Staff
Jocelyn Lehrer, ScD is Founder/Director of the Men’s Story Project and affiliated Senior Research Associate at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health. Her research on masculinities, gender-based violence, sexual health and mental health has been published in leading journals including Men & Masculinities, Pediatrics and Journal of Adolescent Health. Her work in the U.S., Latin America, Middle East and Africa includes consulting with MTV/VH1, UN Women, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, and the Stanford University Global Center for Gender Equality; serving as a senior advisor at the USAID Office of HIV/AIDS, leading evaluation projects with HIV/GBV organizations in East Africa, and facilitating support groups with women and LGBTQIA+ youth who are living with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco. Jocelyn has been certified as a rape crisis counselor and given presentations at 80+ universities and conferences in the U.S. and abroad. Her awards include the 2021 Public Health Innovator Award from the Harvard School of Public Health and UCSF Chancellor’s Award for Public Service, and her work has been highlighted on CNN, ABC and other media. Jocelyn holds a doctoral degree in public health (Harvard 2004) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. She is Chilean-American and a native Spanish speaker.
Oswaldo Montoya, MSP Facilitator has worked for over 25 years as an educator, activist, counselor, program officer, researcher and consultant engaging men and boys to build a more gender-equitable society, free of violence and discrimination. Oswaldo is Nicaraguan and American, and is based in Washington D.C. He has served in leadership roles for several years with the MenEngage Alliance, a global network focused on engaging men for gender equality. Oswaldo is co-founder of the first Group of Men against Gender Violence in Central America (1993) and the Masculinities program with the Puntos de Encuentro Foundation in Nicaragua. He is author of the book Swimming against the current: Looking for clues to prevent male violence in relationships and numerous research reports and curricula on men, fatherhood, sexuality, reproductive health and violence. He has led seminars in six global regions with civil society leaders and government officials; coordinated a program for Latino men who have perpetrated partner violence (with the EMERGE Center in MA); and contributed to participatory action research projects with men in Managua, Uganda and Paraguay. He also led the design of the MenEngage sexual harassment policy and accountability standards for men who work for gender justice. A former Fulbright scholar, he holds a Master’s degree in Educational and Developmental Psychology (Boston College). He lives with his partner and their two children.
Stevan “Coach” Lynn is a Story Coach with the MSP. He is Interim Executive Director of the North American MenEngage Network (an affiliate of the Global MenEngage Alliance), which engages men and boys in nurturing masculinity practices, gender equality, violence prevention and responsible fatherhood, with emphasis on decolonization and intersectionality. Coach Lynn is Founder and CEO of Deeds Driven Dads Inc., a leading international responsible fatherhood advocacy, training and outreach program. He is also Founder and CEO of the Caribbean Fatherhood Coalition, supporting a network of fatherhood initiatives and NGOs via services and trainings. Coach Lynn has served as Global Ambassador of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to the sustainable development movement (2019 & 2020), and architect and sponsor of the international “Dads Take Your Child to School Day” event which has engaged 200,000+ fathers and father figures over 15 years. Coach has also served as Founder and CEO of the Future Fathers Club – an innovative young male mentorship initiative which is now in multiple OECS states; as Chief Training Officer in the Fatherhood Emergency Response Training Program; and as an American football Head Coach. A dedicated father, grandfather and brother to the community, Coach Lynn’s philosophy is that “Fatherhood is Deeds, not Words!”
William McInerney, PhD is a Story Coach with the MSP and a Researcher at the London School of Economics’ Centre for Women, Peace and Security working on the Gender, Justice and Security Hub. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Scholar and his MA as a Rotary Peace Fellow while researching arts and storytelling-based approaches to engaging boys and men in gender justice and violence prevention. His research has been published in Men & Masculinities, Masculinities and Social Change, and in the co-authored book, Das Buch, Das Jeder Mann Lesen Sollte [The Book that Every Man Should Read]. William is also an experienced educator. He was the executive director of an arts and peace education non-profit, co-created and led the University of North Carolina’s first men’s violence prevention education program, and regularly gives guest lectures and talks on engaging men and arts-based approaches to social change. Lastly, William is an award-winning spoken word poet and a former National Poetry Slam Finalist and Southern Regional Poetry Slam Champion. He has performed poems and stories around the world and his work has been featured on National Public Radio, American Public Media, Al Jazeera English, and at the International Storytelling Center and National Storytelling Festival.
