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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Oyunga Pala
Writer and Executive Coach: Exploring African Masculinities, Grief and Loss Through Storytelling
Oyunga Pala
Writer and Executive Coach: Exploring African Masculinities, Grief and Loss Through Storytelling
Oyunga Pala is a writer, curator, and coach who looks at the world through an anthropological lens to better understand the stories we tell ourselves. For over twenty years, he has been one of Kenya’s most distinct voices, moving from the sharp satire of national columns to profound investigations into masculinity, culture, and grief.
Today, as an author and certified coach, Oyunga works at the intersection of the personal and the systemic. He helps individuals and collectives navigate “grief alchemy” by transforming sorrow into strength and finding the universal in the everyday. His debut memoir Strength and Sorrow: Reflections on the Ones We Lost (2025) is an unflinching interrogation of the 21st-century African interior, where the personal memoir of a veteran journalist intersects with the collective mourning of a nation.
“My mission is to transition the African male from a ‘Fixer’ of problems to an ‘Architect’ of care. We must ensure that our policies mirror our humanity, not just our productivity.”
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Eyrún Þórsdóttir
Managing Director and Board Member, Reykjavík Global Forum
Eyrún Þórsdóttir
Managing Director and Board Member, Reykjavík Global Forum
Eyrún Þórsdóttir is the Managing Director of the Reykjavik Global Forum and a member of its Board. Based in Iceland, the organization is dedicated to advancing women’s leadership globally by increasing the number of women in leadership positions worldwide. Eyrún has been part of the Reykjavik Global team since its inception in 2018, playing a role in shaping the Forum’s growth and global impact.
The Reykjavík Global Forum – Women Leaders, hosted under the theme “Power, Together!”, convenes influential women and their allies from across the world to exchange ideas, spark solutions, and drive progress toward equality. The Forum has become a premier platform for global collaboration, bringing together leaders from politics, business, civil society, academia, the arts, and media. Each year, the invite-only gathering welcomes 500 global leaders and is co-hosted by the Government and Parliament of Iceland, a country recognized globally for its leadership in equality.
Eyrún holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Gender Studies and an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Iceland. Her work is driven by a strong commitment to inclusive leadership and advancing representation across sectors.
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Pedro Pessanha
Artist and Researcher
Pedro Pessanha
Artist and Researcher
Pedro Pessanha is an artist and researcher from Rio de Janeiro, with a master’s degree in Contemporary Art Studies from UFF. His work seeks to understand what allows Black rhythms, buried by various attempts at erasure, to continue resonating in the bodies of the city of Rio de Janeiro. His artistic practice develops works across various media, including paintings and urban interventions, as well as ongoing research in comics and illustration, investigating how the specificities of these medias can contribute to the construction of unique narratives.
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Rodrigo Almeida
Internationalist, producer and human rights researcher
Rodrigo Almeida
Internationalist, producer and human rights researcher
Rodrigo is an internationalist, producer and human rights researcher with an international focus. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from UERJ, with a career focused on the intersection of culture, education and human rights. He is currently a Producer at the Escola do Olhar at the Rio Art Museum, where he works on developing initiatives that bring the museum closer to neighbouring communities in the city’s Port Zone. He is co-founder of Proxy Junior Consultoria Internacional — a student-run enterprise linked to the International Relations course at UERJ. He has over five years’ experience in the cultural sector, specialising in the management and implementation of cultural and educational projects.
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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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Dr. Michael “Uncle Mick” Adams
Activist for Men’s Health
Dr. Michael “Uncle Mick” Adams
Activist for Men’s Health
Dr. Michael “Uncle Mick” Adams is a respected Elder in the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. He is a descendent of the Yadhiagana/Wuthathi peoples of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland and the Gurindji people of Central Western Northern Territory. His extensive involvement in key policy and program development processes and forums has enabled him to translate his own and others’ research into action. His efforts at knowledge translation have directly impacted on health system responses and led to better informed approaches to address the needs of Australia’s Indigenous peoples who are social excluded and often have poor access to services. He is recognised as a pioneer in the Australian male health movement. He was recently presented with the inaugural Australian Male Health Forum’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition for his long-term commitment to supporting men’s health.
“The way to the future is overcoming the negativity, being positively involved in creating safe places and celebrating our achievements”
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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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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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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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Joan Benson MD, MPH
Executive Director: Global Vaccines Policy, Merck & Co. Inc.
Joan Benson MD, MPH
Executive Director: Global Vaccines Policy, Merck & Co. Inc.
