People doing the work, on one stage.

Author of Of Boys and Men and the leading national voice on the policy case for boys and men. Founder of the American Institute for Boys and Men.

Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates and supporter of the Virginia Advisory Commission for Boys and Men. Represents Virginia’s 88th House district.

Chief patron of HB1188, the bill that created the nation’s first state commission for boys and men. Represents Virginia’s 21st House district.

An Albany, Ga. based organization with millions of social media followers, The X for Boys “teaches boys the true meaning of manhood, true masculinity, how to be a team player and collaborate with others, and how to be protectors and providers for their communities.”

Emma Johnson, author of The 50/50 Solution: The Surprisingly Simple Choice that Makes Moms, Dads, and Kids Happier and Healthier after a Split, is a longtime advocate for gender equality. She has appeared in hundreds of media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Newsweek, and Fox News, and has spoken at the United Nations, Google and before legislative bodies in the U.S. and Europe.

Deputy Cabinet Secretary and Senior Advisor for Path and Purpose, Dwight serves in leading the state’s official focus on the loneliness, mental health crisis, and rising disconnection among boys and young men in California.

Chris Beach, the father of four sons, has grown the Fatherhood Foundation of Virginia to the largest fatherhood program in the United States that is not government funded. New Dad 101 is the foundation’s proprietary program that partners with all of the Commonwealth’s major health systems to offer free fatherhood training to parents of newborns.

Author of The Dad Difference: How and Why to Invite Fathers Into Your School

Choros uses tech to build real male friendships through small groups, shared activities, and repeat hangs.

Vice chair of the Virginia Board of Workforce Development and oversees Newport News Shipbuilding’s Apprentice School.

Recent publications include The Real Face of Men’s Health (2025).

20+ years advancing research, policy, practice, and prevention efforts for domestic violence, sexual violence, and underserved victims across the lifespan, ranking among the top 0.05% of violence scholars worldwide.

Jon grew his region’s Scoutreach program to 200 youth in less than two years.

A returning citizen, Taylor’s League brings together 200 young men and their families living in high-crime communities for weekly basketball, personal development and advocacy, in collaboration with Richmond Police Department.

Chris Sprowls authored legislation — passed with unanimous bipartisan support — that created Florida’s fatherhood initiative, funded at nearly $70 million to combine public-service ads, evidence-based outreach to dads to re-unite them in the lives of their children and male mentorship.

Since 2013, Alameda County Fathers Corps has partnered with the county’s health clinic, social services agency, probation department and child support services to ensure those agencies offer father-friendly services.

Travis Hellstrom is a husband, father and founder of the Good Father Project, which honors fathers and father-figures through essays written by their children – launched during his Peace Corps service in Mongolia and brought home to Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Journeymen Triangle, based in North Carolina, facilitates nature-based rites of passage experiences and intergenerational group mentoring circles in the community and directly in schools.

Brandon is a Virginia 811 public relations liaison in Eastern/Central Virginia and everydayHEROS connects utility contractors, excavators, and locators with young men grades 8-12 to advance them on a path from apprenticeships to full employment after high school.

James’s organization is responsible for all facets of engineering support of the Dominion Energy fleet of seven operating reactors.

David is a longtime science and robotics educator at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond where he also serves as research director for the school’s Center for the Study of Boys.

Jennifer has more than 30 years of leadership and public policy experience, and also serves as Virginia Chamber’s Board of Directors.

Allison is program lead for the Capital One Envision Summit and serves on boards for Virginia Ability and FAITH RXD.

Chuck has a long history as a social services leader. He currently serves as Fatherhood Engagement/Kinship Navigator for Harrisonburg Rockingham Social Services in addition to the regions Fatherhood Initiative.