Elliott Rae: Redefining Fatherhood and Masculinity

Being a dad is a role that we play, we are people first. A dad is something that I have become but I’m a man first. To look at it from what kind of dad you want to be without looking at what kind of man you want to become is the wrong way around. You need to define what kind of man you want to be first and that translates to parenting. – Elliott Rae

Who is Elliott Rae?

Elliott Rae is one of the UK’s most prominent speakers on fatherhood, masculinity, and men’s mental health. He is the founder of the parenting platform MusicFootballFatherhood, known as the Mumsnet for Dads by the BBC. MusicFootballFatherhood is the UK’s most exciting parenting and lifestyle platform for men. MFF is all about open conversations surrounding fatherhood, work-life balance, mental health, raising healthy and well-rounded children, money management, relationships, and of course, music and football.

Before his work in fatherhood, Elliott held senior Diversity, Equity & Inclusion roles in the Civil Service, with his last role being the Head of D&I delivery at HM Treasury.

Elliott has been heavily involved in research projects related to fathers in the workplace, including the 2018 Equal Lives report by Business in the Community and the Fathers in the Workplace toolkit by the University of Birmingham. He has received recognition from the United Nations for his work engaging men in gender equality and was awarded the UN Women UK’s #HeForShe Changemaker of the Year award in 2019.

Elliot Rae’s DAD journey

Elliott founded the MFF platform as a form of self-therapy after being diagnosed with PTSD as a new dad after the traumatic birth of his daughter.

In his book DAD, an Amazon Top 10 bestseller, Elliott and 19 other dads share their stories that represent the diversity of modern fatherhood and challenge traditional ideas of masculinity.

In January 2022, Elliott presented the seminal BBC One documentary Becoming Dad, the first show of its kind to bring issues around dads’ mental health and work-life balance to the mainstream.

Elliott as a speaker, author, and social changemaker

Elliott specializes in helping organizations support fathers, improve men’s mental health, and engage men in conversations around gender equality.

If you are looking to encourage more open conversations about masculinity and allyship and