Speakers
Bavu Blakes
Bavu Blakes is deliberately walking through the intersection of Hip Hop, education, and spirituality. The scholar emcee is a 7th grade humanities teacher, graduate student, servant-leader, and award-winning musician whose studio collaborators include Grammy winners Adrian Quesada, Symbolyc One, and Gary Clark, Jr., as well as people’s champ Paul Wall. Blakes' research goals center the various ways that the Hip Hop generation leverages its resources for today's generation. He recently presented emerging insights about anti-racist solidarity, English teacher agency, racial literacy, and curricular choices within a linguistically and culturally diverse classroom (i.e. his "WRLS" course at Decker Middle School in easternmost Austin, Texas) with University of Texas at Austin Language and Literacy PhD candidate Alina Adonyi Pruitt at NCTE 2016 in Atlanta and AERA 2017 in San Antonio. Blakes is currently researching how weekly student-driven school assemblies affect the culture and climate of a middle school learning community. As a practitioner, Mr. Blakes is a curriculum and instruction specialist and campus leader whose facilitation of teaching and learning via writing, reading, listening, and speaking extends beyond classrooms to school assemblies, concert venues, workshops and events serving youth, men, families, and faith communities. Accordingly, Austin mayor Steve Adler proclaimed April 23, 2015, as Bavu Blakes Day to a capacity crowd at City Hall. Mr. Blakes will graduate with an M.Ed from the UT-Austin Principalship Program (UTAPP) in May 2017. He serves his wife, Tifani, who holds a PhD from UT-Austin's Cultural Studies in Education program, their son Ellison, and daughter Eliana.
Matt Gagnon
With over 20,000 followers on LinkedIn, Matt has been called Mr. LinkedIn. A member of the Forbes Coaching Council, Matt is on the cutting edge of training professionals to reach their goals.
Find out more about Matt
Brian Ganges
Brian has more than twenty years of commercial construction experience and through his company, “The Construction Initiative” (TCI), he provides consulting services to commercial builders and end-users.(TCI) also has a mentorship component, and through transparency and care, Brian helps men to process and walk through real-life struggles, such as: self-identity, discovering one’s purpose, being free from pornography, overcoming the grief associated with divorce, raising children in the 21st century, among other things.Brian is also a writer and the author of many books including the upcoming book, “OPTIMANZATION® (The Science of Integration: Spirit, Soul, and Body).” While this book can be enjoyed by both genders, Brian’s goal is to help men discover that it is our human birthright to be king, protector, provider, marketplace leader, and the foundation of our families.In addition to the release of “OPTIMANZATION®,” other upcoming programs such as: “Soul Training,” will be released to help individuals walk through simple exercises and instructions, and help people develop the self-awareness necessary to identify some of the counter-productive, cultural and/or societal auto-pilot mental GPS programming that has produced less then desirable results in their lives. Once true self-awareness is discovered, people will learn how to set their own autopilot mental GPS coordinates with intention en route to their desired destination. His goal is to train your soul.
Ronny Washington
Ronny Washington is an education professional, speaker, writer and entrepreneur. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Ronny gravitated to working with high school and college students. With over ten years of
experience in the education industry, he has been on the forefront of implementing several programs and policies that improved success outcomes for students. He served in various capacities including student development and retention, recruitment, student activities, academic advising and scholarship committees.
Ronny is the Co-Founder and CEO of Higher Ed Path LLC. His company helps students and families navigate the college system with a focus on lowering college expenses and minimizing student loan debt. The Higher Ed Path team works in collaboration with community organizations, school districts and government entities to educate and assist individuals, as well as make improvements to education systems.
Ronny has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with a minor in Diversity Studies from Texas State University. He is a Certified Student Coach and has won numerous awards for his service to students and the education community. In his spare time Ronny likes to watch sports, barbeque, and spend time with his wife Moh and his two daughters Lyric and Ziva.
www.HigherEdPath.com
Michael S. Cox MA, LPC
Michael is the proud husband of wife Coloma and father to their three young boys. Native of New Mexico, he and his family have called Texas home for many years now. Ordained into the ministry in 2001, he has served as a Youth Pastor, Domestic Missionary and Lead Pastor. In 2008 Michael returned to school to complete is Master’s degree in Counseling, fulfilling his desire to work with individuals, couples and families toward wellness and whole living.
Michael is a Level 2 Certified Restoration Therapist and seeks to utilize this training in assisting individuals, marriages and families to discovering their God-given potential and to see it actualized. Together with his wife they conduct marriage seminars, coach couples in preparation for marriage and walk with families seeking to live healthy lives.
