The Good Men Project
Encyclopedia
The Good Men Project was founded in 2009 by Tom Matlack
and James Houghton as a way to allow men to tell stories about the defining moments in their lives. The hope was to spark a “national conversation” around the question of “What does it mean to be a good man?” The book, a collection of 31 of these stories by men, is self-published and was turned down by 50 publishers on the premise that "men do not read anthologies."
According to the organization, The Good Men Project is an effort to build and sustain a national discussion about being a good father, son, husband, partner, and worker in America today.
The film of the same title is directed and produced by Matt Gannon, maker of the feature documentary In the Crease and co-producer of the Oscar-nominated Girl with a Pearl Earring
. The film presents the stories of ten men from varied backgrounds who share the moments in their lives that made them who they are.
The Good Men Project Magazine is an online-only magazine. It is divided into sections: "Sex and Relationships", "Ethics and Values", "Health", "Family", "Advice and Confessions", "Dads", and "Arts and Entertainment."
Good Men Project Magazine editor is Benoit Denizet-Lewis. The editorial staff includes senior editors Henry P. Belanger and Cooper Fleishman, editor-at-large Gordy Megroz, and fiction editor Matthew Salesses.
Tom Matlack and his business partner, James Houghton, started The Good Men Foundation with two main objectives: to help at-risk boys by contributing money to proven nonprofits, and to initiate a broad discussion on what it means to be a good man.
The founders hope that an all-inclusive dialogue—by men, among men, and about what it means to be a man in America today—will lead to an increased awareness of the problems specific to at-risk boys and men, and, with that, progress toward real solutions.
Some of the organizations The Good Men Foundation supports are:
Street Potential, a program for men ages 13 to 20 in the Boston juvenile justice system, that encourages participants to create visual art and hip-hop music as vehicles for self-expression and helps foster an increased sense of confidence, success, and personal accomplishment.
The Boys and Girls Club of Boston, whose mission is to help young people, especially those most in need, to build strong character and realize their full potential as responsible citizens and leaders.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay, which currently serves more than 3,500 youths in 155 cities and towns throughout the Massachusetts Bay area through one-to-one adult-youth mentoring relationships.
Dorchester Youth Alternative Academy, an innovative human service organization committed to providing education, community services, and counseling to Children in Need of Services (CHINS), an at-risk population of truant youths ranging in age from 12 to 16.
Matlack and Houghton have been interviewed by media outlets such as NECN and Fox News.
, an advertising veteran and social media consultant. Hickey is also the CEO. Good Men Media gives back a portion of proceeds to the Foundation in return for licensing the Good Men Project name.
Good Men Media is responsible for publishing the online magazine, The Good Men Project, and is also developing book, film and technological applications that all focus on men’s issues.
In November 2010, Good Men Media received a round of Angel funding $500,000. The Boston company plans to use the funding to expand distribution of men's related content and to support revenue growth. Investors in Good Men Media include project founder Tom Matlack and private angel investors Grant Gund, managing partner of Coppermine Capital; Jack Roberts, CEO and president of Consert Inc.; Mike Jackson, former partner at Lehman Brothers and founding partner of Ironwood and Housatonic Partners; and Michael Margolis, founder of the investment management firm Maric LS, LLC, and others.
Tom Matlack
Tom Matlack is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author. In 2009, Matlack founded The Good Men Project with the hope of sparking a “national conversation” around the question of “What does it mean to be a good man?” His most recent endeavor is a company called Game Empire...
and James Houghton as a way to allow men to tell stories about the defining moments in their lives. The hope was to spark a “national conversation” around the question of “What does it mean to be a good man?” The book, a collection of 31 of these stories by men, is self-published and was turned down by 50 publishers on the premise that "men do not read anthologies."
According to the organization, The Good Men Project is an effort to build and sustain a national discussion about being a good father, son, husband, partner, and worker in America today.