Colin Adamo, Story Coach with the MSP, is an educator, creator, and therapist-in-training. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Utah, specializing in couples therapy. He earned his BA in Psychology and Gender & Sexuality Studies at Yale. After graduation, Colin worked in adolescent sexual and reproductive health, focused on education and activism with young men. During that time, he served as the Young Men’s Initiatives Coordinator at Advocates for Youth, Program Associate at Peer Health Exchange, and Research Assistant at Child Trends, and was a member of the Trojan Sexual Health Advisory Council and the Brown Boi Project Leadership Cohort for Masculine of Center Womyn, Men, Two-Spirit People, Transmen, and Allies for Racial and Gender Justice. Colin’s awards include the University of Utah African American Doctoral Scholars Initiative and the Dept. of Psychology Graduate Student Commendation for Service. Colin regularly presents sex education workshops at U.S. colleges with Sex Discussed Here!, and co-created “Hooking Up & Staying Hooked” – a graphic novel guide to dating and relationships for high school boys.
Céline Apollon, MCP is Graphic Design & Videography Lead with the MSP. Céline is a researcher, urban planner and designer by trade, and a self-taught filmmaker. All of Céline’s work is driven by her passion to use her creativity to help lift up the voices of marginalized communities around the world, to stimulate change. Since 2022, she has served as Senior Research Partner on the Aspen Institute’s Women in the Economy initiative. Céline recently co-directed an award-winning video entitled “as a WHOLE” for the Environmental Protection Agency, on environmental injustice. She currently lives in Brazzaville, Congo, and is working on a documentary that highlights the role, importance and daily struggle of Bantu mothers as they advocate for improved caregiving infrastructure for working mothers in Congo. Additionally, after observing the lack of investment, male-dominated leadership, and minimal economic stability for creatives, Céline initiated a feminist creative movement called TANGU which aims to increase global visibility and economic opportunity for artists in the Congo. TANGU is collaborating with local creatives and associations in Brazzaville, as well as international creative communities in India and Kenya.
Wendy Purdy, MSP Coordinator, is an innovative social worker and performance artist with ample experience working with diverse populations across the lifespan. A passionate storyteller and performer; they have always loved the stage and the possibility of what can be felt. At the University of Oregon they earned their B.S. in Communication Disorders and Sciences with a minor in Writing, Critical Reasoning, and Public Speaking. On campus, they participated in sexual violence prevention education programs which utilize elements of theatre and experiential learning to build empathy and accountability within communities on campus and beyond. In 2018 they directed the Men’s Story Project at the U of O with support from the Men’s Center, campus groups and community members. Wendy has served as a Youth Minister, Youth Advocate and Service Coordinator for at-potential youth. They believe in manifesting collaboratively to name and mitigate barriers to further individual and community goals. As a performance artist, Wendy enjoys creating works that celebrate embodiment, norm-breaking, and liberation of spirit. Professionally, they work as a Case Manager for a permanent supported housing program and as a Crisis Worker for a crisis line.
Advisory Council
Juan Carlos Areán is an internationally-recognized activist, public speaker, trainer, facilitator and author. Since 1991, he has worked to engage men across diverse cultures to become better fathers, intimate partners and allies for domestic violence prevention and gender equity. He directs the Faith- and Community-Based Youth Violence Prevention Initiative at Futures Without Violence. He was previously Director of the National Latin@ Network at Casa de Esperanza and a Sexual Assault Prevention Specialist at Harvard University. He is co-author of numerous articles, curricula and educational tools for men, including Working With Fathers in Batterer Intervention Programs (Oxford University Press). He is a founding member of the United Nations Network of Men Leaders to End Violence against Women created by former Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Mr. Areán has served as an expert in many media outlets including CNN, NPR and Telemundo, and has led hundreds of workshops and presentations in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, the US Congress, and the United Nations in New York and Geneva.
