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Momentum Summit

 

Hosted by Next Gen Men and supported by Women and Gender Equality Canada, this one-day conference will catalyze conversations about boys and men today, equip attendees with deepened skills and understanding to engage men and boys in their communities, and effectively build connections and collaboration with stakeholders from across settings where boys and men learn, work, pray, and play.

Until the Momentum Summit begins!

Thursday, November 14, 2024
The Hudson (6th Floor), 200 8 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB

 
 
 
 
 
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Why Attend Momentum?

 

Inspiration from Leading Experts — Hear from key voices in positive masculinities and gender justice, including activists, researchers, and thought leaders who are shaping the future of gender equity.

Actionable Insights — Gain practical tools and strategies to implement in your work and communities, whether you're advocating for policy change, educating the next generation, or transforming workplace culture.

Networking Opportunities — Connect with like-minded professionals and organizations dedicated to gender equity. Build partnerships that will help you amplify your impact.

 
 

Community Engagement — Join a supportive community committed to making a difference. Share your experiences, challenges, and successes in a collaborative environment.

Hands-on Workshops — Participate in interactive sessions designed to equip you with the skills to address gender-related challenges in your community and workplace.

 
 

Inspiration from Leading Experts

 

Hear from key voices in positive masculinity and gender justice, including activists, researchers, and thought leaders who are shaping the future of gender equity.

 

Bernard Perron

Chief Operating Officer at Nouveau Monde Graphite, lifelong champion of diversity, inclusion, and equity—particularly in the space of gender justice.

Erin Davis

Award-winning diversity and inclusion expert, inspirational speaker and organizational transformation expert.

 
 

Nuvyn Peters

CEO of Axis Connects, Strategic Impact and Philanthropy Advisor.

Stafford Perry

WiseGuyz Scaling Project Manager at Centre for Sexuality, and leader in men’s engagement and violence prevention.

 
 

Dee Adekugbe

Founder and Executive Director at Ruth's House Canada.

Trevor Mayoh

Principal Consultant with Equity Leaders, specializing in engaging leaders in male-dominant industries to champion gender equity and broader diversity and inclusion initiatives.

 
 

Jonathon Reed

Director of Programs of Next Gen Men, and expert on supporting boys’ well-being and the prevention of gender-based violence.

Lana Wells

Associate Professor, Brenda Strafford Chair, Prevention of Domestic Violence, Director of Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence at the University of Calgary, co-founder of Shift2Learn, an online learning platform in violence prevention.

 
 

Katie Smith-Parent

Business Development, Industry Diversification at Spartan Controls, Executive Director at Young Women in Energy (YWE), Co-founder and Board Director at Axis Connects.

Jake Stika

Executive Director of Next Gen Men.

 
 

Elizabeth Dozois

For over 25 years, Elizabeth has provided strategic support, research and development on social issues. She led the development of a practice framework for engaging men in gender equity and violence prevention (2017-2020) in association with Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence.

David Sannes

Manager of Men’s Counselling and Community Initiatives Portfolio at FearIsNotLove.

 
 

Dr. Rachael Pettigrew

Associate Professor and Department Chair at Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University. Rachael’s research focuses on gender in the workplace, inclusive organizational cultures, and policies that support employees' care responsibilities.

Sanjay Prasad

Commercial Sales Director, Energy at DMG events, leading strategic growth across key markets. Sanjay is passionate about uniting industry, academia, and government to foster economic and environmental well-being for Canada.

 
 

Mark Brown

Executive Vice President of Projects and Operations at ATCO EnPower. Chair of ATCO’s DE&I Centre of Excellence and recipient of the Male Champion Award in 2023 from the Canadian Influential Women in Business. 

Gayathri Shukla

Founder of Campfire Kinship, a social enterprise providing story-based training, advisory and creative media to build inclusive cultures.

 
 

Richard Flynn

Sr. Advisor, Operations Inclusion at Pembina Pipeline Cooperation. Richard leads with a people-first philosophy, fueled by a genuine passion for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Dustin Hogan

Dustin Hogan is a compassionate Men’s Mental Health Counsellor and the founder of Therapy For Dudes, a men’s mental health brand that offers 1:1 counselling, online courses, and educational content focused on reshaping the conversation around men's mental health.

 
 

Jim Dewald

Professor of strategy and past dean at the Haskayne School of Business and Executive Advisor with Bright Wire Leadership. Jim was recognized as 2022 Male Champion within the Calgary Women in Business Awards.

