Ian’s Story
When the Hockley family relocated from England to Connecticut in the winter of 2011 it was the realization of a family dream. Ian had visited the United States regularly since childhood, Nicole was from Rhode Island and Jake was born on the Fourth of July; in many ways it was coming home. They moved to the idyllic town of Sandy Hook which Ian selected after touring the beautiful neighborhoods and meeting the staff at the elementary school, knowing Dylan especially would get the perfect start as they made their new life. This bright beginning ran full force into the American nightmare on December 14th, 2012 when Dylan was shot and killed in his first-grade classroom alongside 19 of his fellow students and six educators in one of the worst mass shootings in recent U.S. history.
After a 20-year career in the finance teams of numerous blue-chip corporations, Ian left that world to create Dylan’s Wings of Change, a nonprofit dedicated to his son’s memory with a mission to create strong, inclusive communities. Working with education experts the foundation created Wingman, a youth leadership program that develops social and emotional skills through team bonding and trust building activities. This program inspires children to be more empathetic, courageous and inclusive young leaders. Today, Wingman is being used in schools and youth organizations across the northeast to promote accepting and inclusive environments and positive school cultures.
In 2024, Ian left Dylan’s Wings of Change in good hands to venture out and share pro bono his 12 years of charitable management and fundraising experience with small nonprofits, and to bring the power of the Wingman program to corporate America. Ian presents about the power of human connection and the importance of empathetic leadership. His time in the corporate world exposed him to some abysmal management practices; executive bullies who hid their lack of ability behind a culture of fear. He was inspired by his leaders who built cohesive, connected teams, after all “people don’t quit their jobs, they quit their managers”.