Dr. Benson leads policy and strategic partnerships for Merck Global Vaccines, collaborating with global public health leaders and key stakeholders to ensure sustainable access to the company’s diverse vaccine portfolio including HPV, pneumococcal, RSV, Ebola and pipeline vaccines. She has extensive experience working with country governments and major global health organizations such as WHO, Gavi, UNICEF and the Gates Foundation. She served as industry representative on the Gavi Board. Joan is deeply committed to advancing global public health agendas, including the elimination of cervical cancer.
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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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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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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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Curtis Valentine
Founding President, Male Educator Networks and Policy Institute
Curtis Valentine
Founding President, Male Educator Networks and Policy Institute
Curtis Valentine is Founding President of Male Educator Networks and Policy Institute, the first policy think tank and national network dedicated solely to men in education. Curtis also serves as a Fellow at the American Institute for Boys & Men (AIBM). Previously, Curtis served as Co-Director of the Reinventing America’s School Project at the Progressive Policy Institute. The founder of Real Men Teach, Curtis has been fighting for diversity in teaching for over 20 years as a classroom teacher and eventually a School Board Member in the 20th largest school district in America. An adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, College Park and Johns Hopkins University, Curtis is writing a book entitled “Real Men Teach: The Future of Education” that will be published this fall. A graduate of Morehouse College and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, serves on the boards of the American Institutes for Research’s (AIR) Opportunity Fund and the Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools National Park Campaign.“America is less competitive when only half of our future workforce is pushed to do our country’s most important work: teaching.”
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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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Isabelle Santos
Co-Founder, Global Youth-Led Movement on Ending Violence Against Children
Isabelle Santos
Co-Founder, Global Youth-Led Movement on Ending Violence Against Children
Isabelle has a decade of experience working at the intersection of legal frameworks, youth leadership, and the 2030 Agenda. She holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Brasília and executive training in Early Childhood from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is currently a postgraduate student at the Center for Public Leadership and a PhD candidate in Social Sciences at São Paulo State University. She has led several advocacy initiatives, including co-founding the first Global Youth-Led Movement on Ending Violence Against Children, and has collaborated with governments, the United Nations, and civil society to advance policy change. She previously served as an advisor at the Federal District Secretariat of Justice and Citizenship, contributing to initiatives on child participation, digital wellbeing, and parenting programs. She is also part of international communities of practice, including United People Global, the Global Youth Forum, and the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee Youth Group.
“Digital spaces are shaping the identities of boys and girls and, with them, the political and economic fabric of our societies. Ensuring that they are nurturing, inclusive, and well-regulated calls for a commitment that spans from healthy interpersonal relations to the institutional foundations of parity democracy.”
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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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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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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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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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Anthea Spinks
Director of Community Development, City of Melbourne
Anthea Spinks
Director of Community Development, City of Melbourne
Anthea Spinks is the Director of Community Development with extensive experience leading place‑based, people‑centred initiatives. Her career spans local government and international aid and development, where she worked on programs focused on equity, capacity‑building, and humanitarian disasters and community resilience across diverse contexts. Anthea is known for her collaborative leadership style and strong partnership approach. She brings a global perspective to local challenges, translating complex community needs into practical outcomes. Anthea is deeply committed to strengthening social connection and long‑term community wellbeing.
“I’ve been surrounded by amazing changemakers my whole life so I know that when we come together and stand in solidarity we can make a difference, we can build brighter, better and more equal communities.”
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Anthony Keedi
Masculinities and Gender Technical Advisor, Abaad
Anthony Keedi
Masculinities and Gender Technical Advisor, Abaad
Anthony has been working in Lebanon for the past 19 years piloting and promoting applied theories for Engaging Men in Ending Violence Against Women and Transformative Masculinities in the MENA region. He is a psychologist and also holds a Master’s degree in Gender Studies. Some of his notable achievements in his work thus far are as follows: Managed the 1st ever White Ribbon Campaign in MENA; Develops and oversees Research on Masculinities in Conflict settings in Lebanon; Creates and Advises on Advocacy campaigns designed for Men and Boys; Developed several Gender Equality Training workbooks and manuals on Masculinities in MENA; established the 1st psychological rehabilitation clinic for men with abusive behaviors in MENA; and He participated in expert panels for the CEDAW commission as well as on the 1st Human Rights Council Resolution for Engaging Men and Boys to end GBV.
“One day they will look back at my life, when I am long gone and deceased. I pray that they say that ‘the journey he walked was always a path of peace.'”
