New ideas and brave spaces...(allow me to reintroduce myself)

Inspired by the brilliant Elliott Rae , I felt it was worth providing a brief update on who I am and what I do, especially as my offerings have evolved significantly since launching Token Man Consulting 18 months ago. My hope is that this update will open up more opportunities for potential collaborations, client partnerships, and personal relationships.

To understand why I am doing what I do now, we need to revisit a dinner I hosted just over ten years ago for 12 female Creative Directors, an event that changed my life. It marked the first time I experienced being in the out-group, which horrified me. I lost my confidence, felt pushed further out in conversations around me, and was even cut off mid-speech. Although women had previously shared similar experiences in the boardroom, I hadn't truly appreciated how challenging it was to be in that out-group. For the first time, it made me question my own behaviour. It became evident that I was not as inclusive as I thought, purely due to ignorance—I simply did not know what I did not know.

I am a hacker - I like solving problems. And what I could see was that not only were men not being invited into the room to discuss inclusion, equity and diversity, but they were often not welcome. Given that no minority group in history has ever brought about change without the support of the majority, this was clearly a problem. So, just over 10 years ago, I co-founded Token Man, with Emma Perkins Georgia Barretta and Penny Othen , as a not-for-profit platform to engage more men and inspire them to become better allies and agents of change.

Now, my entire career is dedicated to driving change, with 50% of my time devoted to Token Man (driving change for free) and 50% to Token Man Consulting (getting paid to drive organisational change).

Below, I delve a little deeper into each element of the overall ecosystem:

Token Man

Our mission at Token Man is to support and inspire men so that they have the confidence, tools, and understanding to become better allies and agents of change, helping to create workplaces that are ultimately inclusive, equitable, accessible, and diverse.

We are always looking for new ways to engage men but at the moment we are focused on 3 key areas:

Communities

• Token Man Braintrust - a collective of senior male leaders who are committed to becoming truly inclusive leaders and are on a journey to becoming better allies and agents of change.
• Men’s Social - a group for ERG heads that identify as men to come together and provide support, inspiration and best practice to accelerate change.

Events

• Masculinity in the Workplace - this will be the 7th year that Roxanne Hobbs and I? will be running our annual International Men’s Day event that is specifically designed to engage more men with inclusion, equity and diversity. We are currently recruiting partners for 2024 so do get in touch if you would like to know more
• Token Man Panel series - this series is designed to help take men along their journey. Next two panels are on the Power of Vulnerability (Inspire) and Male Friendship and Community (Support). More details and free registration here.
• Brave Spaces - these are designed to create a safe and inclusive space where those who identify as men can openly share their experiences, challenges, and triumphs. It's an opportunity to break down stereotypes, challenge societal norms, and foster empathy. Next two are on Vulnerability and the changing role of men. More details and free registration here.

Research

I aim to deliver two pieces of research every year. The most recent is the Sexualisation of Women in the Workplace I produced in collaboration with Harriet Waley-Cohen while the latest Masculinity in the Workplace report will be launched on 15th February. Download all reports for free here.

Token Man Consulting

Token Man Consulting is an I&D consultancy focused on engaging senior leaders and men with inclusion, equity, and diversity. I work with a broad and very diverse group of associates to deliver the following:

1 Keynote Speaking: I regularly deliver keynotes to companies on subjects such as the benefits of men embracing I&D, allyship, inclusive leadership, and the power of vulnerability. We also have a small speaker agency focusing on male speakers in the I&D space.

2 Consultancy: Working with clients to develop their strategy for engaging men with I&D, using our SUPPORT-INSPIRE-RECRUIT model.

3 Workshops: We deliver workshops for senior leadership teams and men to support their journey into becoming better managers and leaders. This includes delivering Brave Spaces within corporates.

4 Long-term Programmes: We have developed a number of long-term programmes that we always tailor to specific needs. Examples include:

• Male Allyship Programme: A groundbreaking group coaching programme kicking off in April.
• Inclusive Leadership Programme: Programmes usually last between 6 and 9 months, covering topics such as cultural intelligence, empathy, and vulnerability.
• Agent of Change Programme: Our signature two-year programme is aimed at making your most influential men agents of change, with year 1 focused on culture change and year 2 on equity.

5 Executive Coaching: Becoming inclusive leadership takes time and requires ongoing coaching. I specialise in working with male leaders to help them through their journey to become more inclusive leaders and also have a roster of coaches to support companies ongoing needs.

Please feel free to connect with me or DM me if you see any opportunities for collaboration within this framework, whether through Token Man or Token Man Consulting.

Thanks

Daniele (also known as Yelli)