Michael is a National Trainer for the National Council for Behavioral Health, in Mental Health First Aid. This program seeks to reduce stigma and increase awareness around the topic of Mental Health. He travels nationally to train instructors that will carry the training to communities across the country.
Additional areas of focus include: extensive experience and training in suicide ideation recognition, parent and child relationships, youth development, working with individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, identity and working with individuals struggling with their faith and mental health.
Ledetrick Leonard
Le’Detrick L. Leonard is a native of Dallas, Texas, and has an extreme passion for serving people. He is commonly referred to as “L.L.” Leonard by many of his colleagues and friends. His students and life coaching clients simply refer to him as "Coach" Leonard. He is a husband, father, author, educator, volunteer, life coach, and mentor. In all of those roles he understands that his “LOVE for people” is his greatest gift. This is what ignites his capacity to serve in so many facets.
Mr. Leonard specializes in empowering his clients with tools and techniques that will help them achieve the goals they desire in their lives. He offers a wide range of services, such as individual/ group sessions, speaking events, and workshops/ seminars. Prior to establishing his coaching business, he spent over 20 years as an entrepreneur in the salon industry. As an owner, licensed instructor, and manager/ operator he has cultivated his passion for serving people.
He is a certified life coach/ motivational speaker and published author who enjoys helping people reach transformational moments in their lives. His goal is to inspire others by sharing his own personal experiences with life's challenges. He strives to empower individuals by educating and equipping them with tools that will help navigate their journey when things become difficult mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
His ideal client is anyone who is seeking clarity in their life and is courageous enough to do the work to achieve a breakthrough. Passion and purpose are what fuels his mission to serve individuals who are seeking support and strategy in living a more fulfilled life.
In addition to coaching and speaking business. L.L. strongly believes in giving back. Because of his experience of being a misguided youth, he has made it a priority to help young men in the same situation. Through forms of mentorship, leadership, community service, and workshops he equips them with life skills that empower them to be successful.
While some may consider it work, Mr. Leonard sees it as a blessing to have the privilege and opportunity to serve others who might find commonality and interest in his journey.
Corey Jones
Corey Jones is a graduate of Texas Lutheran University where he majored in Kinesiology. Corey has been involved in youth advocacy work for the past 15 years. He has dedicated his life to serving and empowering young people to become their best self. Corey has worked with youth in the foster care system, juvenile detentions and with young teen parents. He has spoken at numerous conferences throughout the U.S. giving presentations on self-improvement and empowerment. Corey is the pastor and founder of Generation of Truth Church in Austin, TX, a public figure, an Inspirational/ Motivational Speaker, and a teacher at a public charter school. Corey is featured on the #1 motivational speaking app in the nation and he is also the author of the book "Surviving a Christian Marriage: A quick Guide to Marital Bliss". His mission is to help individuals find their purpose and walk in their truth
Leah Leone
Leah has spent the last 26 years motivating and inspiring audiences to get out of their comfort zone and to live vulnerably and fearlessly to achieve happiness and success in their personal and professional lives. With her engaging “tell it like it is” fun personality, Leah connects with her audiences immediately and delivers practical and useful content that they can begin applying to their lives right away.
Having lived, worked and traveled on five continents and over 60 countries, she has experienced a diversity of cultures and ethnicities and has found that though there are cultural differences, people are essentially the same; in that we share one common fundamental truth- we are ALL spiritual beings who deserve to be happy and within each of us exists the framework to achieve success. Leah takes her clients on a riveting and truthful journey of self discovery to get to the root of who they are and what they truly need to tap into their given talents for optimizing personal success.
Leah is an expert on relationships, effective communication, high conflict, restorative and reintegration mediation and alternative dispute and conflict resolution.
She holds a Juris Doctorate in law and multiple certifications in psychology, mediation, relationship and life coaching, and dispute resolution just to name a few. She’s a former law professor at North Carolina Central School of Law, an advanced credentialed mediator in the state of Texas and is credentialed in North Carolina in both district and superior court mediation. She’s an inspirational speaker, a relationship and life coach, and speaks locally and nationally on panel discussions and radio-podcast shows.
Currently she works as the Director of Access and Visitation for the Office of the Attorney General, Child Support Division, for the State of Texas where her job is to ensure that non-residential (custodial) parents have their legal rights restored with respect to access and visitation throughout the entire state. Leah helps educate both mothers and fathers, giving them tips and tools to work together as co-parents to restore communication and harmony where family life has been broken.
Her clients and body of work includes family law and district courts, lawyers, partnerships, municipalities, domestic relations offices, leadership programs, fatherhood groups, community agencies, schools, parenting agencies, prisons, women’s groups, churches-married and singles ministries, and media outlets.
Leah’s unique ability to connect with people makes her the ideal speaker to open and close a conference.
