Pheng Thao, has been actively building and developing new concepts of healthy masculine expressions and male practices for close to 20 years as a violence prevention expert. He believes that creating healthy and healing connections and interconnections with men and masculine folks is necessary to transform their relationships with women, girls and LGBTQ/gender-nonconforming folks and not limit their full potential.
Pheng has provided over 700 keynotes, trainings and technical assistance to many diverse groups and organizations at the local, national and international level. Many of his speaking engagements are about violence prevention in the family and community, how public safety needs to include interpersonal safety, the intersections of gender-based violence (domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual exploitation, etc.), manhood and masculinity, practicing healthy masculinity/manhood and culturally appropriate healing practices.
He coordinates the statewide engagement of the Men and Masculine Folks Network, a collaborative network of many community organizations, groups and individuals invested in the strategy of violence prevention through engaging men and masculine folks. Pheng is eo-executive director of Transforming Generations, a nonprofit located in St. Paul, Minnesota, which provides culturally appropriate and community-based education/awareness, direct services and community organizing to the Hmong community to end interpersonal forms of violence. Pheng is also the founder and executive director of ManForward, a national Southeast Asian men and masculine grassroots group that uses community organizing to activate men, boys and masculine folks to practice new forms and concepts of masculinity and manhood.
In all these roles, Pheng deeply believes that healing is an essential part of his work in building and connecting communities. As a healer doing life and leadership coaching work, Pheng supports and works with individuals and organizations to strengthen their connections internally and externally. Lastly, he is a past 2018 Bush Leadership fellow and past 2019 Rockwood Leadership InstituteLeading from the Inside Out fellow.
