About Dude Talk Dinners.
Connecting men in a disconnected world.
Dude Talk Dinners hosts free monthly dinners where men sit down over a hot meal for honest conversation and real friendship. Every table is led by trained volunteer facilitators from the local community. It isn’t therapy, a support group, or church, and we leave religion and politics at the door. Just show up. Dinner’s on us.
It started in 2024 with one table in Gunnison, Colorado. Today there are 9 communities across Colorado and beyond, serving more than 2,400 men a year, and new towns keep asking how to set a table of their own.
Dude Talk Dinners, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 41-4806880). Every dinner is free, made possible by local restaurants, sponsors, and donors.
Christian was the son of the Gunnison couple who set that first table. His loss is the reason it was set, and every dinner since carries his memory.
From one dinner to a movement.
A few years back, a couple in Gunnison, Colorado figured something out: men are suffering from the social isolation epidemic, and most of them don't do anything about it. Therapy isn't for everyone. The bar wasn't cutting it. But a free meal and honest company? That's different.
One dinner turned into a network of communities. What started as neighbors sharing food has grown into a network of volunteer-led tables built on one idea: the simplest way to be less alone is to sit down together over a good meal and honest conversation.
Dude Talk Dinners does exactly that, with no barriers to entry, so that all men are included. From one table in Gunnison to more than 2,400 men a year across 9 communities, the table keeps getting bigger, and there’s always a seat for one more.
Our team.
The people who keep the tables set and help new communities get started.
ClickTap a photo to read their story.
Andrew Wolff
Andrew Wolff serves as Executive Director and a co-founder of Dude Talk Dinners, Inc. With almost two decades in nonprofit leadership and community development, he's spent his career building programs that help people show up for each other in ways that benefit numerous communities. Andrew joined DTD because he watched too many friends go through hard times alone, simply because no one asked. Andrew is also a facilitator for the Idaho Springs dinners. He holds a Master of Arts from the University of Colorado and lives in Idaho Springs, Colorado, where he spends weekends working on the house with his wife, Helena, or out on the trails with his dogs.
John Calafiore
John Calafiore is Chief Operating Officer and a co-founder of Dude Talk Dinners, Inc. John runs the behind-the-scenes side of the organization: the website, the systems that support volunteers and facilitators, and the day-to-day operations that make it simple for a new community to set its first table. John brings nearly two decades of experience in healthcare administration and finance to the role: 13 years with a large academic hospital and health system, including managing revenue cycle, finance operations, and a surgical department, followed by five years as a financial advisor and senior retirement consultant. John helped form the organization after seeing how much one honest conversation over a good meal can change a guy's week, with the goal of giving every man in Colorado and beyond a seat at that table. John is also a facilitator for the Idaho Springs dinners.
Our board.
Volunteers who guide Dude Talk Dinners and keep it accountable to the communities it serves.
ClickTap a photo to read their story.
Ken Farber
Ken leverages 30 years of broad professional experience encompassing senior executive roles in Human Resources, educational development, training, public speaking, accounting and finance, and private equity ventures. He works collaboratively with clients to create distinctly customized support for their individual and professional growth, specific situational needs, and positive organizational outcomes. Ken has worked with numerous Silicon Valley icons including Travelocity, Apple, Oracle, Nvidia, AMD, Autodesk, The Coaches Training Institute, financial institutions including Citicorp and Security Pacific Bank (BofA), and numerous tech startups.
Having facilitated conceptually similar gatherings called Connected Men, Ken found that DTD immediately captured his attention and heart. Its barrier-free, stigma-free simplicity exponentially increases the reach to so many more individuals and communities, helping create positive alternatives to the loneliness epidemic. And he values being personally connected with a team of individuals who are heartfelt in their commitment to walk the talk.
Ken has served as both President and Vice-President of the Genesee Foundation, a Colorado community based nonprofit. Ken earned a BBA in Accounting from Hofstra University and is a Certified Co-Active Coach.
Having spent most of his career in New York City and San Francisco, Ken, his beloved wife of 26 years, and their three cats have enjoyed living and working in the mountains of Colorado for the past decade.
Ben Shay
Ben Shay grew up in Clear Creek County, teaches at the local high school, and serves as the Program Manager for the nonprofit GOALS Youth River Expeditions. Passionate about the outdoors, recreation, and mental health, Ben has spent over a decade guiding, teaching outdoor education, and leading Social Emotional Learning work, and has served on a number of boards focused on improving mental health access, recreational well-being, and conservation. When not working to improve the lives of the community, Ben can be found riding a bike, hunting with two bird dogs and amazing wife Ali, or paddling the local rivers. Ben facilitates the Idaho Springs dinners and serves as Vice Chair of the board, helping guide Dude Talk Dinners as it grows into new communities.
Chris Peterson
Chris Peterson’s family created Dude Talk Dinners in Gunnison, Colorado after the loss of one of their sons to suicide, to help support the men in their community in a different way. Chris is thrilled that the idea is spreading, and excited to serve on the board as Treasurer, helping it benefit more men and communities.
Chris brings 30 years of business management experience, 15 of them focused on local and statewide affordable housing, and today works for the Colorado Division of Housing, specializing in affordable homeownership programs and projects. With degrees in Economics and Business Administration, Chris has also spent 15 years volunteering in suicide prevention and mental health awareness locally, statewide, and nationally, and is a member of multiple mental health and suicide prevention coalitions in Gunnison County, on the Colorado Western Slope, and with the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention, focused on rural areas.
When time allows, Chris travels with a service dog and husband, making time for relaxation and mental health, whether enjoying the beauty of the Gunnison Valley or taking road trips across the state and country to enjoy other areas and climates (especially the warm beaches and waters of Florida).
Justin Hall
Justin Hall serves as Secretary of the Dude Talk Dinners board, keeping the organization’s records and meetings in order as it grows. Justin has been living and working in the Buena Vista area in the mental health field since 2023. He enjoys biking, photography, hiking, and music as well as enjoying a history book at the library when it gets too hot or rainy. He has passion and experience in group work and men’s work and is involved with the Chamber of Commerce, BV Library, and Chaffee Mental Health Coalition.
Chris Gould
Chris Gould serves as a board member for Dude Talk Dinners (DTD) and as a facilitator for the Clear Creek dinners. He is a retired, 32-year educator who holds a Master of Arts in Education from Columbia University and served as both a classroom teacher and a school principal. He also serves as President of the Board of Directors for Clear Creek Advocates and is currently running for County Commissioner.
A common thread runs through all of these roles, from DTD facilitator to principal to county commissioner candidate, and that's service to the community. It's what drew him to DTD in the first place.
Outside of his community work, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, Suzanna, and their adult children, Annaliese and Steven, along with hiking, skiing, and playing trombone in the local community band.