Shari Dworkin, PhD, MS is Dean and Professor at the University of Washington Bothell, in the School of Nursing and Health Studies. She was previously Assistant Professor of Behavioral Medicine at the Columbia University School of Medicine, and Associate Professor at the University of California-San Francisco School of Nursing. Dworkin was also a founding member and Deputy Co-Director of the UC Global Health Institute Center of Expertise on Women’s Health and Empowerment. Her research focuses on gender-transformative interventions in HIV prevention, treatment and care and in family planning. She is the author of 85 journal articles and several books including Body Panic: Gender, Health and the Selling of Fitness (2009, NYU Press, co-authored with Faye Linda Wachs), and Men at Risk: Masculinity, Heterosexuality, and HIV Prevention (2015, NYU Press), and was the lead Executive Editor for Women’s Empowerment and Global Health: A 21st Century Agenda (University of California Press). Dworkin holds an MS in Biostatistics from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Southern California.
Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur and author. His work includes starting ecological businesses, writing about the impact of commerce on living systems, and consulting with heads of state and CEOs on economic development, industrial ecology and environmental policy. He has appeared on numerous media including the Today Show and Larry King, and has been profiled or featured in hundreds of articles including the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and US News and World Report. He has written several bestselling books including Growing a Business (Simon and Schuster 1987), The Ecology of Commerce (HarperCollins 1993) and Blessed Unrest (Viking 2007). Paul’s books have been published in over 50 countries in 28 languages. Paul is Founder of Project Drawdown, a non-profit which conducts research on the reversal of global warming. Paul has also founded several companies including the Natural Capital Institute, which created the first open-source platform for global social change, WiserEarth (www.wiserearth.org). He has received seven honorary PhD’s.
Van Jones is a social entrepreneur and political commentator on CNN. Jones has founded and led several social enterprises including The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, which promotes criminal justice reform, and Color of Change, which works for racial fairness through its over one million members. Jones is also founder of The Dream Corps; its major initiatives are: #YesWeCode, which helps young people from underrepresented backgrounds succeed in the tech sector; #cut50, which works to make communities safer while reducing the number of people in prisons and jails; and Green For All, which advances environmental solutions that prioritize families and workers in marginalized communities. Jones is also founding President of Magic Labs Media. Jones is a Yale-educated attorney and author of three NYT best-selling books, The Green Collar Economy (2008), Rebuild the Dream (2012), and Beyond the Messy Truth (2017). He has received many recognitions including TIME’s 2009 “100 Most Influential People in The World” and Rolling Stone’s 2012 “12 Leaders Who Get Things Done.” Jones signed a management deal with Roc Nation in 2017.
Jackson Katz, PhD is an educator, author, filmmaker and cultural theorist who is internationally recognized for his pioneering scholarship and activism on issues of gender, race and violence. He is co-founder of Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), one of the most influential gender violence prevention programs in North America, and the first major program of its kind in sports and the military; MVP introduced the widely-used “bystander” approach to the sexual assault and relationship abuse fields. Since 1997 he has run MVP Strategies, which provides gender violence prevention/leadership training to institutions in the public and private sectors in U.S. and around the world. He is the author of two critically acclaimed books, The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help and Man Enough? Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and the Politics of Presidential Masculinity. He is creator, lead writer and narrator of the award-winning Tough Guise videos. He lectures and trains widely in the U.S. and around the world on violence, media and the many intersections of gender, sexual orientation and race.
Paul Kivel is a social justice educator, activist and writer, and has been an innovative leader in violence prevention for forty years. He is an accomplished trainer and speaker on men’s issues, racism and diversity, challenges of youth, teen dating and family violence, raising boys to manhood, and the impacts of class and power on daily life. His work gives people the understanding to become involved in social justice work, and the tools to become more effective allies in community struggles to end oppression and injustice and to transform organizations and institutions. Kivel is the author of numerous books and curricula including Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice, which won the 1996 Gustavus Myers Award for best book on human rights, Men’s Work, Making the Peace, Helping Teens Stop Violence, Boys Will Be Men, I Can Make My World A Safer Place, and You Call This a Democracy?: Who Benefits, Who Pays, and Who Really Decides.
