In the spirit of reconnecting fathers in real life after the pandemic kept us apart for so long, City Dads Group members around the country will take part in a National Dads’ Day Out on Saturday, Nov. 6. The event is being done in partnership with our friends at Dad 2.0.

Local event organizers will decide how to celebrate the day, but outdoor gatherings that include some light physical activity to promote bonding and better physical and mental health are being encouraged. For example, our Columbus, Ohio, chapter plans on meeting for coffee than going on a hike at a local park; the NYC chapter will has its participating fathers take an “urban hike” from Manhattan to Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Bridge.

“Real life happens in real contact with real people, and when we’re deprived of that contact, our collective mental health suffers. For dads, that suffering means we’re less effective in the most important role of our lifetime,” Dad 2.0 organizers wrote in a website announcement about the join event.

National Dads’ Day Out events have been confirmed in the following metropolitan areas and more will likely be added as the date draws nearer (links go to the City Dads organized event):

• Austin
• Charlotte, N.C.
• Cleveland
• Columbus, Ohio
• Dallas
• Denver
• Detroit
• Houston
• Indianapolis
• Kansas City, Mo.
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• New York City
• Orlando
• Portland
• Providence (through Boston Dads Group)
• Salt Lake City
• Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
• Toronto, Canada

Event information and RSVPs available via each city’s Meetup page.

“Since the beginning, City Dads Group has been on a mission to bring fathers together in real life. We hope guys that are ready will join us for this much needed opportunity to connect with fellow dads of all stripes,” said Matt Schneider, co-founder of City Dads Group.

National Dads’ Day Out will be sponsored by the creators of American Underdog, an upcoming film about former professional football quarterback Kurt Warner’s rise from supermarket employee to 1999 Super Bowl MVP.

Want to help save a man’s life? Help us raise some cash by growing a ‘stache with our dads next month during Movember 2021.

City Dads Group again is seeking members and friends to help us support The Movember Foundation, a leading global organization dedicated to bringing awareness to serious health concerns for men such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer, mental health and suicide.

Movember challenges dudes every November to spark conversations about men’s physical and mental health issues. The growing of a mustache is meant to serve as a living awareness ribbon and talking point for the cause. In recent years, the Movember Foundation has also added an exercise challenge for the facial-hair challenged.

+ Join our Movember 2021 team +

The Movember Foundation has raised hundreds of millions of dollars since its founding in 2003 to help fund hundreds of health projects globally, according to its website. The organization’s work hopes to counter some of these frightening statistics regarding men’s health:

• Men, on average, die five years earlier than women in the United States.
• One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lives.
• Four of every five suicides are men.
• Testicular cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men ages 18 to 39.

City Dads Group is once again joining forces with the Life of Dad social network, the Dad 2.0 fatherhood conference and The National At-Home Dad Network to form a “Movember Dads” team. The group combined to raise more than $10,000 last year.

You can help our Movember 2021 team and the cause in several ways:

• Join the Movember Dads team. Sign up through our Movember Dads page. You’ll get your own personal fundraising page to link other to.
• Grow a mustache. Shave your mug on Oct. 31 and then don’t cut the fuzz off your upper lip for 31 days. Show it off to all, in person and on social media, and tell them why you are growing it. Don’t forget to ask for a donation to help the cause and link to your fundraising page.
• Move rather than mo. Sometime you just can’t grow a mustache. Maybe it’s genetics, maybe it’s because it would jeopardize your marriage. You can still help by committing to walk or run 60 miles in November — one mile for each of the 60 men lost worldwide every hour to suicide. Again, use your personal Movember Dads page for fundraising.
• Host a Mo-ment. Get with your Movember supporters — in person or virtually — for a game night, a sporting event or maybe an initial “shave off” to get the ball rolling and draw attention to the cause.
• Donate. At the least, you can always simply give to the cause. Donate to an individual or to our Movember Dads team as a whole.

City Dads Group, starting in 2011 with its founding NYC Dads chapter, has helped raise more than $133,000 to support the Movember Foundation and its partners.

The City Dads Group blog has again been cited by peers in the parenting world for providing informative and entertaining information for moms and dads.

The City Dads blog is one of six nominated for “Group or News Blog of the Year” from the Iris Awards, a parenting and social media recognition program sponsored by the Mom 2.0 Summit parenting conference.

