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Keynote Speaker – Loren Harris

Loren Harris is the founder of Thinking Man Consulting, which provides premium consulting services to improve the effectiveness and impact of philanthropic and social interventions.

Mr. Harris recently completed his tenure with the Ford Foundation as the Program Officer responsible for the Ford Foundation’s Youth funding in the United States. While at Ford, Mr. Harris was the creative visionary behind:

• the book, Be A Father to Your Child
• the writing of the Ford Foundation's two-edition report series on America's masculinity crisis, Why We Can't Wait and Momentum
• the 2025 Campaign's website
• the launch of The National Black Programming Consortium's Masculinity Project

A primary interest of his grant making at Ford was advancing strategies to reduce racially disparate youth outcomes. Mr. Harris also works in partnership with organizations responding to the human development needs of adolescent males, particularly young men of color.

Prior to joining Ford, Mr. Harris served as Associate Program Officer for the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in Flint, Michigan. During his five years with Mott, Loren designed and implemented the Fathers at Work Initiative – a $12 million national demonstration project intended to:

• Raise employment and earnings among low-income young fathers

• Increase fathers’ establishment of paternity and their negotiation and payment of child support enforcement orders

• Improve the quality and quantity of fathers’ contact and involvement with their children

Fathers at Work and other Mott supported efforts were funded with the aim of reducing poverty through support for interventions that people facing multiple barriers obtain well-paying, unsubsidized employment. On several occasions Loren was presented with awards recognizing the important contribution of his grant making in support of fathers and families. He also managed the Foundation’s interests in Historically Black colleges and universities while with the Foundation.

In addition to his experience in organized philanthropy, Mr. Harris also has experience as a frontline practitioner working with young people. Prior to joining the Mott Foundation, Loren managed a STRIVE replication site in New York City, that specialized in connecting young people to employment. With sites across the country and internationally, the National STRIVE organization is one of the most reputable and successful employment training and placement organizations in workforce development. As director, Loren led his local site to recognition by the U.S. Department of Labor and National Youth Employment Coalition as a Promising and Effective Practices Awardee. Loren also has a solid background in youth development, starting his career with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America – one of the country’s most storied youth service organizations.

Mr. Harris holds a BA in U.S. History from Queens College in New York and a Master of Public Administration degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.