Books and films
The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood is a collection of 31 essays written by a broad range of contributors including not just well-known writers, but also a former Sing Sing inmate, a father of five watching his wife die from cancer, a guy just back from Iraq, and a host of ordinary men willing to share their everyday struggles to define themselves as men in the twenty-first century. Notable contributors include rock critic Steve Almond, former New England Patriot Linebacker and NFL Hall of Famer Andre Tippett, and Pulitzer Prize winner Charlie LeDuff.The film of the same title is directed and produced by Matt Gannon, maker of the feature documentary In the Crease and co-producer of the Oscar-nominated Girl with a Pearl Earring
Girl with a Pearl Earring (film)
Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 2003 drama film directed by Peter Webber. The screenplay was adapted by screenwriter Olivia Hetreed based on the novel by Tracy Chevalier. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, and Cillian Murphy. The film is named after a painting of the same...
. The film presents the stories of ten men from varied backgrounds who share the moments in their lives that made them who they are.
The Good Men Project Magazine
The Good Men Project Magazine, based in Boston, launched on June 1, 2010. MS. Magazine raved, "The Good Men Project Magazine will make you rethink the idea of a men’s magazine. Recommend it...to anyone who wants to read stories about people coming to terms with what enlightened masculinity might look like in the 21st century.”The Good Men Project Magazine is an online-only magazine. It is divided into sections: "Sex and Relationships", "Ethics and Values", "Health", "Family", "Advice and Confessions", "Dads", and "Arts and Entertainment."
Good Men Project Magazine editor is Benoit Denizet-Lewis. The editorial staff includes senior editors Henry P. Belanger and Cooper Fleishman, editor-at-large Gordy Megroz, and fiction editor Matthew Salesses.
The foundation
The Good Men Foundation is a registered New York State nonprofit charitable corporation dedicated to helping organizations that provide educational, social, financial, and legal support to men and boys at risk. A portion of the proceeds from the publication and sales of the book and the companion DVD, The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood, are distributed to the foundation and are used for the charitable mission of the foundation. The Foundation has not-for-profit tax-exempt status under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.Tom Matlack and his business partner, James Houghton, started The Good Men Foundation with two main objectives: to help at-risk boys by contributing money to proven nonprofits, and to initiate a broad discussion on what it means to be a good man.
The founders hope that an all-inclusive dialogue—by men, among men, and about what it means to be a man in America today—will lead to an increased awareness of the problems specific to at-risk boys and men, and, with that, progress toward real solutions.
Some of the organizations The Good Men Foundation supports are:
Street Potential, a program for men ages 13 to 20 in the Boston juvenile justice system, that encourages participants to create visual art and hip-hop music as vehicles for self-expression and helps foster an increased sense of confidence, success, and personal accomplishment.
The Boys and Girls Club of Boston, whose mission is to help young people, especially those most in need, to build strong character and realize their full potential as responsible citizens and leaders.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay, which currently serves more than 3,500 youths in 155 cities and towns throughout the Massachusetts Bay area through one-to-one adult-youth mentoring relationships.
Dorchester Youth Alternative Academy, an innovative human service organization committed to providing education, community services, and counseling to Children in Need of Services (CHINS), an at-risk population of truant youths ranging in age from 12 to 16.
Matlack and Houghton have been interviewed by media outlets such as NECN and Fox News.
Good Men Media, Inc.
The for-profit arm of the Good Men Project, Good Men Media, Inc., was founded in March 2010 by Lisa HickeyLisa Hickey
Lisa Hickey is an American author, advertising consultant, and social media consultant. She is currently the CEO of Good Men Media, Inc. and the Publisher of Good Men Magazine as part of the Good Men Project. -Education:...
, an advertising veteran and social media consultant. Hickey is also the CEO. Good Men Media gives back a portion of proceeds to the Foundation in return for licensing the Good Men Project name.
Good Men Media is responsible for publishing the online magazine, The Good Men Project, and is also developing book, film and technological applications that all focus on men’s issues.
In November 2010, Good Men Media received a round of Angel funding $500,000. The Boston company plans to use the funding to expand distribution of men's related content and to support revenue growth. Investors in Good Men Media include project founder Tom Matlack and private angel investors Grant Gund, managing partner of Coppermine Capital; Jack Roberts, CEO and president of Consert Inc.; Mike Jackson, former partner at Lehman Brothers and founding partner of Ironwood and Housatonic Partners; and Michael Margolis, founder of the investment management firm Maric LS, LLC, and others.