Several other City Dads members and blog contributors have also received nominations in other parenting award categories.

The Iris Awards program annually recognizes “individual achievements, collective creativity and impactful work to honor the art of modern parenthood,” according its website.

Attendees of recent Mom 2.0 or Dad 2.0 parenting conferences submit blogs, podcasts and social media influencers for the awards. A select committee then whittles down the submissions to a handful of nominees. Past attendees then vote for the winners.

The 2021 Iris Awards winners will be announced Oct. 14.

City Dads Group’s blog and its Modern Dads Podcast have been nominated multiple times for an Iris Award as best group/news blog and parenting podcast, respectively, since 2016. Neither has ever won.

However, several City Dads members and blog contributors have won for writing, photography, and philanthropic work over the years.

Individual City Dads nominees this year include:

• Brent Almond, a blog contributor, for “Best Sponsored Content” for his “Parenting During A Pandemic” series for the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility on his blog, Designer Daddy
• Johnathon Briggs, a Chicago Dads Group member and blog contributor, for “Dad Blog of the Year” for Fatherhood@Forty
• Mike Julianelle, a NYC Dads Group member and blog contributor, for “Dad Blog of the Year” for Dad and Buried
• Aaron Gouveia, a Boston Dads Group member, for “Dad Blog of the Year” for The Daddy Files, and for “Author/Book of the Year” for “Men and Miscarriage: A Dad’s Guide to Grief, Relationship, and Healing After Loss,” a book co-written with his wife, MJ.
• Andrew Knott, a blog contributor, nominated for “Dad Blog of the Year” for Explorations of Ambiguity

Dad 2.0, the conference for fathers wanting to participate in a conversation about the changing voice and perception of modern fatherhood, will bring its usual strong lineup of speakers and panelists for professional and personal development to Washington, D.C., next month.

Organizers of the event, dubbed Dad 2.020 for its ninth year, recently announced many of the topics to be discussed at the summit, slated for Feb. 27-29, 2020, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Featured Dad 2.020 speakers will include:

• Dan Kois, author of How to Be a Family, a book about how taking his family with him on assignments around the world helped them grow closer.
• Donte Palmer, whose viral photo of him changing his child’s diaper while squatting on a bathroom floor started a national campaign for changing tables in men’s restrooms.
• Taylor Calmus, the creative force behind the popular Dude Dad YouTube channel.

Other topics to be discussed will include:

• Improving one’s work-life balance to feed both our souls and our kids
• Working remotely: Is it a workable solution for increasing family time
• Editing our lives by purging things that obscure our focus
• Coping with substance abuse, either with or as a recovering addict
• Pursuing a career in professional writing
• Trends in influencer marketing
• Creating a blockbuster Instagram feed
• Cutting-edge metrics to analyze your followers
• How to launch your passion project

Dad 2.020 will also feature in-depth information on the campaign for more state and federal paid family leave laws and the D.C. area’s #FlipTheScript campaign to combat negative imagery of men of color and highlight the important role of fathers in early childhood development.

Complete programming is expected to be announced Jan. 23.

The annual Dad 2.0 summit is a national three-day meeting where marketers, social media leaders, blogging parents and regular dads gather to discuss modern fatherhood. Dad 2.020 tickets are on sale now for $279.

++ Purchase your Dad 2.020 tickets here ++

City Dads Group will once again be a media partner for Dad 2.0, a role it has played since 2014. It uses the conference as a national meetup opportunity for its leadership and members.

“Dad 2.0 has been the place we have found the guys who organize our groups, write for our blogs, and help with our influencer campaigns with national brands,” City Dads Group co-founder Matt Schneider has previously said. “Our groups have very similar goals in helping further the importance and positive perception of being an active, involved father, and collaborations like this benefit everybody for the good of all parenting.”

