3508: Movember at re:Invent, A Conversation on Tech and Men's Health

Dec 4, 2025

Graham Link, CTO at Movember, and Timothy Gnaneswaran, Executive Director, share the incredible journey of Movember, starting from a simple pub idea to a global health movement. They discuss how their innovative fundraising platform operates under pressure, raising tens of millions, and the technology shaping their work, including AI applications for mental health. The duo emphasizes the importance of balancing tech with human connection and reflects on opportunities and surprises from AWS re:Invent, showcasing the emotional impact of their outreach on men's health.

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INSIGHT

Fundraising As Large-Scale E-Commerce

Movember built a resilient global fundraising platform that collects $60–$80M in four weeks each year.
The platform functions like an $800M annual e-commerce system requiring high availability and security.

ANECDOTE

Humble Pub Origins

Movember began with two friends in a Melbourne pub raising about $30,000 for a friend with prostate cancer.
That grassroots gesture grew into a global movement funding over $1.3 billion and 1,350 men's health projects.

INSIGHT

Catalyst For Systemic Change

Movember acts as a catalyst funding external partners and building infrastructure like prostate cancer registries.
They invest in measurement tools (electronic patient outcome measures) to track long-term patient and emotional outcomes.

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Have you ever wondered how an idea that begins with two friends in a pub ends up shaping conversations about health all over the world? That was on my mind as I met Graham Link & Timothy Gnaneswaran from Movember on the show floor at AWS re:Invent.

Their story has grown far beyond the mustache that everyone recognises. What started with a simple gesture of support has become a movement that now reaches millions, raises vast sums through a global fundraising platform, and backs projects focused on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. Hearing them describe how that original spark grew into something this wide and long lasting gave the conversation a real sense of depth.

Recording in the middle of re:Invent added its own flavour. AI news filled the halls, yet Timothy and Graham were there speaking with engineers and builders about something deeply human. Their booth stopped people in their tracks, offered barbershop shaves, and created space for personal stories.

They talked openly about how Movember built its own platform to handle sixty to eighty million dollars in four weeks, how it must stay resilient every minute, and how AWS has supported them for more than a decade. They also shared how technology shapes the work behind the scenes, whether it is clinical quality registries, digital conversations tools, or new research paths that explore how AI might support healthier behaviours.

What stayed with me most was the honesty about the tensions they face. Men are still reluctant to talk about their health. Loneliness is rising. Social platforms create new openings and new barriers at the same time. They see how AI can help someone begin a difficult conversation, yet they are clear about the risks when people rely on tools that were never designed for mental health support.

They also talked about the patterns they see across different regions, the sobering statistics in the major markets where they operate, and how younger audiences now gather in gaming communities rather than traditional spaces.

Movember knows it needs technology to reach scale, but it never wants to lose the human connection at the heart of its mission. What part of their story stands out most for you, and where do you think technology can genuinely help shape the next chapter of men's health?