Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Arifah Yusuf. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Arifah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
When I graduated with my Bachelor of Social Work from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) in 2005, I was at a crossroads. I had just completed my placement and was offered a job there. The catch? The pay was just above minimum wage. I had bills to pay, ambitions to pursue, and that offer didn’t feel like the “dream job” I had worked so hard for.
I remember turning to a mentor for advice, hoping for some clarity. Their response stuck with me: “Take the job. Build your relationships. Soak up every opportunity, because this place will give you the kind of experience money can’t buy—yet.”
Over the next seven years, I continued to grow. I transitioned into another two positions with higher pay within the agency—still doing meaningful work in social work and health promotion, but now with increasing leadership responsibilities. Sometimes, I faced pushback on innovative ideas and struggled with moral distress when decisions conflicted with my personal and professional code of ethics. I was also experiencing loss—clients and people close to me lost to community violence—and witnessing barriers to accessible and culturally sensitive care for those living with mental health challenges.
As some of my coworkers were leaving, being laid off, or feeling similarly discouraged, I started asking myself deeper questions: What gaps do I see? What is my purpose? What can I do with the skills, networks, and lived experiences I have?
I remembered advice from my father, who has been an entrepreneur for my entire life: “Whatever you do, have a backup plan—a transferable skill in case you need to pivot or find yourself unemployed.” One day, sitting in my office, I reflected on what I could create that honored my values and passions. That’s when Lifted by Purpose was born—an innovative creative arts enterprise focused on mental health and wellness, designed to address the internal and external realities of people’s lives.
It was a huge risk. I was anxious, unsure of how to start, and constantly questioning myself. I also had a three-year-old son and was navigating the challenges of early parenthood while continuing to upskill throughout my career—taking courses and seeking opportunities to grow my skills and leadership capacity. I worried about how starting something new might affect my ability to care for him, but my mother reassured me she would support me and encouraged me to trust in God, saying, “If it works out, great. If not, it’s just a great story to tell.” Their support gave me a safety net to take the leap.
I started small: writing out our purpose and values, sharing the vision with trusted friends, and designing a logo with input from a diverse demographic of youth, leaders, entrepreneurs, and friends—ensuring it reflected the communities we hoped to serve. I assembled a team with lived experience and diverse skills.
Alongside building Lifted by Purpose, I pursued my passion for the arts. I took an internship writing for a hip-hop digital magazine, which led to an internship and contract work with an independent record label in the US. There, I worked closely with artists and an experienced management team, did PR work, and built relationships that I was later able to use to increase exposure for Lifted by Purpose.
After several attempts, we secured funding—more than all previous grants combined—and launched our first program, Lifted Thursdays, a music mindfulness program. Later came Tattoo Stories, a photo-storytelling exhibit I initially funded with my own money. It received great reviews and media attention, which attracted external support and allowed us to hold four exhibits. From there, we expanded to offer training and consulting for leaders, low-cost therapy services, and an additional program, we then piloted Project TakeOff, a purpose-driven personal and professional development program that supports Black youth with lived experience in the justice system by building the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to increase their success and create meaningful opportunities for the future.
Starting Lifted by Purpose was a leap of faith—full of uncertainty and risk—but it was worth it. From no one knowing about us to now training leaders, designing projects for other organizations, speaking on recognized platforms, and receiving awards, I bet on myself and trusted my dreams, intuition, and heart to bring forth transformative change—not just for youth, but for leaders and systems as well.
I’m not sure where life will take me next, but I want to keep taking risks that feel right and enhance my life in meaningful ways—and the lives of those around me. It’s true: once you take one step toward something you believe in, a ripple effect begins. Your confidence grows, your belief in yourself strengthens, and your willingness to take more risks becomes easier.
Arifah, 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’m a registered social worker, psychosocial trainer, entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for the arts—championing creative expression as a vital tool for healing, storytelling, and building community. I’ve worked across sectors and gained recognition for my work in community, leadership, and social impact. My path into this work was shaped by personal and professional experiences that showed me how much people need inclusive, expressive spaces to process life’s challenges, access resources, and cultivate purpose.