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Melissa Wong Oviedo
Regional Technical Lead – Latin America and the Caribbean, Equimundo
Melissa Wong Oviedo
Regional Technical Lead – Latin America and the Caribbean, Equimundo
Melissa is a Regional Technical Lead at Equimundo, overseeing international projects with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. She brings extensive experience in preventing violence against women and children, advancing women’s economic empowerment, and promoting human rights. Previously, she worked with Plan International Peru and Innovations for Poverty Action, collaborating closely with grassroots, rural, and Indigenous communities across Latin America.
“To teach is to show what is possible; to learn is to make yourself possible.” — Paulo Freire
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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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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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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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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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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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Maria Caridad Araujo
Chief of Gender and Diversity Division, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Maria Caridad Araujo
Chief of Gender and Diversity Division, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
M. Caridad Araujo is the Chief of the Gender and Diversity Division at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). In this role, she leads efforts to promote gender equality and inclusion across Latin America and the Caribbean. Previously, she served as Principal Economist in the IDB’s Social Protection and Health Division, focusing on early childhood development and anti-poverty programs. Her career also includes academic experience as a professor at Georgetown University and work at the World Bank. A native of Ecuador and mother of two daughters, she holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California, Berkeley
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Dr. Onyi Nwaneri
Managing Director, Sesame Workshop International
Dr. Onyi Nwaneri
Managing Director, Sesame Workshop International
Onyi Nwaneri is the Managing Director of Sesame Workshop International, a non-profit operating at the intersection of education, media, and research. She leads the organisation’s strategy across South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, advancing equitable early learning and driving social impact at scale in line with Sesame Workshop’s mission to help children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.
With over two decades of leadership experience, Onyi has strengthened organisations focused on rights, development, and opportunity. Her work centres on expanding access to education, employment pathways, dignity, and voice for children and young people facing structural disadvantage. She focuses on building institutions, partnerships, and scalable delivery models that sustain long-term impact.
A recipient of numerous awards, including recipient of the Women of the Year – Humanitarian Impact Award, Onyi holds a master’s degree in human rights and democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria and an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
“Empowerment is not a solo endeavour, it is a shared responsibility. Invest in boys as allies today, because when they rise right, women and girls rise fully. Let’s raise allies, not bystanders—and turn equality into action.”
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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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Marija Manojlovic
Executive Director, Safe Online
Marija Manojlovic
Executive Director, Safe Online
Marija is the Executive Director of Safe Online, managing a USD 100 million investment portfolio focused on tackling digital threats to children, particularly online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA).
A strong advocate for children’s digital safety, she ensures it remains a priority in global policy on sustainable development and technology. Previously, she worked with the End Violence Global Partnership and UNICEF, specializing in innovation, research, partnerships, and system reform. Marija holds an MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy from Leiden University.
Outside of work, she enjoys painting and listening to jazz.
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Juca Fiis
Artist
Juca Fiis
Artist
Juca Fiis works in the intersection of art, architecture, and education, with a dedicated practice in collaborative work, often with children/young people. They have participated in education residencies worldwide, including DocumentaFifteen(Kassel), ART OMI(Hudson, NY), Demonstra (Lisbon),QMA (Vienna), Pivô (São Paulo), Fahrender Raum (Munich) and the Tamayo Museum(Mexico City). Their experience in museum education includes a role with the Education department at the Museum of Modern Art Rio de Janeiro and as an educational consultant for the Museum of Tomorrow. They have also collaborated with the Paranaense Museum in Curitiba and served as a member of the Educational Board at the Visual Arts School of Parque Lage in Rio de Janeiro.
Juca Fiis has been invited to present their work in symposia and talks at venues such as the University of Hildesheim (Germany), Drawing Projects (UK), the Museum of Modern Art Rio, and Oficina Francisco Brennand (Brazil).