Mary P. Koss, PhD is a Regents’ Professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. She has worked in the field of violence against women for over 30 years. She served on the National Academy of Sciences Panel on Violence Against Women, is the sexual violence coordinator of VAWnet.org, the national online resource on research on violence against women funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Contol and Prevention, and sits on the Coordinating Committee of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She co-edited a two-book series for the American Psychological Association Presidential Initiative on Violence Against Women and Children, including maltreatment, sexual and physical violence, published in 2009. In recognition of her contributions, the American Psychological Association honored Dr. Koss with its 2000 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy and with the 2003 Committee on Women in Psychology Leadership Award. In 2010, Dr. Koss was the 8th recipient of the Visionary Award from End Violence Against Women International.
Frederick Marx is an Academy- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker who has worked for 30 years in the film and television industry; he is particularly known for Hoop Dreams. His recent works – the feature film The Unspoken, starring Harry Lennix and Sergei Shnirev, the documentary mini-series Boys to Men? and the sequel New American Heroes – explore adolescent boys’ journey toward mature masculinity. Marx brings a passion for multiculturalism and social justice to each subject he addresses. An independent thinker in the increasingly commercialized world of “independent cinema,” he continues to provide a voice of artistic and social integrity. Marx has been a Guggenheim Fellow and received the Robert F. Kennedy Special Achievement Award. warriorproductions.tv
William Ryerson is Founder and President of Population Media Center (PMC), an organization that strives to improve the health and well-being of people around the world via entertainment-education strategies. He also serves as President of The Population Institute in Washington, D.C., which works in partnership with PMC. In developing countries, PMC creates long-running serial dramas on radio and television, in which characters evolve into role models for the audience, fostering positive behavior change. PMC aims to promote family planning, elevate women’s status, and prevent child exploitation and HIV infection. Research studies have found its work to be highly effective. Mr. Ryerson has a 40-year history of work in the field of reproductive health; he served as Director of the Population Institute’s Youth and Student Division, Associate Director of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and Executive Vice President of Population Communications International before founding PMC in 1998.
Aqeela Sherrills is best known for creating the 1992 “peace agreement” between longtime Los Angeles rival gangs, the Bloods and the Crips. Sherrills’ inspiration came from the loss of thirteen friends to gang violence, which led him to lay the groundwork for peace in his neighborhood. He co-founded the Amer-I-Can Program, Inc., a large life skills non-profit with former football legend Jim Brown, and established the Community Self-Determination Institute, an agency dedicated to creating a sustainable model for peace in urban war zones. Sherrills has advised government officials in Belfast and Serbia on the process of fostering non-violent communities, addressed the Hague and the U.S. Congress on the importance of peace, reverence and non-violence, and brokered peace agreements between gangs in cities across the U.S. Sherrills believes the true path to reconciliation begins from within; it’s a message he believes must be made accessible to people around the world. He has received awards including the Denise Aubuchon Humanitarian Award from Death Penalty Focus, and sits on the board of several social justice organizations.
Esta Soler is President of Futures Without Violence, a leading organization working to end gender-based violence in the U.S. and globally. Under Soler’s direction, Futures was a driving force behind passage of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994—the nation’s first comprehensive federal response to the violence that plagues families and communities. Congress reauthorized and expanded the law in 2000, 2005, and 2013. Now, she is committed to passage of the International Violence Against Women Act to prevent gender-based violence on a global scale. Soler’s work to prevent violence against women has been featured on MAKERS, an innovative video and documentary project launched by AOL and PBS to showcase stories from trailblazing women. Soler also delivered a TED Talk charting 30 years of work to shape the movement to end domestic violence. Soler’s many awards include a Kellogg Foundation National Leadership Fellowship, the UCSF Medal, a Koret Israel Prize, and a University of California Public Health Heroes Award. Soler holds an honorary doctorate from Simmons College in Boston.