The Future of Fatherhood Summit Makes History: Tens of Thousands Come Together to Reimagine Modern Masculinity, Paid Leave, and Gender Equity

Hosted by Moms First and Equimundo, the Summit Drew National Attention—and Launched a New Campaign to Close the Fatherhood Leave Gap

Tune into the full live stream at momsfirst.us/fatherhood

Download event images here

Photo credits: Jessica Bal

NEW YORK, NY — On June 5, 2025, Moms First and Equimundo convened the inaugural Future of Fatherhood Summit at The Times Center in New York City. The sold-out event brought together cultural icons, researchers, business leaders, and policymakers to reimagine modern fatherhood in America—and spotlight real solutions to one of today’s most urgent and overlooked challenges: disconnection.

The summit welcomed over 300 guests in person and tens of thousands of virtual viewers across the U.S. The event featured dynamic, solutions-oriented conversations on topics ranging from paid leave and workplace policy to boys’ mental health, caregiving stigma, and the future of masculinity.

Featured Panels included:

• [12:28] – Opening Remarks from Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Moms First and Founder of Girls Who Code
• [20:25] – The Challenges of Modern Boyhood with Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, on tech’s impact on modern boyhood
• [42:06] – Redefining Masculinity in 2025 with Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia, on Gen Z and internet culture in 2025
• [2:58:31] – Making Workplaces Work for Dads with Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, on caregiving as a leadership imperative
• [3:34:46] – Raising Boys and Ourselves with Dr. Becky Kennedy, psychologist and founder of Good Inside, on fostering emotionally healthy boys

One of the major announcements at the summit was the launch of a new national campaign by Moms First to close the fatherhood leave gap, powered by PaidLeave.AI. Building on groundbreaking research with McKinsey, which revealed nearly 90% of Dads are eligible for their state’s paid parental leave but only 25% take it, Moms First partnered with Blue Rose Research to understand what actually motivates eligible fathers to take time off. The findings were clear: the most persuasive messages centered around connection—bonding with their child, supporting their partner’s recovery, and modeling care for the next generation.

The campaign will launch in New York, California, New Jersey, and Colorado, meeting dads where they are—on search and social platforms—and guiding them through the benefits they qualify for with PaidLeave.AI, an AI-powered tool designed to simplify the paid leave process. It will run in tandem with the ongoing campaign for moms, which has already engaged 100,000 parents, or nearly 1 in 5 eligible parents who haven’t utilized parental leave in those states.

“This summit was about more than just fatherhood—it was about connection,” said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Moms First. “This is the beginning of a new model of dads and moms working together to transform our systems, so that every family can truly thrive. And we’re starting with a campaign aimed at getting more dads to claim the paid leave benefits they deserve.”

The Future of Fatherhood Summit was made possible by the generous support of Equimundo, Walton Family Foundation, The Adecco Group US Foundation, Sparrow, Progyny, MAKERS by Yahoo, and Bobbie for Change.

###

About Moms First
Moms First is a national nonprofit transforming workplaces, communities, and culture to enable moms—and all caregivers—to thrive. With a grassroots movement of over one million moms and supporters, Moms First advocates for paid leave, affordable child care, and equal pay. www.momsfirst.us

About Equimundo
Equimundo works globally to promote gender equality and social justice by engaging men and boys as partners in advancing care, equity, and wellbeing for all. www.equimundo.org

For press inquiries, contact: brittany@momsfirst.us.