Free Online Conference

Built to Thrive,
Not Just Get By

Join Young Guys Thrive for a one-day event that equips parents, educators, and mentors with practical tools for young men to master relationship skills and navigate life with a clear sense of purpose.

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Young Guys Thrive – Conference Panels:

The Crisis of Male Connection

09:15 AM PT | 12:15 PM ET | 5:15 PM BST (60 mins)

Disconnection doesn’t begin in adulthood — it begins in boyhood.

From an early age, boys absorb unspoken rules about emotion, strength, and
belonging. Many learn that vulnerability is weakness and connection must be
earned through performance or control. Over time, these patterns harden. What
starts as emotional constriction often manifests later as anger, withdrawal, or
despair.

This panel explores how male identity forms, how early socialization shapes long-
term relational patterns, and why shame plays such a powerful role in male
development. If we want healthier men, we must first understand how
disconnection is taught; and how it can be interrupted.

SPEAKERS:

Daniel Ellenberg, PhD

HOST, Founder, Strength with Heart

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Chair – Daniel Ellenberg, PhD, is the founder of Strength with Heart and a past president of the APA Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities. He is the founder and director of the Men and Boys Compassion Coalition and a principal in the Rewire Leadership Institute. Daniel serves on the boards of the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute.

Chris Germer, PhD

Harvard Medical School

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Chris Germer, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He co-developed the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program, currently taught in 30 languages worldwide. Chris has authored or co-authored six influential books on the integration of self-compassion into psychotherapy and daily life.

Andrew Smiler, PhD

Author, Clinical Work with Men

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Andrew P. Smiler, PhD, is a licensed therapist in Winston-Salem, NC, serving males aged 15-85. He is the author of Clinical Work with Men (2026) and the award-winning Dating and Sex: A Guide for the 21st Century Teen Boy. A past president of the Society for the Psychology of Men and Masculinities.

Christopher Willard, PsyD

Harvard Medical School

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Christopher Willard, PsyD, is a father, clinical psychologist, author, and consultant based at Harvard Medical School. He has spoken in forty-two countries and is the author of twenty-two books. His work focuses on bringing mindfulness, mental health, and resilience to young people, educators, and families worldwide.

Boysen Hodgson

ManKind Podcast + ManKind Project USA

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Boysen Hodgson is the Director of Operations for the ManKind Project USA, a nonprofit supporting men’s groups serving nearly 10,000 men weekly. Co-creator of the ManKind Podcast and author of The New Macho, he has over two decades of experience facilitating transformational programs for emotionally mature masculinity.

The Allure of the Manosphere

10:20 AM PT | 01:20 PM ET | 6:20 PM BST (60 mins)

The Manosphere doesn’t create pain, it recruits from it.

For many young men, online spaces offer belonging, clarity, and a sense of
significance. What feels like empowerment can quickly harden into resentment
and polarization. The Manosphere often presents itself as a solution to confusion
and isolation, but the cost can be profound.

This panel examines how young men are drawn in, the dynamics of HIPE (Hate,
Isolation, Polarization, Extremism), and what meaningful offramps look like. If we
dismiss the appeal, we miss the opportunity to intervene. Understanding the pull
is the first step toward offering alternatives rooted in purpose, accountability, and
real connection.

SPEAKERS:

Daniel Ellenberg, PhD

HOST, Founder, Strength with Heart

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Chair – Daniel Ellenberg, PhD, is the founder of Strength with Heart and a past president of the APA Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities. He is the founder and director of the Men and Boys Compassion Coalition and a principal in the Rewire Leadership Institute. Daniel serves on the boards of the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute.

Pasha Dashtgard, PhD

PERIL Lab, American University

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Pasha DashtgardPhD is an Assistant Professor and Director of Interventions for the PERIL Lab at American University’s School of Public Affairs. He oversees the implementation and scaling of prevention-based resources designed to reduce polarization and extremism through both online and in-person educational interventions.

Kaitlyn
Tierney

Founder,
Diverting Hate

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Kaitlyn Tierney is the CEO and Founder of Diverting Hate, an organization dedicated to pulling young men away from hate and toward purpose, connection, and belonging. She brings deep expertise in understanding how radicalization takes hold and how to offer young men a meaningful path toward a healthy identity.

Saed Deryck Hill, PhD

Yale
University

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Saed Deryck Hill, PhD, is a counseling psychologist and Harm Reduction Specialist at Yale University. He specializes in promoting pro-social masculinities and innovative approaches to violence prevention. Saed is the President-Elect of the APA’s Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities and has advised the White House Task Force.

Sean
Harvey

Founder, WCI Advisory Group

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Sean Harvey is a strategic advisor and founder of the WCI Advisory Group. He teaches Men, Masculinity & Extremism at American University and authored Warrior Compassion: Unleashing the Healing Power of Men. His work serves as a roadmap for men’s healing as a vital catalyst for broader systems change.

Fathers and Male Mentors: The Power of Relationship

11:25 AM PT | 02:25 PM ET | 7:25 PM BST (60 mins)

Young men do not become grounded by accident. They are shaped in
relationship.

Fathers and mentors profoundly influence how boys understand strength,
responsibility, and compassion. When guidance combines challenge with care,
young men are far more likely to develop resilience and prosocial behavior.

This panel explores what effective mentorship looks like today. How can adult
men model emotional awareness without abandoning firmness? What do
presence, consistency, and integrity demand?  Healthy masculinity is not
inherited, it is cultivated. This conversation focuses on how fathers and mentors
can become stabilizing forces in a world where many young men are searching for
direction.

