Agenda
Doors Open 8:00 am
Welcome to the first annual Connecticut Men’s Conference, a space built for connection, growth, and brotherhood. Today is not just another event, it is a movement. A day for men to recharge, share wisdom, and strengthen our purpose as leaders in our families, workplaces, and communities.
Welcome Message
Host: Malcolm Welfare
Starting at 8:35 am
Motivational Speakers and Poet
Featuring: Prentice Powell
Starting at 8:45 AM to 9:15 AM
Be sure to connect with Prentice Powell across all social media platforms to stay inspired and up to date with his latest work.
Early Morning Session 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Anthony Carter
Presenter
Topic Title
What “SINNERS” gets right about black men’s Redemption and Health?
Location and Time
Teen Lounge - Q House
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Using themes from the film Sinners, this workshop explores how Black men internalize stress, trauma, and pressure while silently sacrificing their health in the process. Anthony Carter will guide a powerful discussion on what gets in the way of Black men prioritizing their wellbeing, why we tolerate unhealthy patterns, and how we repair the damage to mind, body, and spirit.
Anthony will also share his personal health transformation and the practical methods he used to lower his blood pressure from 145/95 to 106/73, including plant-based health supports, community accountability, and stress elimination. Participants will leave with insights, real strategies, and a renewed commitment to reclaiming their health and redemption in real time.
KimBianca Burgess
Presenter
Topic Title
Stronger Together: Civic Engagement for Community Change
Location and Time
Tutoring - Library
9:30 am - 10:30 am
This session introduces residents to what civic engagement really is and how everyday people can have power in shaping their communities. Kim Bianca Burgess will walk participants through where civic engagement happens locally, from voting to public meetings to serving on nonprofit boards, and teach how to get involved in ways that make a meaningful difference.
Participants will leave with clear next steps, practical resources, and the confidence to take action that strengthens community voice and drives real change.
Kenneasha Sloley
Presenter
Topic Title
Building Bridges: Men as Champions of Educational success
(90-Minute Session)
Location and Time
2nd Fl. Main Room - Library
9:30 am - 10:45 am
This workshop equips men to become powerful advocates and active participants in education at every level. Kenneasha Sloley will guide participants in identifying barriers that keep men disconnected from classrooms, decision making, and their own lifelong learning journey. Through conversation and practical strategies, men will learn how to support children’s academic success, build strong relationships with educators, advocate for resources, and pursue their own continued growth.
Participants will leave with actionable steps, community connections, and a personal plan for increased educational engagement that impacts families, schools, and the greater community.
Marquet Sutton
Presenter (Men-Only)
Topic Title
Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health
Location and Time
Room 103
9:30 am - 10:30 am
This men only session creates a safe space to talk openly about mental health without judgment, shame, or fear. Marquet Sutton will lead a candid conversation on what men really experience internally, why so many stay silent, and how generational beliefs have conditioned men to suppress emotional pain instead of addressing it.
Through guided discussion and practical tools, participants will learn how to identify their own mental and emotional health needs, how to seek the right support, and how to maintain care in a way that fits real life. This workshop empowers men to normalize therapy, stress management, vulnerability, self awareness, and self care as strength.
Bishop Rha-Sheen Brown
Presenter (Men-Only)
Topic Title
Coparenting and Single Dad Support
(75-Minute Session)
Location and Time
Room 114
9:30 am - 10:30 am
This workshop helps fathers examine how their own upbringing and unresolved childhood trauma may be influencing how they show up as dads today. Rha Sheen Brown will guide men in understanding those hidden emotional filters, improving communication, and breaking generational cycles that create distance or harm.
Participants will learn practical tools for co parenting, building stability at home, and nurturing healthier connections with their children even under difficult circumstances. Fathers will leave with new insight, strategies they can apply immediately, and a renewed sense of confidence to lead their families with clarity, strength, and compassion.
Mid-Morning Session 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Asia Alston
Presenter
Topic Title
Teen Financial Literacy
Location and Time
Teen Lounge - Q House
10:45 am - 11:45 am
This interactive session teaches teens the fundamentals of money in a way that is simple, relatable, and real. Asia Alston introduces budgeting, saving, credit awareness, and smart spending habits through real life examples and engaging activities designed for young learners.