City Dads Group members play an active role in the conference every year. Some of our members scheduled to speak or be on panels include:

• Creed Anthony, Indy Dads Group: My Captain’s Log
• Jeff Bogle, Philly Dads Group: Out With The Kids
• Mitch Chaitin, NYC Dads Group: Gay NYC Dad
• Jim Joseph, NYC Dads Group: Out And About Dad
• Mike Julianelle, NYC Dads Group: Dad and Buried
• Marlon Gutierrez, Orlando Dads Group: Being Papa
• James Lopez, NYC Dads Group: Fatherhood Is Lit
• Aaron Sheldon, Columbus (Ohio) Dads Group: Small Steps Are Giant Leaps

Photo: NYC Dads Group member Jason Greene was a featured speaker at the 2019 Dad 2.0 summit. Courtesy: Dad 2.0

The Dad 2.0 Summit — an annual conference where marketers, social media leaders and blogging parents connect to discuss the changing voice and perception of modern fatherhood — will hold its seventh annual event on Feb. 1 in New Orleans. Many of the fathers you know from the various City Dads Groups (plus others from the online parenting space) will be in attendance. I will be one of them.

Why? There are more reasons than you can shake a GIF-stuffed Buzzfeed post at: bonding with like-minded individuals, discussions on public policy, career guidance and so many things found between. It really is an incredible event, full of passion, inspiration and, for some, second winds.

For the sake of transparency, you should know I am biased. In addition to contributing here at City Dads Group (and its The Modern Dads Podcast), I also oversee social media and community management for the Dad 2.0 Summit. However, to paraphrase Sy Sterling (as I often do), I not only work for the Dad 2.0 Summit, I’m also a participant in it. So despite my aforementioned affiliations, this article about the conference is from the heart, not the wallet.

In fact, you don’t need to take my word for it. Here are some thoughts on Dad 2.0 Summit from City Dads members and contributors:

Kevin “Spike” Zelenka: To have the opportunity to meet with such a diverse group of like-minded fathers and share thoughts, stories and ideas has been life changing [See, that’s what I said!]. I’m grateful for Dad 2.0, in that it connected me with other parents of twins, giving me the inspiration to develop FathersofMultiples.com, a writing platform by twin parents, for twin parents.

I was a little apprehensive before attending my first Dad 2.0 Summit. Before the weekend was over, I knew it was something I wanted to plan on attending every year. New Orleans is my third.

Creed Anthony: Dad 2.0 has been an amazing experience for me, personally. The network and fellowship of dads (and the moms who attend as well) is something that I look forward to annually and rely upon during the entire year. I have made lifelong friends who have become more than virtual brothers to me.

Eli Lipmen: There is one thing I know I can always expect at Dad 2.0 — I will meet some incredible dads. I’ve attended twice and each year I’ve made connections that have shaped who I am as a parent and changed the course of my life. And I know this year will be no different.

Even people who haven’t been to Dad 2 are excited:

Brock Lusch, co-organizer of Cincinnati Dads Group: This is my first time attending Dad 2.0, and I am very excited — like a kid going to Disney World. What is Brock excited about? Meeting the dads I have only known by profile pictures and small conversations, and learning/experiencing how to take my passion for fatherhood to continue growing a community of active and intentional fathers in Cincinnati. That’s what.

I know it sounds like I’m going all in on David S. Pumpkins here (and these guys are part of it), and maybe I am, after all, I haven’t always been on the payroll. There was a time, let’s call it seven years ago, when I was speaker on a panel, dishing what I dish as wisdom about writing, and feeling so many of the feels that I never knew I needed. I realized then that Dad 2.0 was in my life to stay.

The next year I was a featured reader, “opening” for Brené Brown, mostly with curse words, and by the time I left Dad 2.0 I had made every case I could to join the team. Luckily, there was an opportunity offered, and I took it.

The co-founders of Dad 2.0 Summit, Doug French and John Pacini (below) are, I assume, still regretting it. Also, they don’t like this picture.

I realize that it is probably too late for anyone who hasn’t already planned for Dad 2.018 to make it happen this year; however, I’m not trying to sell you anything. Rather, I want people to understand what it means for dads to have an opportunity to develop and nurture a community, both in regard to their professional lives and their personal. Being a dad is a wonderful thing, full of love and lessons, but it can often be lonely and frustrating, too. To stand in a room full of people who get it? That’s a special thing.

That said, if you can’t make New Orleans, then I hope to see you at the next Dad 2.0. And then the one after that.

