We were lucky to catch up with Arbaaz Karim recently and have shared our conversation below.
Arbaaz, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
I hope to leave a legacy through my work that will continue to positively impact others long after I am gone. I see this happening by starting a company that can foster change in society and becomes a self-sufficient machine that will fuel a mission and continue the fruits of my labor without me being here physically.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a Gen-Z mental health entrepreneur and currently serve as the founder and CEO of The World is Yours, an international startup working with over 240 students from 170 schools and ten countries to redefine the culture around mental health by supporting student activists’ ideas. Our work has been recognized by organizations like the United States Congress, Harvard University, and Johns Hopkins University.
For me, mental health was a part of my life way before I started The World is Yours as the son of an artist who donates paintings to local organizations here in DFW. But it wasn’t until I woke up one day at 16 years old and opened my eyes to how friends that I used to play together with at recess were losing their identity or even worse their life to mental health that I really started to understand “what is mental health”. It led me to ask myself, “why isn’t someone doing something about this” and then I asked myself, “Well, why can that someone not be me?”.
That’s when The World is Yours was born, and with the help of my friends and now teammates, we eventually started our first clothing line to start right where we saw the problem first: our community. After generating a few thousand dollars in sales and more importantly, seeing my fellow classmates and teachers some of whom I never interacted with before buying our clothing and into our mission, I felt the demand to take us to the next level. What we then did by partnering with a company in Silicon Valley called Neolth on a global student ambassador program that houses a global coalition of 240 students from 170 schools and 10 countries.
What sets us apart is that we provide a platform that empowers Gen-Z to redefine the culture of mental health and PREVENT crisis when a lot of the attention is on intervening crises. We see this to be the key to creating an ecosystem that is more mental health-friendly in the future.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
One of my hardest challenges as a young CEO has been managing my team. I’ve struggled with finding a balance on when to be a “chill friend” and when to be a “dynamic leader”. However, I’ve found beauty in that struggle. It’s led me to discover that oftentimes you need to trust your gut and say what needs to be said. I would advise others to do the same. It is important to be able to maintain a culture of honesty where you can tell your team what needs to be done. However, the art is in the framework. Getting across the truth in a manner that resonates with your team has been the key to leveling up my leadership. I’ve found that my team loves optimism and how the work they are doing can create a bigger impact. This often leads me to take on a role as a motivational speaker during our meetings but so long as they find meaning from it, I don’t mind channeling my inner Tony Robbins. I would advise others reading this to closely observe your team and see what makes them tick. Then keep pushing that button and you’ll see your team flourish.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Our youth. It has been the blessing and curse of our growth as a company. Many people (as we call them – haters) see our youth as a sign of inexperience, lack of knowledge, or untrustworthiness. But for every closed door, we have found open ones as well. Those who give us a chance can see that our youth is our biggest strength. We have used our youth to garner change within not just our community but communities around the world. People see our unique passion for seeing a change in mental health prevention when most people are focused on mental health intervention, and they also can see our precise expertise in understanding Gen-Z. I firmly believe all Fortune 500 companies should institute Gen-Z advisors to see significant corporate and social performance improvements. Many people I have spoken to about our work admire how we serve as a platform to empower our generation’s voice in the fight against the mental health epidemic. My response stays the same though, “we’re just getting started.”.
Contact Info:
- Website: theworldisyours-studios.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arbaaz-karim/
- Twitter: @ArbaazKarim