We were lucky to catch up with Ameen Berjis recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ameen, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is being a youth advisor for the Inpathy app.
Within traditional social media, there’s a norm that you should only “post if it’s perfect.” Did you win the game? Did you get the job? Did you get into your dream school? For me, this narrative is very toxic and pushes us to hide our true feelings. What’s exciting for me is that Inpathy is changing the norms of social media by making it more “real.” By focusing on normalizing our moods, inspiring transparency, and creating real connections, we can be our true selves everywhere (even in digital spaces). This creates an opportunity to dramatically improve mental health for many, especially youth.
For me, the connection to Inpathy’s vision is very strong. During COVID lockdowns, I realized teens were not okay (even though on social media it was hard to tell), and I became passionate about finding ways to make a difference (for myself and others). We were all isolated and disconnected from each other. At this time, I was excited to become a part of the Headstream community, a national innovation program that focuses on empowering teens and improving their well-being in digital spaces. As part of the Headstream Youth to Innovator (Y2I) Incubator program, youth were chosen to advise breakthrough companies that aimed to benefit youth around the world in digital spaces. As soon as I read about Inpathy, I felt an immediate connection. They recognized the urgency of the problem in online spaces and the opportunity to make an immediate difference. I had to be part of this movement. “Realness” online is lacking, and Inpathy is building a safe space for us to be our true selves without acting. As I learned more, I decided that I really wanted to be a youth advisor for them, as the app aligned strongly with my personal values.
Luckily, I was selected to work with Inpathy as a youth advisor, and it’s been an incredible journey. The founders have been welcoming, encouraging, and very open to feedback about their innovation. I’ve learned so much about the strength of leaders with authenticity, vision, and humility. As a youth advisor, it’s been transformative and meaningful to be “seen” and reflected by visionary leaders. I have learned so much about the value of co-creation and the benefits to the company and each person involved in the process. Inpathy’s leadership recognizes and has embraced the art of true consultation without the traditional hierarchies that exist in other tech companies. I feel that my perspective is encouraged and valued. It has also been inspiring to have a front-row seat at a company that is balancing growth with significant societal impact. I’ve learned about social entrepreneurship and how to have an impact beyond just profits. It has been incredibly meaningful to understand that companies don’t have to choose profits at the expense of everything else.
Ameen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am currently a 10th-grade student in high school in Northern California. I have always been involved in community service and have wanted to make a meaningful difference. When COVID lockdowns happened, I was home for a long time, disconnected from friends and my community, and I realized many teens felt the same way. Teens were not okay. I started to look at ways to have an impact in digital spaces. Inclusivity, safety, and well-being are my priorities. How can I help advise organizations and companies to make a greater difference in this space?
From my perspective, mental and emotional health are key pillars contributing to overall youth well-being. When teens can feel confident discovering and expressing who they truly are in online spaces, each teen can make a unique impact on the world by knowing we are enough just as we are. As teens when online experiences negatively impact our mental or emotional health, our lives outside of these digital spaces can become directly affected too. This can have a domino effect on each teen, our friend groups, and our families since we are all so deeply interconnected. I believe our future depends on understanding that the well-being of each teen is important and we have an opportunity to improve youth well-being online and offline.
In addition to advising organizations and companies, I’m developing my own app that aims to empower and uplift youth through inspiration and mentorship, since I am passionate about teen mental and emotional health in digital spaces. Having had first-hand negative experiences in these spaces as a teen, I believe we collectively have a huge opportunity to improve outcomes for teens, especially for those who are not always treated equally or fairly in society. Life is often hard enough for teens offline. I am passionate about ensuring teens feel like they can be themselves online and find communities that reflect each person’s greatness.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I am passionate about developing and supporting meaningful and transformative social technologies for all youth. We have an opportunity to uplift and inspire the collective at a time when there is so much negativity in society. When we stop seeing people as “users” of technology and instead understand that each person has their own wants, needs, and pain points, we can be of greater service to them. We can understand the holistic impact each technology has on ALL members of the community. I believe that profits and societal impact can go hand in hand. This approach allows all members of the community to thrive.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of developing creative solutions for a positive societal impact is seeing the difference I can make in a person’s life. How can I help create inclusive digital spaces and understand the impact of technology on each person? It is really rewarding to me when people feel “seen” through inclusive design. Through my work, I am also able to continue to refine my own character and leadership qualities. In the past, I have been prone to perfectionism. I feel incredibly grateful that if something I am working on doesn’t work, I can try and try again until I find the highest aligned solution for all involved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.inpathy.co
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ameen.b_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inpathy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameen-b-484153205/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Inpathyapp
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@InpathyApp
Image Credits
Inpathy