I had the pleasure of recently attending the press junket for the movie Gifted about young man unexpectedly into the role of protector and father figure for his math-genius niece. The talent of the film’s actors — Chris Evans, McKenna Grace, Octavia Spencer and Jenny Slate — is a testament to director Marc Webb’s vision and all those that were part of this magical production.

Gifted is a heartwarming and heart-wrenching story about Frank (Evans), an uncle raising his 7-year-old niece, Mary (Grace). Frank vows to give her a normal life even though Mary shows extraordinary mathematical abilities. Things go south when Mary’s teacher (Slate), discovers Mary’s talent.

Here’s a clip of Evans, best known for playing Captain America in the Marvel Comics superhero movie series, talking a little bit about this role …

Here is another clip of our time with the cast from the new movie Gifted, opens in theater in April! I hope this is ok and we don’t have Chris mad at us for sharing this clip… they are his words… lol, I would rather not be on Chris “bad list”! #giftedmovie #citydads @giftedmovie @chrisevansofficiall @mckennagraceful

A post shared by LA Dads Group (@ladadsgroup) on Mar 27, 2017 at 10:07am PDT

Academy Award winner Spencer (Hidden Figures) plays Roberta, Frank’s landlady and Mary’s best friend. She also acts as caretaker for Mary, which comes into play when she advises Frank not to enroll Mary into school. She’s seen as a family member to Mary, even if they don’t have an official or legal tie to each other.

Here is why Spencer choose to be a part of this movie…

Here is a clip from yesterday speaking with #octaviaspencer and why she choose to be a part of the movie Gifted. She is absolutely an AMAZING woman! We will have more clips from the other cast members coming so keep an eye out for them! #giftedmovie #citydads @jennyslate

A post shared by LA Dads Group (@ladadsgroup) on Mar 24, 2017 at 11:31am PDT

Gifted is a thought-provoking movie on many levels with wonderful actors raising the bar. Exploring the true meaning of family, how to encourage a child with special abilities, who should have a say in the way a child is raised, and when growing up needs to happen for children … and some adults.

Gifted is rated PG-13 and featured many life lessons for all ages. This movie should be on your family’s list of films to see this spring.

Editor’s Note: This is a sponsored post. The author wrote more about Gifted and Marc Webb on our L.A. Dads Group blog.

How does a man handle being thrust unexpectedly into the role of protector and father figure?

That is one of the issues addressed in the movie Gifted, opening in select theaters April 7 and nationwide April 21. Frank Adler (Captain America actor Chris Evans) is a single man, whose attempting to give a “normal” life to his 7-year-old, math-prodigy niece (Mckenna Grace) who he is raising. His plans are threatened by his mother Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan) who wants to separate them and put the girl’s skills to work.

City Dads Group members sat down with Gifted producer and director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer, The Amazing Spider-Man series) at the recent Dad 2.0 Summit to discuss to this new family drama.

Here are some of the highlights:

City Dads Group: “You’re not a father but you are an uncle. So you can associate with the movie. “

Marc Webb: “I have two nieces and they wanted me to make them a movie for a long time. … It was a way to connect with them. There is a very specific type of uncle in this relationship, but you know the hard stuff goes to dad. In this case he inherited this child. He really struggled with if whether or not he was worthy, the right guy to raise this child. … It’s really a non-traditional type of family; it’s brilliant at the heart of the movie.”

CDG: “What do you hope the audience is going to get from seeing this? “

Webb: “I think there are a million different ways of raising a kid correctly. Every family looks different, not all of us are lucky enough to be born into a traditional or the way we are trained to think of traditional conventional family is, you can create a family if you are not born into the right one. “

CDG: “What were you most proud of about making this movie?”

Webb: “I think we have a really good time in the movie and that’s important I wanted to have fun, ’cause making Spider-Man was really hard. This movie was fun and I think the relationship between Frank and Mary in the movie is touching and real and funny and light and happy all the same time.”

CDG: “One of the things with him (Chris Evans) being the dad, I love the aspect that he comes across as an awesome guy and I know one of these lines he talked about was that he wasn’t ready to be a dad. … One of the great things with people watching this movie is that every single dad is never really ready to be a dad. It’s a great thing for others to relate to. “

MW: “I was a sensitive kid and Chris was a sensitive kid… It’s very easy to feel ashamed of that… what I have found is that keeping in touch with that sensitivity, has given me everything in my career. I think that everything that connects with people comes from that. I think it can be painful…. I think it is easier for women to explore than it is for men.”