Participants will learn how their beliefs about money shape their financial choices, how to distinguish needs from wants, and how to start building wealth early with consistent habits. Each teen receives a Kingdom Treasures Financial Literacy Kit with worksheets, affirmation cards, and tools to reinforce what they learn. This workshop strengthens confidence and prepares teens to build a healthy financial future and generational legacy.
Chanelle Goldson
Presenter (Men-Only)
Topic Title
Breaking into Real Estate
(75-Minute Session)
Location and Time
Tutoring Room - Library
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
This session shows men how to enter the real estate industry with confidence, regardless of experience level. Chanelle Goldson breaks down the many pathways into real estate such as agent licensing, administrative roles, investing, development, and general contracting. Participants will learn how each path works, what skills transfer, and how to strategically choose their entry point.
Attendees will receive practical resources including buyer guides, financing options, and step by step tools to explore their first deal or career move. This workshop equips men with clarity, direction, and the confidence to take their first real step into real estate.
Participants will leave with clear next steps, practical resources, and the confidence to take action that strengthens community voice and drives real change.
D’Arco Patton & Sean Bennett
Presenter
Topic Title
Threats of Technology in Society
Location and Time
Room 103
10:45 am - 11:45 am
This workshop provides a high level overview of how technology is used in today’s workplace and the growing threats connected to it. D’Arco Patton and Sean Bennett will break down the most common cyber risks facing individuals, organizations, and small businesses, and explain how to protect data, devices, and digital systems through simple software tools and security awareness.
Participants will learn practical steps to strengthen their digital safety, identify red flags, and prevent cyber attacks. This session is designed to make tech security understandable, accessible, and actionable for everyday use.
Erskine Alexander, LMSW
Presenter
Topic Title
Redefining Strengths, Emotional Wellness through Emotional Intelligence
Location and Time
Teen Lounge - Q House
10:45 am - 11:45 am
This interactive workshop challenges the old belief that strength means silence or suppression. Erskine Alexander guides men in expanding their definition of strength to include emotional regulation, self awareness, and intentional care.
Through guided dialogue and simple experiential exercises, participants will learn how to release stress, manage emotions, and build deeper connection with self and others. Men will leave with practical tools for everyday balance and a renewed understanding that true strength is the ability to honor your mind, body, and emotional wellbeing.
Eugene Bertrand
Presenter
Topic Title
Breaking the Silence: A community dialogue on Men Survivors of Domestic Violence
(90-Minute Session)
Location and Time
Room 114
10:45 am - 12:15 pm
This interactive 75 minute workshop uncovers a topic society rarely talks about: men who have survived domestic violence. Through anonymous storytelling exercises, live polling, group reflection, and creative visual activities, participants will uncover the emotional reality male survivors live with, from shame and disbelief to isolation and silent pain.
Attendees will literally build and break down the “barrier wall” that keeps male survivors silent, and co create solutions and commitments that build bridges toward safer, more supportive communities. Grounded in Eugene Bertrand’s forthcoming book Resilience: Breaking the Chains, this session offers a safe and powerful space to expand awareness, challenge stigma, and create real change.
Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of male survivor trauma, unconscious biases that fuel silence, and tangible actions to support men in healing and in being believed.
Kismet Douglass
Presenter
Topic Title
Health and Cooking with Chef Kismet Douglass
Location and Time
Kitchen
10:30 am - 11:15 pm
Chef Kismet Douglass will lead two live 45 minute clean eating demos designed to show how simple, flavorful, and affordable healthy cooking can be. Participants will learn quick techniques, seasoning tips, and practical meals that support better nutrition without sacrificing taste.
As the owner of Momma Kiss Kitchen Cuisine and a CitySeed Farmers Market vendor, Kismet brings real world knowledge from catering, meal prep, and community cooking classes. Each small group session is limited to 18 participants for an up close, hands on experience that inspires healthier eating at home.
Kismet Douglass
Presenter
Topic Title
Health and Cooking with Chef Kismet Douglass
Location and Time
Kitchen
11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Chef Kismet Douglass will lead two live 45 minute clean eating demos designed to show how simple, flavorful, and affordable healthy cooking can be. Participants will learn quick techniques, seasoning tips, and practical meals that support better nutrition without sacrificing taste.
