Ben Vasiliou

I am a social entrepreneur, author and one of Australia’s leading advocates for the wellbeing of boys and young men. My work is deeply personal. Growing up with my own lived experiences of adversity, I understand both the challenges many boys face and the extraordinary potential they possess when they are surrounded by the right people, opportunities and support. That experience has shaped a lifelong mission: to help raise a generation of boys who become emotionally healthy, connected and courageous men who build respectful relationships and contribute positively to their communities.

I am the proud CEO of The Man Cave, Australia’s leading preventative mental health charity for teenage boys and their communities. Through evidence-informed workshops, parent and educator engagement, digital initiatives and systems advocacy, we are redefining healthy masculinities by equipping boys with the skills, language and confidence to navigate adolescence while challenging harmful stereotypes about what it means to be a man. Our work is particularly critical in today’s digital age, where we are helping combat online harms.

Before The Man Cave, I spent two decades working across frontline crisis services, including homelessness, mental health, addiction, and the broader health and community sectors. Those years convinced me that while crisis intervention is essential, lasting change requires working upstream. Today, my focus is on prevention, creating the conditions that help boys and young men thrive before problems become entrenched.

I am the author of Better Man: Reclaiming Masculinity for Good, Chair-elect of Amplify Alliance Australia, a Justice of the Peace, and a graduate of Stanford University’s Executive Education in Social Entrepreneurship Program.

My ambition is to ensure every teenage boy in Australia has access to preventative mental health and healthy masculinity education while empowering parents, educators and communities to help the next generation thrive.