CDG: “Or much more accepting for women … “

Webb: “Yes, yes exactly. I thought about that in making this kind of movie. “

CDG: “Anything you’re looking forward to doing?”

Webb: “I wouldn’t mind doing an animated movie one day…more of a family movie.”

CDG: “With that, is there a chance of fatherhood (for you) in the future?”

Webb: “I would love that. It would be very nice. “

On our City Dads Group Facebook, you can watch the whole interview with Gifted director Marc Webb .

Editor’s Note: This is a sponsored post. The author wrote more about Gifted and Marc Webb on our L.A. Dads Group blog.

The highlight of my Dad 2.0 Summit 2017 experience was when I had the privilege of moderating an exclusive talk with Marc Webb for the  City Dads Group.

If you are not familiar with Marc, I am sure you know his work. He is a producer and director, known for 500 Days of Summer (2009), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). We got to chat with him about his new movie coming out, Gifted.

Gifted

Gifted caught my attention because it tugged on that “fatherhood string.” I mean, what would happen to my boys if something were to happen to my wife and me? I can’t even imagine what would happen. The second thing that caught my attention – Captain America (actor Chris Evans)! But it wasn’t Captain America at all, just a regular guy who finds himself in an unexpected and challenging situation.

I don’t think any father is ready for the full scope of parenting, no matter how much they prepare. Fatherhood is just never what you think it’s going to be. The main character – Frank Adler (played by Chris Evans) – becomes a parental figure after his sister is unable to raise her daughter. I can feel for that guy. We all have difficulties, even when we start from birth!

I am also glad to see that through it all, family is the most important. I was impressed with their choice of Mary (played by Mckenna Grace). Marc found a shooting star that magically lit up the screen with her personality. In the interview, Marc discusses their hunt for her and the difficulty in the search for the actor with just the right personality.

The actors in this movie just seemed to click. You can’t fake this kind of chemistry, and I think there are only a few people in the world that can create this kind of magic. Marc obviously has the experience to not only work with big names but bring the magic to the big screen.

I am looking forward to seeing Gifted with my wife. The full movie comes out in April and rolls out to theaters everywhere after that. In the meantime, you can check out the trailer here. Check out our Facebook Live interview here. And stayed tuned, we will do our best to bring you all the newest information as it comes!

See you at the movies!

The fifth annual Dad 2.0 Summit — aka Dad 2.016 –in Washington, D.C., concluded this past weekend, and five of our NYC Dads Group members weigh in with their thoughts on the conference: 

Niel Vuolo

Dad 2.0 — Was about connecting dads with brands. … about fellowship, community and trying new things. … about meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones (even old friends who ended up getting carded at the bar!). … It was also about sharing ideas and inspiration. I can’t wait to attack this year and be more extraordinary when I get to Dad 2.0 in 2017.

— Read Niel’s complete thoughts on his blog, Great Moments in Bad Parenting

Lance Somerfeld

The fifth annual Dad 2.0 Summit was my favorite one yet. Dad 2.0 is a ripe opportunity for dads and dad bloggers to escape from hiding behind their computers and meet talented and caring dads face-to-face. A highlight for me was hosting a City Dads Group team meeting and being surrounded by over 40 organizers, active members and blog contributors. Community, family, friendship and beyond!

Another highlight for me was taking advantage of a little “me time” which is rare since the birth of our daughter 10 months ago. Strolling through the Capitol at night with a few good friends and admiring the world-renowned landmarks was a magnificent experience as was relaxing in a barber’s chair and receiving a professional shave in the Dove Men+Care suite.

Dave Lesser

A lot Dad 2.016 recaps will probably mention the inaugural DadSLAM, a Moth-style public reading of blog posts. My roommate John Kinnear hosted the event to high acclaim. John read a hilarious article about his kid pooping in the McDonald’s ball pit and another guy read a different hilarious story about poop. Some stories left the room in nods and tears and not all of the essays were about accidental defecation. I don’t think. I’m actually not sure, since I didn’t go. It was an after-hours event and I went down to the room where it was being held to make sure someone showed up for John. The room, packed with attendees, was stuffy and warm, and there was no booze, so I quietly left. What can I say, sometimes I’m too big an asshole to let the transcendent moments happen.

