Tony Ferraiolo, CPC
Tony Ferraiolo is known both as a compassionate and empowering Life Coach and a motivating and thought-provoking trainer. Since 2005 Tony has provided trainings to over 15,000 people around the country. Tony has dedicated himself to both promoting competent and respectful health care for the transgender community, by educating providers, and advocating on behalf of patients. Also, training educators on providing a safe and respectful space for transgender children in a school environment. He encompasses a unique ability to make light of a sometimes-challenging situation which puts his audience at ease to fully participate in his trainings and leaves his audience with a greater awareness of how to move forward in supporting their patients, staff, co-workers, students, and children.
In 2008 Tony started several support groups to support transgender youth and their families, the groups meet concurrently, providing a complete support system for these families, drawing families from New York and throughout New England.
In 2009 he recognized the need to provide chest binders to members of his community who needed them but had no ability to access them. Since 2009, Tony has given over 200 binders to transgender people all over the world.
Tony is the subject of the award-winning documentary “A Self-Made Man” and the Author of the book series “Artistic Expressions of Transgender Youth”.
Beyond this list of inspiring accomplishments, Tony is known for infusing his stories of the struggles of transition with insight, humor, and compassion.
Dru Levasseur is co-founder of the Jim Collins Foundation. For a decade, he served on the board as Vice-President. Under his leadership, along with Tony Ferraiolo, the Jim Collins Foundation provided 20 grants to transgender people in need. To learn more about the story of the foundation, its beginnings and impact, go to here.
Mr. Levasseur is currently the Transgender Rights Project Director for Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest national LGBT legal organization, where, since 2009, he has led Lambda Legal’s transgender rights work through strategy development, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education. He has been counsel in numerous successful cutting-edge transgender rights cases in federal and state courts, and on amicus briefs filed nationwide in federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He has extensive experience advocating with federal, state, and local governments on behalf of transgender people, including multiple meetings with White House officials. Prior to joining Lambda Legal, Mr. Levasseur served as the first staff attorney for Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund in NYC, and as a law clerk for two years to 12 Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court.
A national and international media spokesperson, Mr. Levasseur has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, People Magazine, Self, Reuters, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, ABA Journal, Atlantic, Vice, Daily News, New York Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Fox News, NPR, Huffington Post, and was profiled in the Advocate. He has provided corporate trainings to Fortune 500 companies, hospitals, and medical schools, as well as continuing legal education to law firms and law schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Columbia, and conferences around the country and in Puerto Rico. He has participated in international forums on health and law, including the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, and a transgender rights litigator convening in Cape Town, South Africa.
In an effort to bring greater attention to funding gaps for transgender communities and empower trans-led philanthropy initiatives, Mr. Levasseur currently serves as a working group member for Grantmakers United for Trans Communities. His leadership has been recognized through many honors and awards from institutions such as National LGBT Bar Association, Inaugural “Trans 100,” City Bar of New York, Brooklyn Law School OUTLaws, and Connecticut TransAdvocacy Coalition. He prioritizes serving as a professional mentor for emerging leaders in the legal field and beyond.