Unlearning Silence: Men and Mental Health
Many men are struggling. Not always visibly, not always in ways we recognise, but in ways that are shaping how they move through the world.
We have socialised men into silence. To endure. To suppress. To perform strength at the cost of their own wellbeing. And when that silence breaks, it often does so in ways that harm both themselves and others.
This is not a conversation about fixing men. It is a conversation about understanding the conditions that shape them.
- What does it take to unlearn silence?
- What are men carrying that they have never been given language for?
- And what responsibility do we all hold in creating spaces where men can show up more fully, without shame?
This conversation invites honesty, nuance, and a willingness to sit with discomfort, so we can move toward something more human, and more whole
Speakers
Chisom Udeze
Chisom is an award-winning economist, leadership strategist, and founder of multiple companies working at the intersection of power, leadership, and systems change. For almost two decades, she has worked with senior leaders across Fortune 500 companies, scale-ups, philanthropies, and global nonprofits, helping them diagnose and solve the leadership dysfunction that keeps their organisations stuck. Chisom designs and advises on organisational structures where productivity is optimised and clarity and dignity are non-negotiable. Her Three Clarities framework focuses on how Identity, Context, and Power intersect in leadership. Her approach is diagnostic, not prescriptive. She helps leaders understand what's actually wrong before trying to fix it.
She is also the founder of Chiije, and lover of all things clean and sustainable for everyday living. She is intentional about protecting her mental health and wellbeing, and a mother of two remarkable children. You can read more about Chisom here, and how Chiije came to be here.
Martin Sundberg
Martin Sundberg is a father of three, husband, and business leader who has spent much of his career building companies and leading people through growth and change.
As a company founder and technology leader, Martin has worked across startups and hyper-growth scaleups, helping organisations grow from early stages into international businesses. He played a key role in the growth journey at LINK Mobility, and has built broad leadership experience across technology, operations, sales, customer success, and product development. His leadership style is people-focused, and driven by integrity, with a strong emphasis on connecting strategy, systems, and teams to create real business value. He has particular experience in scaling organisations, operational improvement, change leadership and guiding teams through complex periods of growth and transition.
Through both his work and personal life, he has developed a strong interest in mental health and wellbeing, particularly in how many men carry pressure, stress, and difficult thoughts without speaking openly about them. Over the years, he has had many conversations with others experiencing similar challenges, which has reinforced how widespread these experiences are.
Martin believes that good leadership should create environments where people can speak openly about pressure, wellbeing, and the realities behind performance. He shares reflections from his own experiences and conversations with others in the hope of contributing to a more honest and constructive dialogue around mental health.