2026 Participant Biographies

Stephen Chukumba (he/him) is an activist, advocate, and father of four, including a transgender son. After losing his wife to breast cancer in 2016, he channeled his grief into purpose, founding The Dads Foundation in 2024 — a national nonprofit supporting fathers of transgender and nonbinary children through storytelling, community-building, and advocacy.

Stephen is featured in the Emmy Award–winning Netflix documentary The Dads and serves as producer of its forthcoming feature-length follow-up, which unites a diverse group of fathers in love and support for their gender-expansive kids. He also co-hosts The Parent Advocate Podcast, amplifying the voices of trans youth and their families while confronting disinformation and advancing equity through informed, compassionate dialogue.

As co-founder of Rainbow in Black, a Maryland-based nonprofit supporting Black families of gender-expansive children, a Black Youth Advocate with the National Black Justice Coalition, and a member of HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council, Stephen works tirelessly to uplift and center Black and trans voices.

A passionate speaker, facilitator, and writer, Stephen travels nationwide to foster empathy and understanding for gender-expansive youth. A graduate of Rutgers University and Seton Hall Law, he lives in Trenton, New Jersey, with his four children and their two cats, Zero and Sunny.