Julien Diego

A Community Arts practitioner and passionate advocate for access and inclusion in art-making. Previously serving as the Creative Director at SKETCH Working Arts, Julian contributed to projects like The Good Guise, which explored healthy masculinity for racialized men.

 

Janice Anderson

A Facilitator/Cultural Helper with the Family Healing Program in Mini Thni (formerly known as Morley), Alberta, Janice has worked on various contracts with the Stoney Nakoda Nation and also spent 5 years working in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside as a Drug and Alcohol Counselor, Courtworker and Youth Advocate. Janice is from the Peepeekisis Nation in Saskatchewan and also celebrates the Scottish/English side of her heritage.

Alex Cameron

Manager for Recovery Alberta, overseeing five addictions and mental health clinics. With a Masters in Clinical Social Work, Alex has been working as a mental health therapist since 2012, specializing in working with men.

David Turner

Associate Director for Indigenous Initiatives at FearIsNotLove. David has 30 years’ experience facilitating complex government contracts and public relations/stakeholder relations with Indigenous communities across Canada.

Kevin Tsang

Engineering leader at Enbridge with over 18 years of experience working in the oil and gas industry with roles in operations, engineering, and planning. An avid ally and champion for equity in the industry where he led the development and execution of Enbridge’s Career ReEntry program that enabled people a gradual return to work following a prolonged pause in their career.

Dr. Jackie Steele

A trilingual “diversity in law/policy” specialist, feminist philosopher, and Japan scholar with a track record at leading universities in Canada and Japan. CEO of enjoi Japan KK (Nagano) and enjoi Innovation Inc (Vancouver, 2023), Jackie contributes international expertise to guide c-suite leaders in how to transform corporate ecosystems into diversity-positive and innovation-driven enterprises.

 

What to Expect

Get ready for Momentum Summit’s exciting lineup of workshops, panels, and speeches featuring themes including:

  • Engaging boys and young men as stakeholders and allies
  • Men’s mental health and gender justice
  • Gender equity and psychological safety among men at work
  • Engaging men in accountability and transformation
  • Navigating pushback in male engagement efforts
  • Managing for multiple masculinities
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Agenda

 

07:30 AM

Registration & Breakfast

Registration opens at 7:30 AM. Don't forget to fuel up with breakfast and grab your swag bag!

08:30 AM

Conference Opening

Join us as we kick off!

08:45 AM

Setting the Stage

Led by Jake Stika and Bernard Perron

What is gender justice and why does it matter?

09:15 AM

Break

09:30 AM

Empowerment Over Extremism: Equipping Youth to Challenge Anti-Feminist Influences

Led by Jonathon Reed

Many boys and young men are currently feeling stuck between a far-left worldview that diminishes their needs in favour of girls and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, and a far-right re-entrenchment of the status quo that invalidates their feelings in favour of toughness and dominance. How do we empower them to become their best selves in the midst of so many pressures? What we’ve seen in our work directly with boys online is the enduring difference of care—care for their well-being, curiosity about their interests, gratitude for the time we spend together. This session will discuss the reasons behind boys’ shift toward anti-feminist influences, and explore what it looks like to put transformational care into practice through community, engagement and support.

09:30 AM

DEI Strategies for Engaging Men in Male-Dominant Sectors

Moderated by Erin Davis
Panelists: Elizabeth Dozois, Trevor Mayoh

In male-dominant sectors, engaging male leaders as active stakeholders is crucial for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. This dynamic session delves into key strategies for driving meaningful change, including meeting men where they are, calling them into critical conversations about inclusion, and showcasing the tangible benefits of fostering supportive, inclusive cultures. Attendees will discover effective ways to empower men as stakeholders and leaders in advancing healthier, more equitable workplaces.

10:30 AM

Break

10:45 AM

Transforming Communities: Successful Approaches to Indigenous Engagement in Gender Justice

Moderated by David Sannes
Panelists: David Turner, Janice Anderson

This session provides a deeper understanding of the unique challenges of engaging Indigenous communities—particularly men—in gender justice. Panelists will share proven approaches that have effectively addressed these challenges, highlighting successful strategies and their positive impacts on the communities they serve. Participants will leave with practical strategies to help individuals and organizations engage Indigenous communities in meaningful and transformative ways.

11:45 AM

Lunch

Join us for lunch. Sponsored by Fluor.

