivor-centered approaches shape justice systems, public policy, and healthier forms of masculinity.
“I have seen men put down violence and pick up their children; that simple act of care can change the future of a whole generation.”
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Laura Tami Leal
Secretary for Women’s Affairs, City of Bogotá
Laura Tami Leal
Secretary for Women’s Affairs, City of Bogotá
Laura Tami Leal is the Secretary for Women’s Affairs of Bogotá. She is a lawyer with more than 15 years of experience across the public and private sectors, specializing in administrative law, institutional management, and the protection of human rights. As Secretary for Women’s Affairs of Bogotá, she has led the development and implementation of public policies with gender and intersectional approaches, the governance and legal strategy of Bogotá’s District Care System, and comprehensive strategies for the prevention, response, and prosecution of violence against women. She has also advised high-level government decision-making processes and strategic initiatives that integrate legal, administrative, and financial management with the achievement of institutional goals and public policy outcomes.“We work to advance the rights of women in Bogotá, driven by the conviction that preventing gender-based violence requires transforming the social norms, stereotypes, and beliefs that sustain it. That is why we place care, autonomy, and cultural transformation at the center of our work — showing up where women need us most to help build a safer, more equal city.”
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Shruthi Jayaram
Partner Emerita and Senior Advisor, Dalberg Advisors
Shruthi Jayaram
Partner Emerita and Senior Advisor, Dalberg Advisors
Shruthi specializes in strategy for democracy & civil rights. For the past decade, she led the gender equity practice at Dalberg Advisors, where she worked with multilateral clients (e.g., the Executive Office of the UN Secretary General, Spotlight Initiative), civil society organizations (e.g., the National Domestic Workers Alliance, FUTURES Without Violence, the Global Fund for Widows) and philanthropic organizations (several large and small family offices and institutional philanthropies). She serves on the board of Equimundo, Women Donors Network, and Rise Up Together.
“The failure of democracy to deliver for people is at its heart a gendered issue.”
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Dr. Chloé Lewis
Deputy Director of Research, Evaluation, and Learning, Equimundo
Dr. Chloé Lewis
Deputy Director of Research, Evaluation, and Learning, Equimundo
Chloé is Deputy Director of Research, Evaluation, and Learning at Equimundo. For over 15 years, her work has focused on gender and armed conflict, with a particular emphasis on addressing and preventing sexual and gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Before joining Equimundo, she was a Senior Research Associate with Oxford’s Global Security Programme and a Research Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government. She has collaborated with organizations including the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, the World Bank, and the U.K. Ministry of Defence. Chloé co-edited the Routledge Handbook of Masculinities, Conflict and Peacebuilding.
“More unites us than divides us. In these fractured times, we must believe this now more than ever.”
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Sam Browne
Spoken Word Poet
Sam Browne
Spoken Word Poet
Sam Browne is a spoken word poet from Southend, Essex, who originally set out to be a stand-up comedian until he realised all his jokes rhymed and none of them were particularly funny. So he pivoted to poetry, and things started to click. Since then, Sam has developed an online following of over 100,000 followers across all platforms and tens of millions of views. He has won awards for his activism work and has one numerous prestigious poetry slams. At just the age of 21 Sam Browne is helping reshape the way young men think about masculinity and feminism one poem at a time.
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Helena Jacques-Morton
Senior Marketing & Communications Manager – WOW – Women of the World
Helena Jacques-Morton
Senior Marketing & Communications Manager – WOW – Women of the World
Helena is a communications specialist, currently working as WOW – Women of the World’s Senior Communications and Marketing Manager leading on WOW’s social media and digital channels, and on global marketing and communications. Previously she worked at Chichester Festival Theatre, where she led on developing new audiences, championing work for young people and increasing access to the arts. She developed Chichester Festival Theatre’s first Youth Advisory Board and was an AMA Audience Diversity Academy Fellow in 2020. Helena studied English and Theatre at the University of St Andrews and University of California San Diego, followed by an MLitt in Writing for Performance. She is passionate about championing the power of stories, both real and imagined, and using storytelling to engage and inform new audiences, and writes The Rummage on Substack.
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Richie Hardcore
Public Speaker and Educator
Richie Hardcore
Public Speaker and Educator
Richie Hardcore works in the community as a public speaker, consultant, educator and advocate. His work discusses the intersections between masculinity, mental health, pornography, social media, sex and consent and how we can end sexual and domestic violence. He works extensively with schools and communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia
He has a Master’s degree in Sociology and is an ongoing champion of the New Zealand Ministry of Social Development’s ‘Change is Possible’ anti-domestic violence campaign.