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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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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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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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Blessing Adesiyan
Founder and Chief Care Officer, Caring Africa
Blessing Adesiyan
Founder and Chief Care Officer, Caring Africa
Blessing Oyeleye Adesiyan is the Founder and Chief Care Officer of Caring Africa, building the infrastructure for Africa’s care economy through technology, policy, and media. She develops platforms and innovations that strengthen childcare and aging care systems, create dignified jobs, and position care as essential to economic growth. Through her writing as Editor of The Care Gap, Blessing spotlights how valuing and investing in care can unlock women’s time, catalyze economic growth, and strengthen institutional resilience, transforming an overlooked burden into a cornerstone of prosperity. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, TIME Magazine, and Fortune.Action Track
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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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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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Thabo Limema
Head of Structured Lending Products: CAF and AVMS, Absa Group
Thabo Limema
Head of Structured Lending Products: CAF and AVMS, Absa Group
Thabo Limema is a seasoned banking professional with over 15 years of local, regional, and international experience. Born and raised in the Free State province, his humble upbringing shaped his ability to connect with people across diverse backgrounds. His passion for inclusion has driven his active involvement in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging forums & platforms at work, and to serve on boards of social enterprises that champion the empowerment of marginalised communities. Thabo chairs the Absa Men’s Forum, promoting allyship, wellness, and efforts to end gender-based violence (GBV). Following his participation in the Gender & Corruption Symposium in 2024, he expanded his advocacy through events, collaborations and co-founding AWACN Men in 2025. In 2025, he joined the G20 Empowerment of Women Working Group, contributing to the GBV prevention priority area. A Chartered Accountant, he holds a Bachelor of Accounting from Rhodes University and an Executive Master in Finance from INSEAD.
“Positive masculinity from men is courage, accountability and care, inspiring boys watching us to inherit gentler, wiser strength that aligns with the spirit of Ubuntu (I am because we are), calling us to use influence with empathy, so dignity compounds like interest for everyone.”
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Tea Trumbic
Manager: Women, Business and the Law, World Bank Group
Tea Trumbic
Manager: Women, Business and the Law, World Bank Group
Tea Trumbic leads the Women, Business and the Law (WBL) project at the World Bank. WBL produces data and evidence on how laws, policies, and their implementation affect women’s economic opportunities across 190 economies, with a strong focus on informing World Bank operations, policy dialogue, and reform design. Since joining the World Bank in 2006, she has worked on flagship indicators covering taxation, credit information, agribusiness, trade, and gender. She previously worked at the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Croatia and the International Monetary Fund, and holds degrees in economics from Stanford University and the London School of Economics.
“Advancing women’s economic opportunities requires engaging men as partners in care, work, and reform.”
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Alistair Strathern
Member of Parliament for Hitchin, UK Parliament (Labour Party)
Alistair Strathern
Member of Parliament for Hitchin, UK Parliament (Labour Party)
Alistair is the Member of Parliament for Hitchin. As an MP, Alistair co-founded the Labour Group for Men and Boys to champion progressive leadership on issues affecting men in Britain today.He has been a leading voice in Parliament on the need for a greater political focus ob the challenges young men and boys can face, including greater focus on role models in education, action on men’s mental health and better protections for young men and boys online. He has written on the need for progressives to wake up to the vacuum they have left in speaking directly to the issues affecting men and boys on their own terms, and helped instigate the inaugural International Men’s Day reception at No10 Downing Street.Before becoming an MP he worked as a teacher and climate finance expert at the Bank of England, alongside leading Education and Children’s services as a local councillor.“For too long progressive politicians have failed to take the lead on issues affecting men and boys and we’re all worse off for it – it’s time we step up and put that right.”
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Nancy Pierorazio
Senior Policy Officer: Diversity and Equality, City of Melbourne
Nancy Pierorazio
Senior Policy Officer: Diversity and Equality, City of Melbourne
Nancy Pierorazio serves as a Senior Policy Officer Diversity and Equality at the City of Melbourne, where she has worked since 2002. She leads policy and project delivery to advance diversity, gender equality and inclusion, including implementation of the Inclusive Melbourne Action Plan and Gender Impact Assessments under the Gender Equality Act 2020. Nancy holds qualifications in psychology, social research and criminology, and brings extensive government experience, combining expertise in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), gender-based violence and gender equality to develop gender and safety audit tools.
“Local government is closest to the everyday lives of carers, and with that proximity comes responsibility: to recognise, support, and nurture the care work that sustains our communities.”
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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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Michael Feigelson
Chief Executive Officer, Van Leer Foundation
Michael Feigelson
Chief Executive Officer, Van Leer Foundation
Michael Feigelson has spent the last 11 years as a dad and the last 25 working on policies and programmes for new parents and children. He currently serves as Chief Executive at the Van Leer Foundation, a Dutch organization working worldwide with scientists, policymakers and business leaders on parenting and early childhood. The foundation has been focused on this since the early 1960s, making it one of the oldest global organizations dedicated to making sure all children (and parents) get a good start in life.
