I was a speaker at the Virginia Blueprint, a one-day summit on boys and men at the Virginia General Assembly, there for the Good Father Project. The summit’s website introduced me like this:
“Travis Hellstrom is a husband, father and founder of the Good Father Project, which honors fathers and father-figures through essays written by their children – launched during his Peace Corps service in Mongolia and brought home to Harrisonburg, Virginia.”
The summit
The Virginia Blueprint was convened by the Virginia Men and Boys Advisory Commission (created by HB1188, the nation’s first state commission for boys and men) and the Virginia Coalition for Boys and Men. In its own words: “A one-day conference for the practitioners, educators, leaders, mentors and advocates advancing boys and men. Focused on what is working and how to do more of it.”
The program
- 8:30 a.m.Breakfast, networking
- 9 a.m.Welcome, and the opening keynote
Richard Reeves, Speaker Don Scott: How Virginia leads and why it matters now.
- 9:30 a.m.How to Pass Laws Supporting Boys and Men
Practical advice for everyday people who want to see new laws and government funding. Del. Josh Thomas; former Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls; Dwight Payne, Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
- 10:15 a.m.King Randall, I
How he built one of the largest and most innovative youth mentoring programs in the country through independent funding.
- 10:45 a.m.Rapid-Fire Proof of Practice
7-minute case studies from leaders around the country: Deborah Higdon, Phone Fathers First; Paul Taylor, League for Safer Streets; Xavier Beale, The Apprentice School, HII; Dara Long-Griffin, Alameda County Father Corps; Chris Beach, New Dad 101.
- 11:45 a.m.Lunch: Topic-Based Community Building
Tables by interest: workforce development, K12, higher ed, moms of boys, health, mentoring, policy, faith and fatherhood.
- 12:45 p.m.Concurrent sessions
Taking Tough Topics Mainstream, with Curtis Valentine, Denise Hines, Brian Heilman and Emma Johnson. Founders Question Funders, with Chris Beach, Greg Gallop, Emily Griffey Ewees, Chuck Dubbe and Jordan Bowman.
- 1:45 p.m.Social Impact Shark Tank
Nonprofits pitch initiatives to business and philanthropic leaders for a $10,000 prize.
- 3:15 p.m.Commitments and next steps
Del. Josh Thomas and Emma Johnson: Building a community, building the future for boys and men in Virginia and beyond.
- 3:30 p.m.Shark Tank winner announced
- 4 p.m.Reception
Who spoke
- Richard ReevesPresident, American Institute for Boys and Men
- Speaker Don ScottSpeaker of the Virginia House of Delegates
- Del. Josh ThomasVirginia House of Delegates; chief patron of HB1188, which created the nation’s first commission for boys and men
- King Randall, IFounder, The X for Boys
- Emma JohnsonPresident, Virginia Coalition for Boys and Men
- Curtis ValentinePresident, Male Educator Network and Policy Institute
- Dwight PayneOffice of California Governor Gavin Newsom
- Chris BeachCEO, Fatherhood Foundation of Virginia
- Deborah HigdonEducator, professor, father-engagement expert
- Alex VansFounder, Choros
- Xavier BealeNewport News Shipbuilding
- Brian HeilmanMovember
- Denise HinesGeorge Mason University
- Jon MurdochScouting, Chesapeake and Portsmouth
- Paul TaylorCEO, The League for Safer Streets
- Chris SprowlsFormer Speaker of the Florida House
- Dara GriffinAlameda County Fathers Corps
- Travis HellstromFounder, Good Father Project
- Jordan BowmanExecutive Director, Journeymen Triangle
- Brandon MassenburgFounder, everydayHEROS
- James HollowayDominion Energy
- David ShinFounder, A Man for All Seasons
- Jennifer SicilianoUVA Health
- Allison KubeCapital One
- Chuck DubbeFounder, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Fatherhood Initiative
- Emily Griffey EweesUniversity of Richmond
- Greg GallopRichmond Community Foundation
Everything on this page was copied from the summit’s website (speakers, agenda) on September 29, 2026, so the record stays after that site moves on. The program is the one published ahead of the day.
Follow along
One essay a week, every Saturday morning.
More in Press, and the story of the Good Father Project.