— Read Dave’s complete Dad 2.016 thoughts on his blog, Amateur Idiot/Professional Dad

Bryan Grossbauer

… to the dad who is tired of being portrayed as a bumbling fool
to the dad who is a bumbling fool

To the dad who there are people out there fighting for you! …

Editor’s Note: Bryan wrote this as a poem. It has been excerpted here. Read the full work on Dig It, Daddy-O.

Mitch Chaitin

Dove Men+Care has been the Title Sponsor of the two Dad 2 Summit conferences I have attended in the last two years, and the several others before that. This means they support the conference at the highest possible level. They help to make the ticket price affordable for all of us and for that, I and many others are grateful. … They pay for a full room of pampering for the attendees!  … After they showcase their great men’s care line, they share all of it with us, this is in addition to the great sampling we all received in our welcome gift bag!

— Read more of Mitch’s thoughts on his blog, Gay NYC Dad

Can’t get enough on the recent Dad 2.016 Summit? Read what our City Dads Group members around the country had to say on the City Dads Group blog. 

We asked some of our City Dads Group members to reflect on what they took away from attending the recent fifth annual Dad 2.0 Summit in Washington, D.C. Here are a few of their thoughts: 

Kevin “Spike” Zelenka, Las Vegas Dads Group

I’ve been to dad conventions, and I’ve been to blog conferences. The Dad 2.0 Summit was the first event I’ve ever attended that really met the need of who I am: a blogger and a parent. I can’t stop talking about the opening and closing keynotes. They both really spoke to me as a father, and in different ways. The other programming I attended had a blog focus, and I learned a ton that I couldn’t wait to implement once I returned home. The fact that they have found such a magical combination in only five years existence is incredible, and I’ve already bought my ticket for next year.

Adam Gertsacov, Chicago Dads Group

There were lots of … great things, and lots of great content, but for me, the No. 1 reason I keep on coming is the community. Being in a community of these great dads (many of whom are also great writers and raconteurs) is just plain exhilarating. As a dad, you have your wife as a person to talk with, but she’s your wife. You are related to her.

Having colleagues — work friends, if you will — with whom I can just hang out with for a few days, talk about parenting, and comic books, and make slightly obscure references to obscurer movies and books, and even on occasion talk about our hopes and dreams — this is why I want to come back to Dad 2.0

— Read Adam’s complete thoughts on his blog, Dadapalooza

Niel Vuolo, NYC Dads Group

Dad 2.0 — Was about connecting dads with brands. … about fellowship, community and trying new things. … about meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones (even old friends who ended up getting carded at the bar!). … It was also about sharing ideas and inspiration. I can’t wait to attack this year and be more extraordinary when I get to Dad 2.0 in 2017.

— Read Niel’s complete thoughts on his blog, Great Moments in Bad Parenting

Jay Wisniewski, Detroit Dads Group

Honesty. It flows throughout the halls and ballrooms once the summit has taken up its residency. At times you will feel more comfortable talking to a random group of dads that you’ve stumbled upon than you’ve felt talking to your friend back home. It almost comes naturally because somewhere in its five years of life the creators of the Dad 2.0 Summit have fostered the growth of a collective of fathers that celebrates the successes of one another, provides wisdom through their struggles and failures, but most of all, never falters on their dedication to honesty. There are no perfect dads and when you spend your days and nights with these men, you come realize that’s totally OK.

— Read Jay’s complete thoughts on his blog, Inked Up Dad

Creed Anthony, Indianapolis Dads Group

Editor’s Note: Creed wrote this as a letter to the late Oren Miller.

I imagined you watching and listening as so many new voices were added to the collective voice. Men who weren’t shy about their love and involvement with their children. Women who supported the cause and played a role in helping to change the image of modern fatherhood.

I imagined you roaming the streets of D.C. with some of us, with your chin high, and that kind, gentle grin you always wore and realizing that the power of change isn’t simply found in the offices of the elected, but in the blogs, playrooms, kitchens, and carpools of the men and women in attendance.