He was a multiple New Zealand Muay Thai champion, and now that he has retired from fighting, he is a gym owner, coach, and trainer. He uses Muay Thai and Kickboxing as a pathway for conversations about healthy masculinity for people who are in the criminal justice system, are in alternative education or are in alcohol and drug rehabilitation.
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Prof. Marcos Nascimento
Senior Researcher, Fiocruz
Prof. Marcos Nascimento
Senior Researcher, Fiocruz
Marcos Nascimento is a psychologist with a doctorate in Collective Health from the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro. He is currently a senior researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). He is one of the cofounders of the Men´s Network for Gender Equality in Brazil and was coordinator of the MenEngage Alliance for Latin America (2007-2011). He has experience leading national and international projects involving research, social intervention, and advocacy on topics related to gender, sexuality, masculinities, violence, and health.
“When we think about health, we need to discuss men´s participation in democracy, social justice, promotion of gender equality, and a culture of care. Men’s health affects everyone´s health, including women and children, and we need to engage them on it.”
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Juliana Martinez Londoño
Secretary for Women’s Affairs: Care and Gender Equality Policies, City of Bogotá
Juliana Martinez Londoño
Secretary for Women’s Affairs: Care and Gender Equality Policies, City of Bogotá
Juliana Martinez Londoño is the Deputy Secretary for Care and Gender Equality Policies at Women’s Affairs Secretariat of Bogotá, with more than ten years of experience advancing women’s rights. She is a Political Scientist with a Master’s degree in Gender and Diversity and a PhD in Human and Social Sciences. She currently co-leads the implementation of Bogotá’s Care System, gender mainstreaming strategies, women’s economic autonomy initiatives, and cultural transformation programs. She has held leadership roles in public institutions and social organizations focused on gender equality, sexual and reproductive rights, and feminist movements.“Soy feminista porque creo que el feminismo representa uno de los últimos humanismos en esta tierra desolada y porque he apostado a un mundo mixto, hecho de hombres y mujeres que no tienen la misma manera de habitar el mundo, de interpretarlo y de actuar sobre él” – Florence Thomas
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Luciano Ramos
Executive Director, Instituto Mapear
Luciano Ramos
Executive Director, Instituto Mapear
Luciano Ramos is the Executive Director of Instituto Mapear and holds a degree in History. He is recognized as one of the most active voices in Brazil on issues related to masculinities and fatherhood, working to promote gender equity and prevent violence. He has supported governments in Brazil and across Latin America in implementing public policies that engage men in reducing gender-based violence. Luciano coordinated the First Report on Black Fatherhood in Brazil, highlighting the intersection of gender and race as a central analytical and strategic framework. In several Brazilian states, he has developed and advised Reflective Groups for Men Who Have Committed Domestic Violence, focusing on preventing reoffending. He has worked professionally with the World Bank, USAID, UNICEF, UNFPA, and other international agencies. Luciano also collaborates with Brazilian educational systems to promote positive masculinities from early childhood onward.
“Working with boys and men is a historic urgency in building a truly equitable society — and without confronting the racial dimension, there can be no real transformation and no new social history.”
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Dr. Darby Saxbe
Professor of Psychology, University of Southern California (USC)
Dr. Darby Saxbe
Professor of Psychology, University of Southern California (USC)
Darby Saxbe, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and tenured professor of psychology at the University of Southern California.
She has published over eighty scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and secured major research grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. She earned awards from the American Psychological Association and the Society for Research in Child Development and was a Fulbright fellow. Dr. Saxbe received her PhD in clinical psychology from UCLA and her BA in English and psychology from Yale University.
Her research focuses on the transition to parenthood, particularly the neural and hormonal underpinnings of fatherhood. She integrates neuroscience and psychology to explore how close connections shape health and wellbeing.
When she is not doing research, she plays guitar in an all-mom indie rock band and writes the Substack newsletter, Natal Gazing.
“When men step into their full potential as care providers, it’s good for children, societies, and men’s own health, well-being, and sense of meaning and purpose.”
