Tom Stroud & Dan Shrigley
Tom Stroud and Dan Shrigley are the co-founders of Shoulder to Shoulder, a values-led community of over 1,700 men built around connection and purpose and speak on the importance of connection, happiness, belonging and modern masculinity.
Tom and Dan met after a viral clip of Tom speaking candidly about masculinity and emotional openness – from his appearance on Netflix’s Love Is Blind – landed in Dan’s inbox.
A coffee between two strangers turned into a fortnightly walk-and-talk, which has since grown into a nationally-recognised community running 30+ events a month, press coverage in the Times, Independent, Cosmopolitan and BBC Radio 4, and millions of views on social media, in less than two years.
Both Tom and Dan draw on deeply personal stories: Tom’s complicated, unresolved relationship with an absent father, and Dan’s experience of his father’s six-month hospitalisation for severe depression and psychosis. Their fathers’ shared struggle with a lack of connection and purpose is a core part of the reason Shoulder to Shoulder exists today.
Shoulder to Shoulder has been described as ‘the modern men’s club fighting loneliness’ by the Independent and the ‘anti-manosphere community’ by the Times.
Speaking Topics
Shoulder to Shoulder: Why Connection Is the Most Important Predictor of Long-Term Health and Happiness (signature keynote) – The core S2S talk. Using their own family stories and the lessons learned building a 1,700-member community from scratch, Tom and Dan unpack why connection and purpose matter more than diet, exercise or income – and give audiences practical ways to build both.
Building Belonging: What a 1,700-Man Community Taught Us About Connection at Work – A corporate-facing version focused on wellbeing, retention and culture – what makes people feel like they belong at work, and how leaders can create the conditions for real connection in their teams.
The Cost of Silence: Male Loneliness, Mental Health and Modern Masculinity – A media and panel-friendly talk on the male loneliness epidemic, the risks of the ‘manosphere’, and what a healthier, more connected model of masculinity actually looks like.
From Coffee to Community: An Entrepreneurial Journey Built on Purpose – The founder story – how two strangers, a coffee and a shared ‘why’ grew into a nationally-recognised community in 18 months. A talk on purpose-led entrepreneurship, resilience and building culture from scratch.
“Thanks to Tom and Dan for their brilliant and inspiring talk. It clearly hit home for many of the team, I had so many people reach out to me who wanted to feedback how well thought out the talk was, and how inspired they felt following. The work they’re doing is clearly incredibly impactful to so many people. I shouldn't have favourites - but it was the best one yet.”
— Lucy Peek, Operations Manager, Uncovered
“We had the pleasure of Dan and Tom speaking at a business event with several hundred clients and partners in attendance. In my opinion, Shoulder to Shoulder was the highlight of the speaking sessions, with loads of positive feedback. We're already looking for future sessions where they could play a role. Big thanks to Dan and Tom for their professionalism, authenticity, and ability to connect with a wide audience.”
— Matthew Eschert, Head of Sector, Reddit:
“We worked with Dan and Tom to host a men’s mental health panel as part of the UK launch of an internationally-recognised journal brand. They were incredibly collaborative, allowing us to shape topics which were relevant to men across the country, hosted with authority and sensitivity, and gave all attendees incredible insights into their work with Shoulder to Shoulder and the broader challenges facing men today.”
— Sophie Coughlan, Founder, Coconut PR:
