#37 'I started a mental health charity focused on masculinity' Jake Stika founder of Next Gen Men

<p>Jake Stika founder of Canadia nonprofit Next Jen Men joined Purposely Podcast to share his story.</p> <p><em>‘I had a really shitty mental health experience in my early 20s and came to understand that it was a masculine script that was harming me and I have been on a unlearning and learning journey, sharing that with people.’</em></p> <p>Jake a former athlete and self-confessed jock, struggled with his own mental health. This experience led to unsafe behaviour and a negative view of himself particularly in relation to his own masculinity. Eventually a period of self-reflection as well as therapy helped Jake to understand himself better and offered him more positive thoughts about what it means to be a man.</p> <p>This journey led him to a life of purpose and co founding the charity Next Gen Men focused on gender-based issues related to the social and emotional development of young men. It focuses on the health and well-being of men where boys and men ‘experience less pain and cause less harm’.</p> <p><em>‘I've had an eclectic career. You know, I played Semi Pro basketball, until I was the ripe old age of 24. I then retired and came back to Canada and got a job in oil and gas as a business analyst, which, which was just awful. That is when I made the leap. Initially working as part of a start-up ecosystem leading business development and sales for several start-ups. That was part of the catalyst of Next Gen Men.'</em></p> <p><em>'I had been fundraising for the men’s health charity Movember for five years, and they had a call for proposals out for new ideas to change the face of men's health in Canada. I fancied myself as an entrepreneur and here was an idea and a funding opportunity, so we pitched! </em>&nbsp;<em>Together with a buddy of mine from University, who had lost his brother to suicide and who was working with at risk youth we pitched this idea and we got the funding, $150,000, to three knuckleheads who've never done anything like this before’</em></p> <p>Their youth programs teach boys to question gen