As the owner of Momma Kiss Kitchen Cuisine and a CitySeed Farmers Market vendor, Kismet brings real world knowledge from catering, meal prep, and community cooking classes. Each small group session is limited to 18 participants for an up close, hands on experience that inspires healthier eating at home.
Fireside Chat with the DECODED Panel 11:45 am
DECODED
Panel
Topic Title
Panel Discussion
Location and Time
Gym
11:45 am
Decoded: The Modern Man is an unapologetic and thought-provoking panel that brings together diverse male voices to unpack the realities of modern masculinity, relationships, leadership, and emotional intelligence. Designed to bridge conversations often left unspoken, it gives men the space to speak their truths while inviting women to listen and learn.
The panel features Earl McCoy Jr., Joshua “Josh” Vaughn, and Dontrell M. Ford “Trell”, leaders with experience in higher education, human resources, military service, and mentorship. Together they share transparent insights on love, mental health, and purpose, decoding what it means to thrive with integrity, vulnerability, and intention in today’s world.
Moderated by Tracey E. Joseph, MBA, Founder of Executive HR Consulting Services and creator of Decoded: The Modern Man, this conversation challenges stereotypes, breaks barriers, and inspires deeper understanding between the genders.
Lunch 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Lunch is self-pay
Food Provided By
Cool Runnings
Authentic Jamaican Food
1399 State Street New Haven CT 06513
TASTE THE LOVE!!
CONTACT US 475-300-3848
SNAP, Coolrunnings54
Coolrunnings8287@gmail.com
CoolrunningsCT@yahoo.com
Afternoon Session 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Albert Lucus
Presenter
Topic Title
New Haven Office of Aldermanic Affairs
Location and Time
Room 103
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
his session provides a clear and simple breakdown of how the New Haven Board of Alders works, what the Office of Aldermanic Affairs does, and how local decision making shapes everyday community life. Albert Lucus will guide participants in understanding how ordinances are created, how budgets are influenced, and how residents can directly engage in the legislative process.
Attendees will learn where their voice matters most, how to advocate effectively, and how to build relationships with their elected officials to drive change. This workshop empowers community members to engage with confidence and actively participate in local government.
Dr. Catherine Latoya Grant-Alston
Presenter
Topic Title
Money Trauma
Location and Time
2nd Fl. Main Room - Library
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
This eye opening session uncovers how financial experiences from childhood, culture, and past struggle impact how we earn, spend, save, and invest as adults. Catherine Latoya Grant Alston breaks down the concept of money trauma and shows how it quietly shows up as fear of success, avoidance of budgeting, overspending, underpricing in business, or low financial confidence.
Participants will identify their own money trauma patterns, learn how to separate emotional fear from financial facts, and walk away with practical tools for healing, reframing mindset, and building true wealth. This workshop connects internal emotional repair to real world financial behavior so that men can create stronger money habits, generational legacy, and empowered financial outcomes.
Kevnesha Boyd
Presenter
Topic Title
Black Youth and Cannabis: A Cry for Help
Location and Time
Teen Lounge - Q House
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
This session equips community members with culturally rooted harm reduction strategies to support Black and Brown youth who use cannabis. Kevnesha Boyd explores the social, historical, and mental health factors that drive cannabis use among marginalized young people and highlights how trauma and systemic barriers shape their choices.
Participants will learn how cannabis affects youth brain development, how to identify mental health risks, and how to distinguish myth from evidence. This workshop provides practical tools that help adults respond with understanding, not judgment, and offers strategies that protect mental wellness while reducing harm in real time.
Malik Champlain
Presenter (Men-Only)
Topic Title
Resilient Manhood - Healing, Hustle, & Hope
Location and Time
Teen Lounge - Library
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
This session goes straight into the reality of manhood today: the trauma men carry, the pressure to perform, provide, and push through, and the silent battles that often stay unspoken. Malik Champlain leads a transformational conversation about redefining resilience as more than survival. Participants will learn how to build resilience frameworks that honor both strength and softness, ambition and rest, healing and hustle.
This workshop gives men tools to navigate adversity, reclaim inner stability, and move toward purpose with clarity and confidence. Men will leave with strategies to grow personally, lead in community, and live with both hope and discipline.
Afternoon Session 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Malcolm Welfare & Prentice Powell
Faciliatators
Topic Title
Men's Roadmap Session
Location and Time
Gym
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Men's Roadmap Session