“The place in which I'll fit will not exist until I make it.”

- James Baldwin

Roots & Rising | The Summit

A one-day global online gathering for Queer male-identified Leaders of Color

Date: Saturday, December 13th | 9am - 2pm EST

Location: Via online

Too often, queer men of color are forced to grow as leaders in unsafe environments while being denied meaningful leadership opportunities. As a result, they are left feeling exhausted and undervalued.

Every queer man of color deserves access to safe spaces where they can truly thrive as leaders.

We understand how challenging it can be to find supportive leadership development opportunities. Roots & Rising | The Summit is led by experienced queer male leadership coaches with deep community roots dedicated to your growth.

The summit will help queer men of color rise into their leadership skills, create connections with like-minded leaders, and feel empowered to lead with authenticity.

  • During this summit, we are dedicated to bringing together queer-identified male leaders of color worldwide to build meaningful community and support one another. Especially in times like these, care and connection matter. That’s why we’re creating a space just for us. We invite both high school students (16 to 99+) to senior-level leaders from around the world to join us on Saturday, December 13th.

    Prior to the summit, changemakers will have the opportunity to connect with one another through our dedicated Mighty Networks page.

  • This summit offers both leadership development sessions and collaborative spaces to connect with leaders in your industry. By the end, you’ll not only sharpen your skills but also gain a powerful global network of peers to partner with and create lasting impact.

  • Throughout the summit—and even after it concludes—we’ll share resources designed to help you grow as a leader and continue the important work you’re called to do. These resources will also focus on sustaining and supporting you as you carry this work forward.

  • Following the conference, each participant will be offered a complimentary one-on-one coaching session with a certified coach. These coaches are experienced in leadership development and social impact, and the sessions are designed to provide you with personalized support. You’ll also have the option to continue these coaching sessions if you wish.

About the Leading Facilitator

Mario Jovan

Mario Jovan is an artist, storyteller, leadership coach dedicated to empowering social impact leaders. He began his journey as a 7th-grade teacher in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, where he founded the Brotherhood, a program for young Black males. Motivated by the lack of male educators of color, Mario co-founded Profound Gentlemen, successfully retaining 98% of male teachers of color annually. Inspired by his own experiences with leadership coaching, Mario founded Messy Roots, a coaching organization for social impact leaders. Recognized by Forbes' 30 Under 30, he is also a mindfulness instructor, RYT 200 Yoga Instructor, and author of the Inside Out Journal.

Other speakers will soon be announced.

Need Your Organization to Sponsor You

Many organizations, schools, and networks provide professional development funds to support their team members’ growth. To make it easier for you to request support, we’ve prepared a sample letter you can use to ask your organization to cover the cost of the summit.

Investing in the leadership of queer men of color strengthens organizations by elevating voices at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities—voices uniquely positioned to generate inclusive and innovative solutions. When queer men of color are empowered to lead, rather than being “The help”, we unlock progress that uplifts everyone.

Click the button below to download the letter.

ABOUT ROOTS & RISING

Roots & Rising, powered by Messy Roots, provides queer men-identified leaders of color in the social impact sector with safe and accessible opportunities for leadership development, community, and coaching

Year-round, we create spaces for queer men of color to grow as leaders—building confidence, forging meaningful connections, and embracing the power to lead authentically.