Promoting the Privileged? The Surprising Bipartisan Advocacy Movement for Washington’s Boys and Men

Blair Daly, founder of the Washington Initiative for Boys and Men https://wibm.us will share statistics about Washington’s male population, including numbers most people are unaware of. He will describe the growing bipartisan advocacy movement bringing together people from diverse political and professional backgrounds who believe our societal aspirations for gender equity and equality need to include boys and men’s issues. As Melinda French Gates recently said, “a world of floundering men is not likely to be a world of flourishing women; we have to rise together.”

Nicky Wilks is a youth development thought leader, facilitator, and father dedicated to helping boys grow into whole, healthy men. As the co-founder and Executive Director of Journeymen Institute https://www.journeymen.us, he has spent over a decade designing and leading mentorship programs rooted in rites of passage, emotional literacy, and community-based support, serving thousands of youth, parents and educators. Before launching into social entrepreneurship, Nicky worked across education—from college campuses and high school classrooms to youth sports fields—gaining direct insight into where boys rise, fall, and go unseen. Today, he consults with schools and national organizations to build programs that strengthen belonging, purpose, and leadership in young men. Nicky leverages strategic vision, soulful storytelling, and boots-on-the-ground experience to help shape a cultural shift that begins with our boys.

The event will include a 45-minute talk followed by a Q&A session for the remainder of the time.