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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Felipe Ramos
Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer, PapodeHomem/Instituto PDH
Felipe Ramos
Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer, PapodeHomem/Instituto PDH
Felipe Ramos is co-founder and COO of PapodeHomem and Instituto PDH, organizations dedicated to transforming masculinities and promoting gender equity in Brazil and beyond. With over a decade of experience working with major corporations, governments, and international organizations, Felipe leads the design and implementation of programs that engage men as allies in building more equitable, inclusive, and emotionally healthy environments. He is also a producer of impactful documentaries, including O Silêncio dos Homens and Precisamos Falar com os Homens?, developed in partnership with UN Women, which have reached millions and helped shape public discourse on masculinity. Currently, he leads the global project Meninos: Sonhando os Homens do Futuro, focused on boys’ development and the prevention of gender-based violence. As a father, Felipe brings a deeply personal lens to his work, connecting research, storytelling, and practice to drive cultural transformation.
“Cultural transformation begins when men stop being spectators and become part of the solution.”
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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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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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Jonathan Njus
Senior Program Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Jonathan Njus
Senior Program Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Jonathan Njus is a Senior Program Officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, whose mission is to support families and communities in improving life outcomes for vulnerable children. Jonathan serves on the national leadership team, who guide strategy and grantmaking to advance more equitable food, health, education and employment access for working families. He also leads the Expanding Equity initiative for the foundation, which is partnering with private sector companies to build workplaces that are inclusive of all workers.
Prior to joining the foundation, Jonathan was appointed to the Obama Administration, where he served as a senior policy advisor for the U.S. Department of Labor, helping to strengthen low-wage workers’ rights and protections. His career has been grounded in ensuring that workplaces are fair and safe for all workers, especially women, and elevating the role of men as allies toward that end.
“Men are key to building a more caring and less violent world by simply showing up better in their own individual spheres of influence.”
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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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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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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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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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Julia Munroe
Policy Officer, Metropolis
Julia Munroe
Policy Officer, Metropolis
Julia serves as a Policy Officer in Metropolis, specialising in local care policies, mainstreaming gender equality, and local feminist agendas in large cities and metropolitan areas. Her role involves leading international city-to-city policy exchanges, developing knowledge and toolkits and supporting the International Fund for Metropolises: Local Care Systems.
Hailing from South Africa, she has a background working with local government, international cooperation and grassroots organisations in Cape Town, Barcelona, and internationally. She previously held positions with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and the City of Cape Town. She has a Joint Masters degree in Urban Studies from the Universities of Brussels and Vienna and a Bachelors (Hons) in Social Anthropology from the University of Cape Town.
“Gender equality is not only about who holds power, but who has the right to be supported; where tenderness is strength, and care is a shared public good.”
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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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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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Emma Walsh
Chief Executive Officer, Parents at Work
Emma Walsh
Chief Executive Officer, Parents at Work
Emma Walsh is the CEO of Parents At Work and Founder of the Family Friendly Workplaces Initiative, and a leading advocate for gender-equal paid parental leave in Australia. For more than two decades, she has championed the social and economic case for inclusive workplaces, challenging entrenched norms that position care as women’s work. In 2017, Emma co-founded the Advancing Parental Leave Equality Network (APLEN), bringing together employers and advocacy groups to drive national awareness and reform. Through initiatives including the Aussie Dads campaign, she elevated the case for equal paid parental leave and highlighted the powerful link between fathers’ caregiving, women’s workforce participation and long-term gender equality. Emma later led the development of Global National Work + Family Standards and the Family Friendly Workplaces Certification program, establishing a clear benchmark for employer accountability. Her work continues to mobilise business and policy leaders to dismantle barriers, normalise men’s caregiving, and embed care as a shared responsibility.“When we value care equally, we unlock equality for everyone.”
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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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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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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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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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Dr. Lee Gettler
John A. O’Brien College Professor of Anthropology, Notre Dame
Dr. Lee Gettler
John A. O’Brien College Professor of Anthropology, Notre Dame
Dr. Lee Gettler is the John A. O’Brien College Professor of Anthropology at Notre Dame, where he is the Department Chairperson and the director of the Hormones, Health, and Human Behavior Laboratory. He is a leading expert on the ‘biology of fatherhood’ and what it means for how we think about men’s roles in families and men’s health.
His research explores how men’s bodies respond to the transition to fatherhood through shifts in hormones like testosterone and oxytocin. He focuses on how these biological changes help men get ready to take on roles in their families as committed caregivers and supportive partners. He draws on this work to help frame new questions about the roles of human fathers in the evolutionary past. His ground-breaking research in this area has been published in The Proceedings of the National Academies of Science and featured on the front page of the New York Times. In 2025, he was named an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). With many fantastic collaborators around the world, he studies questions about the role of fathers in families, parents’ health, and child well-being across a range of global settings, including the Philippines, Congo-Brazzaville, and the U.S.
He is the father to two amazing children, who keep him very busy with their passions for basketball, soccer, running, and music.