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Rob Moss
Vice President, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)
Rob Moss
Vice President, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)
Rob Moss trained as a hospital pharmacist in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and has worked in clinical practice throughout his career while actively sharing in raising his children. He is a consultant in hospital pharmacy, supporting improvements in patient care, organisational effectiveness and professional education for pharmacists and healthcare staff.
He is passionate about strengthening equitable and resilient health systems through innovation, digital transformation and international collaboration in both high-income and low- and middle-income countries. His areas of expertise include medication shortages, substandard and falsified medicines, health-system preparedness and global hospital pharmacy development. Rob is also a strong advocate for health equity, people-centred care and the role of pharmacists as highly accessible healthcare professionals within communities.
Rob is currently Vice-President of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and Immediate Past President of the FIP Hospital Pharmacy Section. In 2025, he received the Donald E. Francke Medal for international contributions to advancing hospital pharmacy practice.
“As a father, grandfather and pharmacist, I am reminded daily that men's health reaches far beyond men alone. We should strive to build fairer, healthier societies where seeking care and caring for others are seen as strengths in all people — regardless of gender identity. Pharmacists, as highly accessible health professionals, can help open that trusted first door towards improved men’s health”
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Sindy González Tijerina
Early Childhood Manager, FEMSA Foundation
Sindy González Tijerina
Early Childhood Manager, FEMSA Foundation
Sindy González Tijerina has been part of the FEMSA Foundation team since 2012 and currently serves as Early Childhood Manager. In this role, she leads strategic initiatives focused on strengthening early education and preschool education, as well as empowering parents, promoting positive parenting practices, and supporting caregiver well-being. Her work also centers on advancing public spaces designed from a child- and caregiver-centered perspective, and on strengthening the early childhood ecosystem through the advocacy of effective public and corporate policies.
Firmly convinced that lasting change is built collectively, Sindy actively promotes cross-sector collaboration. Her purpose is to contribute to the construction of a more humane and equitable world—one in which every child can fully develop and thrive, regardless of their context or gender.“Children are the greatest treasure we have as humanity. Every one of them, regardless of their context or gender, deserves the opportunity to fully develop, flourish, and thrive.”
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Brian Heilman
Senior Research Fellow, Movember Institute
Brian Heilman
Senior Research Fellow, Movember Institute
Brian Heilman is a Senior Research Fellow at the Movember Institute of Men’s Health and a global expert on masculinity, men’s health, fatherhood, and violence prevention. With more than 15 years of experience, his research examines how social norms shape men’s health, caregiving, and relationships, and how healthier, more connected models of manhood can benefit families and communities broadly. He has led and contributed to influential work including The Man Box, State of American Men, and State of the World’s Fathers, and is co-author of Movember’s The Real Face of Men’s Health (2025). His current research explores what it looks like for men to thrive, and how misperceptions about what other men think and expect can hold them back from getting there. He regularly represents Movember’s research in national media and policy settings, and collaborates with academic, nonprofit, and government partners across the globe.
“What excites me most right now is that we’re starting to understand not just what holds men back, but what it actually looks like when men thrive: as individuals, as partners, as fathers, and as friends. That’s the research and advocacy I want to do, helping unlock ways of being for men that bring the most good into the world.”
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Andrew Pel
Head of Campaigns, Moonshot
Andrew Pel
Head of Campaigns, Moonshot
Andrew Pel is Head of Campaigns at Moonshot, where he develops evidence-based interventions for online harms. His work addresses violent misogyny, extremism, disinformation, and other challenges young men face online. In Canada, Andrew leads multi-sectoral programs that connect individuals engaging with violent extremist content to confidential support services. He also develops gender-based violence and suicide prevention campaigns that connect people in crisis to local responders. More recently, Andrew ran a global media literacy initiative for Google, reaching over 200 million people across Europe and Indonesia and helping citizens recognize online manipulation tactics. Andrew is committed to translating research into solutions that engage men and boys in positive, pro-social ways.
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Georgie Dent
Chief Executive Officer, The Parenthood
Georgie Dent
Chief Executive Officer, The Parenthood
Georgie Dent is the CEO of The Parenthood, Australia’s leading parent advocacy organisation representing over 80,000 parents, carers and supporters. She is a best-selling author, former lawyer and prominent advocate for children, families, gender equity and mental health. The Parenthood champions paid parental leave, access to quality early childhood education and care and family-friendly workplaces. She is a mum of three and lives in Sydney with her husband & co-partner in chaos.
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