SPEAKERS:

Daniel Ellenberg, PhD

HOST, Founder, Strength with Heart

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Chair – Daniel Ellenberg, PhD, is the founder of Strength with Heart and a past president of the APA Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities. He is the founder and director of the Men and Boys Compassion Coalition and a principal in the Rewire Leadership Institute. Daniel serves on the boards of the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute.

Warren Farrell, PhD

Author, The Boy Crisis

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Warren Farrell, PhD, has been recognized by the Financial Times of London as one of the world’s top 100 thought leaders. His international bestsellers, including The Boy Crisis, The Myth of Male Power and Why Men Are the Way They Are, have been published in 19 languages. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the National Organization for Women.

Ashanti
Branch

Founder, Ever Forward Club

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Ashanti Branch is the Founder and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club, a non-profit dedicated to eliminating the student dropout rate through youth mentorship. A featured speaker at TEDx Marin on “The Masks We All Wear,” Ashanti is a leading voice in helping young men achieve emotional social intelligence.

Aaron
Bart

Leadership
Coach

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Aaron Bart is a leadership coach and ICF New England board member specializing in helping men navigate career and life transitions. With over 16 years in men’s group work and a graduate degree from Yale, he brings both professional expertise and a father’s perspective to the conversation on modern masculinity.

Danny Singley, PhD

Center for Men’s Excellence

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Danny Singley, PhD, is a board-certified psychologist and widely recognized thought leader in men’s mental health and perinatal psychology. As the Founding Director of The Center for Men’s Excellence in San Diego, he specializes in men’s issues, new fatherhood, and the vital transition to parenthood.

The Skills Required for Modern Strength

12:30 PM PT | 03:30 PM ET | 8:30 PM BST (60 mins)

In a complex world, toughness alone is not enough.

Young men today face social, emotional, and cultural pressures previous
generations did not. To thrive, they need more than grit; they need skills.
Emotional awareness. Self-regulation. Congruence between values and action.
Compassion and self-compassion.

This panel moves from diagnosis to development. What tools help young men
stay grounded under pressure and respond thoughtfully rather than reactively?
How do we teach integration, “strength with heart”? Thriving is not about
suppressing emotion; it is about channeling it with purpose and clarity. These
skills are teachable – and urgently needed.

SPEAKERS:

Daniel Ellenberg, PhD

HOST, Founder, Strength with Heart

Read More

Chair – Daniel Ellenberg, PhD, is the founder of Strength with Heart and a past president of the APA Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities. He is the founder and director of the Men and Boys Compassion Coalition and a principal in the Rewire Leadership Institute. Daniel serves on the boards of the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute.

John Schinnerer, PhD

Founder, GuideToSelf.com

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John Schinnerer, PhD, is a psychologist, executive coach, and founder of GuideToSelf.com. He hosts the podcasts The Evolved Caveman and Love Isn’t Enough, where he teaches emotional mastery and conscious relationships. John helps men and couples build the self-awareness and communication skills required for lasting, evolved connections.

Tyler Bradstreet, PhD

Performance Psychology, MLB

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Tyler Bradstreet, PhD, is a psychologist with 15 years of experience working with collegiate, professional, and Olympic athletes. He currently serves as the Director of Performance Psychology for a Major League Baseball team, focusing on building the psychological architecture of elite performance and high-functioning team cultures.

Fredric E. Rabinowitz, PhD

University of
Redlands

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Fredric E. Rabinowitz, PhD, is Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department at the University of Redlands. He has authored five books on psychotherapy with men, including Deepening Group Psychotherapy with Men and has led men’s groups since 1986. He was the lead author of the APA’s Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men.

Joe
Conrad

Cactus & Grit Digital Health

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Joe Conrad is a creative entrepreneur and digital health pioneer. He is the Founder and CEO of Cactus and Grit Digital Health, specializing in behavioral health technology. Joe and his team created Man Therapy, a groundbreaking approach to men’s mental health, and he recently published Man Therapy: Therapy the Way a Man Does It.

What You’ll Walk Away With

The Path Forward: How do we raise young men who are both strong and compassionate?

Outdated scripts often leave boys and young men drifting toward isolation, anger, or confusion about their place in the world. We believe there is a better path forward: creating a culture of ‘Strength with Heart’ where character is defined by integrity and compassion, not dominance.

Building this culture requires a collective effort. This conference, an initiative of the Men and Boys Compassion Coalition, brings together leading experts and mentors to share the grounded approaches needed to help the young men in your life navigate the modern world with purpose and connection.

Moving beyond competing narratives, we will focus on the real question:

What kind of men does the world today require, and how do we help the next generation become them? 

Who Should Join Us

▪️ General Public
▪️ Teachers
▪️ Parents
▪️ Health Professionals
▪️ Leaders
▪️ Media
▪️ Coaches
▪️ HR Professionals
▪️ Politicians and Policy Makers
▪️ Interested People of All Genders

Can’t join us live? Register anyway and we’ll send a link to the conference recording directly to your inbox after the event.

Upon registration, you’ll also receive the Conference Program, featuring the full schedule, detailed panel descriptions, and speaker directory.

If you believe young men are capable of more than the narrow roles offered to them today, join us for a serious, hopeful, and action-oriented space to help them build a future rooted in integrity, resilience, and heart.

This conference is proudly supported by:

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