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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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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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Dr. Alex Blower
Founder, Boys’ Impact
Dr. Alex Blower
Founder, Boys’ Impact
Dr. Blower is an author, researcher and global thought leader on issues related to masculinity, inequality and education. Since completing his doctoral research which focused inequality and access to university for white working-class boys in the West Midlands in 2020, he has been a keynote speaker at national and international conferences, talking on issues related to inequality and the experience of young working-class men in education. In 2023, he founded Boys’ Impact, a UK-wide network of educators who are committed to taking an evidence-based approach in closing the gap in educational outcomes for young men who are eligible for Free School Meals. Regularly commenting on issues related to masculinity and inequality in education for media outlets such as the BBC, LBC and The Times, his first book, Lost Boys: How Education is Failing Young Working-Class Men, was published last summer.
“To truly protect and honour the emotional lives of boys we must challenge the patriarchal culture. And until that culture changes we must create subcultures, the sanctuaries where boys can learn who they are uniquely, without being forced to conform to patriarchal masculine visions. To love boys rightly we must value their inner lives enough to construct worlds, both private and public, where their right to wholeness can be consistently celebrated and affirmed, where their need to love and be loved can be fulfilled”. – bell hooks
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Patu Araújo
Artist and Designer
Patu Araújo
Artist and Designer
Patu Araújo is a Brazilian multidisciplinary artist and designer born in Ilhéus, Bahia, and currently based in Curitiba, Paraná.
Their practice engages with the construction of identity and the ongoing processes of erasure surrounding Afro-Indigenous Brazilian histories. Working across visual arts, Patu develops a language shaped by distortion and a vibrant, insurgent color palette, moving fluidly between painting, performance, photography, and video mapping. In the field of design, their work centers on typography, animation, and production design, where narrative, space, and visual rhythm converge as critical tools of expression.
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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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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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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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Rubén Campos
Director of Programs, Club de Madrid
Rubén Campos
Director of Programs, Club de Madrid
Rubén is the Director of Programmes at Club de Madrid, a Senior Research Fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute and a visiting professor of International Relations in various Spanish universities. Since 2004, he has worked at Club de Madrid in the supervision, design and implementation of different projects in countries like Bolivia, China, Ecuador, Guatemala, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru and South Africa. He is also involved in thematic programmes including Social Inclusion, Women Political Participation and Terrorism, Democracy and Human Rights. At Club de Madrid, he has been the Programme Coordinator from 2010 to 2023. He previously worked as Programme Officer and Assistant to the Programme Director. He has a BA in Journalism and is a PhD candidate in International Relations. He is preparing the presentation of his doctoral thesis on the nonviolent politics of the Indian nationalist movement and the African-American civil rights movement.
“We all help create the political and cultural ecosystem in our reality for a care society in which everyone belongs and feels at home”.
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Lee Chambers
Chief Executive Officer, Male Allies UK
Lee Chambers
Chief Executive Officer, Male Allies UK
Lee Chambers is a business psychologist and CEO of Male Allies UK. After a diverse career, from corporate finance to building and exiting a tech company, he is now focused on supporting organisations to engage men in inclusion and promote effective allyship. He has been featured on the Startups 100 Index, has received a Great British Entrepreneur Award, and sits on the board of CMI Women and the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. In 2024, he received the Freedom of the City of London for services to equality in business.He is a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences and a EDI Fellow at the University of East London. He is the 2023 UN Women Changemaker of the Year, and is an ambassador for Refuge, 50:50 Parliament and Working Families. He speaks globally on allyship and masculinities, having taken the stage at One Young World, ChangeNOW and the Bloomberg Global Equality Summit, and is the author of the bestselling book, Momentum: 13 Ways To Unlock Your Potential .Action Track
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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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Trenesa Stanford-Danuser
Chief Communications Officer and Chief of Staff, Catalyst, Inc.
Trenesa Stanford-Danuser
Chief Communications Officer and Chief of Staff, Catalyst, Inc.
Trenesa Stanford-Danuser is a strategic communications and organizational leader whose work sits at the intersection of leadership, inclusion, and culture change. As Chief Communications Officer and Chief of Staff at Catalyst, she helps shape the vision, voice, and strategy of one of the world’s leading organizations advancing women and inclusive workplaces. Trenesa spent 25+ years in luxury beauty, fashion and retail, including 14 years at The Estée Lauder Companies, launching and building a global portfolio of skincare, beauty, and haircare brands across markets worldwide. Throughout that career, she was doing inclusion work long before anyone called it that. She co-founded a groundbreaking initiative with CoverGirl to serve African American consumers when the industry wasn’t yet asking the question. She negotiated directly with indigenous palm oil farmers in Honduras on behalf of a prestige haircare brand.
At Saks Global, she helped lead a landmark collaboration with First Nations communities, including a ceremonial unceded land acknowledgment gift supported by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in alignment with Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation initiative. That journey, from the frontlines of one of the world’s most aspirational industries to the current work of workplace equity, informs everything she brings to Catalyst, where she helps elevate CEO Jennifer McCollum’s newly launched book Men at Work: The Roadmap to Gender Partnership. Like the MenCare Changemaker Journey, Men at Work challenges narrow definitions of who gets to lead, who gets to care, and what real partnership looks like in practice. As one of Equimundo’s 100 Changemakers, Trenesa is honored to stand with a global community committed to making caring manhood the new normal. Her core belief: real progress happens when we invite people into the work of change with authenticity, accountability, and courage.