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Guilherme Nascimento Valadares
Founder and Research Director, Instituto PDH | PapodeHomem
Guilherme Nascimento Valadares
Founder and Research Director, Instituto PDH | PapodeHomem
Guilherme Nascimento Valadares is founder and research director of Instituto PDH | PapodeHomem, which has been working to transform men for 18 years, as well as being a strategic partner of the Elas Lideram Movement and the human rights area of the UN Global Compact – Brazil Network. He has been lecturing and conducting immersions on masculinity, equity, and inclusion for almost two decades— always from an intersectional perspective. He visits companies, foundations, schools, communities, and sports centers. He is the creator and producer of the documentaries and national studies “O silêncio dos homens” (The Silence of Men) and “Meninos: sonhando os homens do futuro” (Boys: Dreaming of the Men of the Future).
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Glenn Gillis
Co-Founder and CEO, Sea Monster
Glenn Gillis
Co-Founder and CEO, Sea Monster
Glenn Gillis is co-founder and CEO of Sea Monster, and a globally recognised thought-leader on impact games and immersive technologies. With a Business Science degree from the University of Cape Town and over 25 years as a senior executive, consultant, and entrepreneur, Glenn brings commercial rigour to the intersection of play, storytelling, and social change. As Chairperson of Games for Change Africa, Glenn helps shape the continent’s fast-growing games ecosystem, championing the power of games as catalysts for social impact and economic growth across Africa. As co-founder and chair of the not-for-profit social enterprise Relate, he has also helped generate over $5.3 million in employment opportunities and charitable donations across South Africa.
“Games are the digital continuation of humanity’s oldest cultural technology. When we understand play as fundamental human behaviour, not entertainment novelty, we unlock its real potential to engage, educate, and transform.”
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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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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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Giovanna Lauro
Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Equimundo
Giovanna Lauro
Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Equimundo
Giovanna has more than 20 years of experience advancing gender equality and preventing gender-based violence, with a focus on transforming harmful masculinities. As Equimundo’s Deputy CEO, she leads global research and program strategy. Previously, she was Associate Director of the Women and Population Programme at the United Nations Foundation and conducted research at the London School of Economics. A native of Italy, Giovanna is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth in the United States.
“Let’s choose care over fear; speaking up for equality over silence; and let’s do it together!”
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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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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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Holly Milburn-Smith
Co-Executive Director, City Hub and Network for Gender Equity (CHANGE)
Holly Milburn-Smith
Co-Executive Director, City Hub and Network for Gender Equity (CHANGE)
Holly Milburn-Smith (she/her) is Co-Executive Director of the City Hub and Network for Gender Equity (CHANGE), where she leads a global network of municipal governments advancing gender-equitable urban policy. She works closely with city leaders across six continents to strengthen local approaches to caregiving infrastructure, gender-based violence prevention, and the use of gender data in policymaking. Holly joined CHANGE in 2021 from the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs in the City of Los Angeles and brings over a decade of experience in international collaboration and community development, with a focus on turning research and partnerships into implementable local policy. Her prior work spans gender equity, inclusive education, workforce development, and initiatives serving justice-impacted communities. Holly is a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar and an Aspen Institute Rising Leader in Foreign Policy (2022). She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons, where she is regularly reminded that care is, indeed, infrastructure.
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Colette Bailey
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), WOW – Women of the World
Colette Bailey
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), WOW – Women of the World
Colette is CEO at WOW – Women of the World and a creative producer, with an established history and over 25 years experience of leading SME organisations and teams in the UK. Previously she was Artistic Director and CEO of Metal (2002-2021) and Managing Director at the Royal Society of British Sculptors (1998-2022). Her work has always been purpose-driven, creating arts programmes that are underpinned by social change, community participation and nurturing talent within people of all ages.
She is a passionate advocate for the transformational power of the arts to create change – for both people and places – and equally passionate that access to culture should be available to everyone. All her work to date has been to find ways to advocate for, develop and deliver this.
“Time and again I have seen first hand how the arts can transform possibilities for people, places and ideas. A warm welcome; exposure to a multitude of stories; feeling represented; and multiple entry points for getting involved can really begin to shift embedded behaviour, foster understanding and change hearts and minds in a way that traditional education or doctrine does not.”
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José Campi-Portaluppi
Director of Communications and Advocacy, Equimundo
José Campi-Portaluppi
Director of Communications and Advocacy, Equimundo
José is the Director of Communications and Advocacy at Equimundo. He leads the communications and advocacy teams, amplifying research and programming on masculinities and gender justice to inspire action and drive impact in personal opinion, community norms, and public policy. Prior to joining Equimundo, José worked with different international organizations in educommunications, capacity strengthening, political incidence, research and learning experience design.
“Real transformation comes from moving people, the culture that shapes them, their attitudes and mindsets.”
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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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