— Read Creed’s complete thoughts on his blog, Tales From the Poop Deck

Victor Aragon, Chicago Dads Group

This was my second time going to Dad 2.0 and as much as it felt like my second home, I still felt out of place. I felt like the little brother that was trying to hang out with his bigger brothers and was accepted by all. I had a few people pull me to the side and ask me about my family and about post I wrote. It felt good to know that someone, other than myself, was reading my stuff and that it actually moved them.

Lance Somerfeld, NYC Dads Group

The fifth annual Dad 2.0 Summit was my favorite one yet. Dad 2.0 is a ripe opportunity for dads and dad bloggers to escape from hiding behind their computers and meet talented and caring dads face-to-face. A highlight for me was hosting a City Dads Group team meeting (photo at top) and being surrounded by over 40 organizers, active members and blog contributors. Community, family, friendship and beyond!

Another highlight for me was taking advantage of a little “me time” which is rare since the birth of our daughter 10 months ago. Strolling through the Capitol at night with a few good friends and admiring the world-renowned landmarks was a magnificent experience as was relaxing in a barber’s chair and receiving a professional shave in the Dove Men+Care suite.

Dave Lesser, NYC Dads Group

A lot Dad 2.016 recaps will probably mention the inaugural DadSLAM, a Moth-style public reading of blog posts. My roommate John Kinnear hosted the event to high acclaim. John read a hilarious article about his kid pooping in the McDonald’s ball pit and another guy read a different hilarious story about poop. Some stories left the room in nods and tears and not all of the essays were about accidental defecation. I don’t think. I’m actually not sure, since I didn’t go. It was an after-hours event and I went down to the room where it was being held to make sure someone showed up for John. The room, packed with attendees, was stuffy and warm, and there was no booze, so I quietly left. What can I say, sometimes I’m too big an asshole to let the transcendent moments happen.

— Read Dave’s complete thoughts on his blog, Amateur Idiot/Professional Dad

Scott Posey, Baltimore Dads Group

The Dad 2.0 conference is … a meeting of minds to discuss modern fatherhood as it is portrayed in the media and in everyday life. This conversation takes place with a lot of the big movers and shakers of the entertainment [and retail] worlds and has the power to truly initiate change. There were big brand names here like Lego, Dove Men+Care, Kia, Esquire, and Lee (among others). These are brands that see a passion for fatherhood being championed across all corners of the web and are coming out to say that they not only agree, but support our movement. Panels were held to discuss the ever changing role of fatherhood as it corresponds to the workplace (something I’m very passionate about) and how people are fighting the good fight daily to ensure that parental leave is not only a right but one that is taken without fear of career suicide. Everywhere you looked this weekend, you could see this desire to better oneself as a father but also on a larger scale for all fathers across the world.

The other reason I wanted to attend the conference was to meet all of the fellow dads who I have talked with, shared stories with, and grew with as a father [online]. … It was amazing seeing and talking to these guys whose work I have read and been affected by since having my son. …  Attending a summit to help advance fatherhood is a great reason to attend, but hanging out with your friends and forming relationships in person is a close second.

— Read Scott’s complete thoughts on his blog, Father Nerds Best

 Carter Gaddis, City Dads Group columnist

I found a large, passionate, talented group of men and women who shared my interests and — incredibly, to me — seemed to care what I thought and wrote. The Dad 2.0 mission of bringing brands together with fathers of the Internet is great, of course. It’s been a privilege to work with companies that understand the importance of shattering the tired stereotype of the aloof, goofball dad so often portrayed in ads, movies and TV shows over the years. The networking is great, but I will always go back to the Dad 2.0 Summit because of the sense of renewal it provides. It is a reunion with my “tribe,” a chance to rejuvenate, a source of energy throughout the rest of the year. I’ve been to other social media conferences, and they were great. This one? This one is home.

— Read Carter’s complete thoughts on his blog, Carter Gaddis, Writer

Nick Browne and Benjamin Muller, Philadelphia Dads Group

This weekend, we spent four days in Washington, D.C. for the Dad 2.0 Summit. And in a few words: IT WAS AMAZING. Honestly, so many great people came together to put together a truly inspiring event. For details, listen to their Poppin’ Bottles podcast.

Want more? Read what our New York City members had to say on the NYC Dads Group blog.