12:45 PM

What's In It For Men? Mental Health as an Entry Point

Moderated by Alex Cameron
Panelists: David Sannes, Dustin Hogan

This session will highlight the critical importance of investing in men’s mental health from the perspectives of personal well-being, community health, and violence prevention. Panelists will explore the benefits of adopting an empathetic approach with men in mental health settings, showcasing how understanding and compassion can significantly improve outcomes for men’s health and ultimately enhance family safety. Attendees will gain practical insights and actionable strategies to implement in their own contexts with men, helping to foster supportive environments and healthy communities.

12:45 PM

The ‘Manel’: Allyship Should Cost You Something

Moderated by Nuvyn Peters
Panelists: Mark Brown, Jim Dewald

True allyship requires leading with courage. Standing up for values, creating space for others, and aligning actions with a commitment to inclusion. Allyship may also ask us to make some sacrifices, but what we gain — stronger, more connected communities - far outweighs any potential cost. This session will explore both the challenges and opportunities of practicing meaningful allyship in the workplace. Attendees will leave with actionable tips from male leaders who have been recognized as Male Champions at the Calgary Influential Women in Business awards to build a more inclusive, healthy culture and an understanding of how allyship benefits everyone, including men.

01:45 PM

Break

02:00 PM

Managing for Multiple Masculinites

Moderated by: David Ghoris
Panelists: Dee Adekugbe, Jackie Steele

Attendees leave with a deeper understanding that men are not a monolithic group, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to engaging men and boys in healthy masculinities. It's important to consider their intersecting identities and adopt approaches that reflect this diversity. Attendees will gain actionable insights on effectively engaging diverse groups of men and boys in gender justice—including in topics like mental health and healthy relationships—through the experiences shared by the panelists.

03:00 PM

Break

03:15 PM

Level-Setting the Conversation: From Locker Room Banter to #MeToo

Led by Jonathon Reed and Stafford Perry

This session will explore how to engage men and boys in conversations about harm in a way that fosters both empathy and accountability. Attendees will learn how to approach these conversations by recognizing the difference between calling in versus calling out, and when we might use each. Additionally, we will focus on strategies for addressing these sensitive topics with boys without vilifying them, creating a space where they can learn and grow. Participants will leave with practical tools for engaging men and boys across the spectrum of harm in a constructive, compassionate way.

03:15 PM

Whole Men at Work

Moderated by Gayathri Shukla
Panelists: Rachael Pettigrew, Richard Flynn, Sanjay Prasad

Traditional ideas of what it means to 'be a man' often reduce men to their roles, titles, or income—the idea that men are breadwinners—overlooking the full spectrum of their identities. In the workplace, this can lead men to check their personal lives at the door, bringing only a fraction of who they are. But men are more than just employees—they are individuals with rich and multifaceted experiences, emotions, needs, and values that deserve to be seen and supported. Discover how this shift enhances well-being, strengthens workplace culture, and advances DEI goals, along with actionable ways to make it happen in your workplace.

04:15 PM

Break

04:30 PM

The Unspeakable Things: Confronting The Tensions in Engaging Men and Boys

Moderated by: Jake Stika
Panelists: Lana Wells, Katie Smith-Parent, Kevin Tsang

In the world of gender justice, meaningful change requires navigating complex and difficult conversations. There are topics that are challenging to address, but to drive real change, we must tackle the things that can feel "unspeakable" head-on. In this closing panel of the Momentum Summit, we'll confront the uncomfortable and shed light on the toughest issues around engaging men and boys in gender justice. The panelists will respond to questions and topics submitted by attendees throughout the day, offering candid insights for navigating tensions and fostering progress toward a future where boys and men experience less pain and cause less harm. Cocktail & canapé hour follows immediately after to relieve any lingering tension!

05:30 PM

Closing Remarks

05:45 PM

Cocktail Reception
 

 Sponsorship Opportunities


Brand Awareness

The Momentum Summit partners with organizations at the forefront of concern for issues facing boys and men. Activating with Momentum showcases your brand to all those who care for and are connected to them, and encourages attendees and stakeholders to engage.


Thought Leadership

Get off the sidelines and get engaged with the evolving, positive conversation on men and masculinities with Momentum. Share ideas through speaking opportunities or get involved with our International Men’s Day event for extended opportunities.


Networking

What’s a conference without new friends? With numerous activities and opportunities to connect with peers from across Canada, This summit is the right time and right place to build Momentum.