“When people care for you and cry for you, they can straighten out your soul.” — Langston Hughes
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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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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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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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Cody Ragonese
Director of Programs, Equimundo
Cody Ragonese
Director of Programs, Equimundo
Cody is the Director of Programs at Equimundo, where he leads U.S. and international efforts to engage men and boys in building more caring, equitable communities. He’s passionate about helping organizations – from schools to global companies – challenge harmful gender norms and promote healthier models of masculinity. Cody designs programs, develops curricula for boys, young men, and fathers, and partners with public and private sector leaders to advance male allyship in the workplace. He also trains facilitators worldwide to spark conversations that drive real social change.
“If you build it right, they will come. Yes, including men.”
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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. 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. 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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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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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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Richa Gupta
Chief Executive Officer, Labhya
Richa Gupta
Chief Executive Officer, Labhya
Richa is a teacher-turned entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Labhya, an India-based education non-profit that impacts the wellbeing of 2.4 million children.
Richa is a DRK Entrepreneur, a Mulago Fellow, and was featured in the Forbes Asia 30U30 list. Richa serves on the board of Global Fund for Children. She is one of the 17 United Nations Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Richa has a Master’s in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she also served as an Equity & Inclusion Fellow, Harvard Ministerial Leadership Fellow and Education Entrepreneurship fellow.
“To not feel like you are alone. To feel a sense of purpose and belonging. To feel complete. Today these are seen as luxuries. We need to create a world where this is a reality for every child.”
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Sasha Havlicek
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Institute of Strategic Dialogue
Sasha Havlicek
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Institute of Strategic Dialogue
Sasha Havlicek is a social and policy entrepreneur who, for the last two decades, has incubated and scaled global initiatives to counter the rise of weaponised hate, disinformation and extremism, on- and offline. As founding CEO of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, she has led the build-out of ISD’s advanced digital analytics capability designed to detect and mitigate information threats to democracy, public safety and national security. Spearheading ISD’s extensive partnerships with governments, cities, businesses and communities, Sasha oversees teams delivering research, policy advisory, training, digital literacy and communications programming around the world.
Sasha has advised a range of governments at the highest levels, has testified before US Congress and the UK Parliament, and is a regular commentator in the media (CNN, BBC, Channel 4 News and other networks). She is a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Advisory Boards of the Global Internet Forum on Counter-Terrorism, the Christchurch Call and the Global Partnership for Action against Tech Facilitated Gender Based Violence. She is a founding board member of the Forum on Information and Democracy and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition on Internet Safety.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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. Ros Baxter
Chief Executive Officer, Good Start Early Learning
Dr. Ros Baxter
Chief Executive Officer, Good Start Early Learning
Ros is a nationally recognised education executive with 25 years’ experience championing early intervention and education as vital tools to disrupt intergenerational disadvantage. Her unique background—spanning frontline social work, law reform, government policy, and executive leadership—has enabled her to shape national policy and strategies that create positive change for children, families, and communities.Appointed CEO of Australia’s largest early learning provider in 2022, she has also held senior public policy roles with responsibility for gender equality, family and domestic violence, and programs for men and boys. Ros’s dedication began in 1996 as a child protection social worker, where she witnessed firsthand how skilled early learning educators can transform lives. Guided by the principle “Who needs us most?” Ros has since held influential roles across government and community organisations, ensuring the early years remain central to national policy.At Goodstart, Ros leverages her expertise in public policy, research, and community engagement to drive innovative, child-centric solutions. As a mother of four, including three boys, she understands the importance of inclusive, high-quality early learning for every child, and strives to nurture their strengths and potential.“We have a never-to-be-repeated window of opportunity in the early years to imagine and realise better ways of learning, growing and caring. Together.”
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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. 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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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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Allison Tummon Kamphuis
Vice-President of Communications: Global Citizenship (Community Impact, Equality & Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability), Procter & Gamble
Allison Tummon Kamphuis
Vice-President of Communications: Global Citizenship (Community Impact, Equality & Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability), Procter & Gamble
Allison Tummon Kamphuis is the Vice-President of Communications, Global Citizenship at Procter & Gamble (P&G). With a 30-year career at the company, she leads the Global Citizenship Communications team, driving P&G’s efforts to be a positive force through partnerships with public, private, and non-governmental organizations. Her work spans critical initiatives in Community Impact, Equality &; Inclusion, and Sustainability, including the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program and global disaster relief efforts.
Allison serves on the IOC Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission and the Board of Directors for All In Together. She is also a member of corporate councils for Save the Children and CARE. Previously, she held R&D Clinical Operations leadership roles in P&G’s pharmaceutical division. Allison holds an MBA from Xavier University and a BS in Nursing from McMaster University. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two daughters.
“On my journey, I’ve seen time and again that true impact isn’t achieved alone. My commitment is to forge novel partnerships, channeling collective energy to create positive change together.”
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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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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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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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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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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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