Leah is a mother of three beautiful and precocious pre-teens. She’s conversant in 4 foreign languages, and in her spare time she enjoys singing jazz, reading, traveling, and meeting new people and enjoying her “free” life to the fullest.
Eric Byrd
Eric Byrd is the Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Measure, responsible for the overall execution of objectives and goals and helping to maintain the integrity of the organization. Eric started with measure as an advisor before taking lead on a project in June 2017. Eric joined Measure because is a supporter of the application of data and analysis in addressing complex social problems.
In addition to his work with Measure, Eric is an active board member of Geaux Lead Inc., a recently formed international non-profit organization. When he is not working, Eric enjoys exercise, reading, writing, and learning new skills.
Isaac Rowe
Isaac Rowe is the founder and CEO of The Man In Me, a non-profit that provides resources, support and education to people in need. He is a bestselling author for his work “I Love Anger”, which is currently featured as a best seller on Amazon. Isaac has also been featured in an array of eminent magazines, television programs and radio. Isaac is a Motivational Speaker, Author and Anger Management Specialist, based in Austin, Texas. He is a professional life-changer who finds a multitude of ways to connect with people from all around the world with his inspiring message. He specializes in male advocacy, leadership development, career training and programs focused on disadvantaged youth. Isaac is passionately committed to the incredible work he is doing to help people around him, and is successfully transforming lives every day!
Marcus Griggs
Marcus Griggs has worked with youth and families affected by interpersonal violence as an advocate, mentor, and group facilitator since 2001. In his work, he has empowered many to take an active role in healing from their trauma with the hopes of creating healthy families and a safer community. His aim has been to speak life into the world through coaching, blogging, and podcasting via A Father Heard. He is, truly, a believer in the tongue having the power to pronounce life and death. Therefore, his aim has been to speak life into the world. His role as a husband and father is the most precious gift, that he has been given in this life. When he is not working or serving in his community, Marcus and his family enjoy going to the park, reading books, playing Legos, and watching the same shows over and over again with his two children. He is grateful to be a part of the Mastering Manhood Conference team, and looks forward to the movement of inspired men positively impacting their community.
Ricardo Zavala
With 14 years in community leadership with his 1st year in 2004, elected Co-Chair of Widen elementary Campus Advisory Council overseeing school budget and first City of Austin Community Development Commissioner City Council appointee for 78744 overseeing health and housing federal funds. Later Chair of Friends of the Mexican-American Culture Center, first AISD Community Bond Oversight Committee member from 78744 appointed by School Board, appointed to Harris County Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative Disproportionate Minority Confinement Task Force, elected Co-Chair of the Austin Recovery Oriented System of Care, VP for East Austin College Prep Academy School Board, Chair of East Cesar Chavez Contact Team Education Committee, Chair of Austin Young Professionals Urban League Education Committee, and AISD Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee. Currently he is Founder/President of Dove Springs Proud. Thru this service he has received recognition for his leadership from Congress, TX Legislature, Travis County, City of Austin, Del Valle ISD & AISD for volunteering to give back to over 3100 youth/residents of 78744 & giving out over 42 college scholarships.
Ricardo Zavala was born/raised in Dove Springs Austin, TX, graduated from LBJ HS in AISD & He later went on to get a BA & MPA from Texas State University; both Summa Cum Laude. Here he was the Founder/President of Hombres Unidos and President of Association of Mexican-American Students in college and Founder/President of Cambia in high school. He was accepted into a state-wide Gregory Luna Scholar fellowship for Latinos in the TX Senate, nation-wide Congressional Hispanic Caucus Internship in D.C., accepted into the nation-wide City Hall Fellowship for City of Houston & has a beautiful wife, son and daughter.
Joshua Banks
Father, philosopher, author, speaker, mentor, DPR for the Man in Me, IDADS coordinator and facilitator.
Find out more about Joshua
Corey Tabor
Corey Tabor is the Founder and Lead Pastor of Full Life Community Church in Pflugerville, Texas. Corey also serves as the Program Director of Austin LifeGuard, the sexual risk avoidance education program of Austin LifeCare Pregnancy Resource Center. Corey volunteers as Chaplain of the RPT, Secretary of Texas Alliance for Life, VP of Development with Manor Schoolhouse Foundation and as a member of the One Star National Service Commission Board as appointed by the Governor of Texas.
He has been married to April Tabor since 2003 and they have one daughter Anaia Naomi. Corey has a B.S. in Communication Studies / Human Relations from the University of Texas at Austin and completed a Masters of Ministry Leadership at Rockbridge Seminary. He is enrolled in the Doctorate of Transformational Leadership Program at Bakke Graduate University
