Boys Lead Advances Global Boys Development Through Global Boys Summit and Boypreneur Hackathon
Boys Lead Foundation is strengthening its global work in boys’ development through platforms that give boys and young men opportunities to share ideas, develop solutions, build leadership skills and take an active role in shaping their communities.
The organisation’s Global Boys Summit 2026, held in Brampton, Ontario, brought together boys and young men, parents, educators, policymakers, advocates and other stakeholders for conversations around the future of boys and young men.
More than an event, the summit was designed as a platform for dialogue and action, exploring issues including boys’ leadership and positive masculinity, mentorship and safe spaces, education and pathways, youth innovation and entrepreneurship, recognition and excellence, as well as wellbeing, safety and brotherhood.
A key part of the summit was the Boypreneur Hackathon & Pitch, held at Brampton City Hall on May 16. The initiative gave boys the opportunity to bring their ideas forward, develop solutions, pitch their concepts and compete for recognition.
One of the highlights was 13-year-old Shravil Shukla, who was named Canada Boypreneur Innovator 2026 and received the $1,000 grand prize for ZeroDrain, an AI-powered system designed to reduce phantom power waste in homes and buildings using smart sensors.
The achievement reflects the thinking behind Boypreneur, which seeks to move boys from consumers to creators by giving them opportunities to identify problems, develop ideas and build solutions.
For Dr. Owolabi Williams, founder of Boys Lead Foundation, this kind of work requires more than short-term programmes.
“We need more FOUNDERS in the BOYS’ development space, especially MEN willing to build institutions, not just show up for a season,” Williams said.
That philosophy has shaped the growth of Boys Lead, an international male development organisation focused on the intentional development of boys and young men through mentoring, leadership, education, character formation, entrepreneurship, skills development and community engagement.
Through its programmes and initiatives, Boys Lead has reached more than 20,000 boys and young men across the United States, Canada, Nigeria, the United Kingdom and other communities internationally.
The organisation’s work reflects a broader effort to create the structures and opportunities that help boys develop into capable, grounded, responsible and contributing men.
The Global Boys Summit is part of that wider vision, creating a space where the conversation around boys can move beyond identifying challenges to considering the relationships, opportunities, policies and institutions needed to support their development.
The summit also built on Brampton’s 2025 proclamation of May 16 as International Boys Day, described by the organisers as the first city in the world to make such a proclamation.
Through the summit and initiatives such as Boypreneur, Williams and Boys Lead continue to build a global platform around boys’ development, connecting conversations about boys with practical opportunities for leadership, innovation, mentorship and contribution.
For the boys who took part, the message was simple: their ideas matter, their voices matter, and they have a role to play in shaping the future.