I founded Lifted by Purpose to address gaps in support for young people—particularly those navigating the justice system, housing instability, and mental health challenges. What began as a dream and a commitment to possibility has grown into an organization that fosters healing, growth, and transformation.
We engage and collaborate with diverse populations and partners to support initiatives centered on prevention, intervention, and community connection. Our programs and services offer training, workshops, and consulting designed for leaders, educators, grassroots groups, and community and health care workers seeking to enhance their knowledge, skills, and self-care practices. We also provide low-cost virtual therapy for young adults.
What sets us apart is our dedication to using the arts, storytelling, education, healing circles, and evidence-informed practices to increase awareness, empathy, and support healing and growth. We’re intentional about making mental health and wellness feel inclusive, culturally relevant, and human-centered. Our work isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about creating connection, building trust, and making meaningful impact.
What I’m most proud of is our willingness to take risks and innovate, the relationships we’ve built with alumni and community partners, and the trust we’ve cultivated through the knowledge, tools, and care we bring into our work. The feedback from participants and collaborators is heartwarming and energizing—it keeps us motivated even when facing challenges like limited funding or adapting during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our ability to pivot while staying grounded in our purpose reflects our dedication and compassion.
What keeps us going is the transformation that continues to unfold in ways that are both seen and deeply felt.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
At every stage of my life, I’ve faced significant adversity, especially around loss. It often felt like just when I had something to celebrate or began to feel a sense of peace, tragedy would follow. From a young age, I had to find ways to navigate these moments—long before I had the language or tools to name what I was experiencing.
I was nine years old when it began. After a beautiful evening at my sister’s band concert, we came home to devastating news that a family friend and neighbor had been killed. Two weeks later, my sixteen-year-old cousin was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting—caught in the crossfire of a conflict that had nothing to do with him. The adults around me leaned on each other, but no one thought to explain what was happening or ask how I felt. They were deep in their own grief, doing the best they could to cope with what they had the capacity for. Our home was like a community hub, filled with people grieving.
I remember going to school in a daze, and that same day, the school put on a play about death. I had a breakdown and was removed from the gym. No one asked why, and even if they had, I don’t know if I would have shared. I knew, even then, that my reality was different from others—and I carried that.
That early experience of unspoken grief shaped how I coped through future losses—many of which came while I was in university, on practicum, or working in my field. Along the way, I reached for what I could—turning to the arts, therapy, music, my support circle, and writing as ways to process and heal. I wrote letters to those I missed, and started to open up to trusted people. I also invested in becoming certified and taking courses related to mental health and wellness, especially around trauma and strategies for coping and recovery.
Over time, I found myself not only healing, but also creating spaces for others to do the same. I’ve designed and facilitated grief and loss healing circles, and spoken with communities impacted by violence—helping to unpack trauma, share supports available, and discuss ways to check in with their children and loved ones.
They say in times of pain, find something meaningful to do and a way to express it. I did both. Founding Lifted by Purpose gave me a way to offer the kind of programs and support that the younger version of me would have benefited from. It gave me purpose and helped me honor the people I love and miss. It’s my way of saying, “Look what we’ve accomplished.”
And it’s so meaningful to have received input, trust, and support along the way from young people, friends, and community members with similar lived experiences—so we’re collectively ensuring we get it right, or know how to improve along the way.
Lifted by Purpose is not just a name—it’s an affirmation that keeps me grounded and reminds me of my “why.” Our tagline is, “When you know your why, everything else falls into place.”
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the idea that I needed external validation to trust my own voice, vision, and leadership. I had to relearn how to listen to myself—my hopes, intuition, and lived experience—and recognize that my direction was enough, even when others didn’t understand it yet.
This lesson became especially clear while navigating spaces where diversity was scarce, and where being a Black woman—who also looks younger than I am—meant constantly having to prove myself, my knowledge, and my work. I’ve been in rooms where I felt dismissed, challenged, or treated like I was taking up space. Speaking up meant risking being labeled “difficult,” while staying quiet felt like shrinking myself. I had to learn how to set boundaries rooted in culture and care, and redefine what it meant to hold space without apology.
Unlearning Western and colonial mindsets that prize certain types of expertise over others has also been part of this journey. I’ve come to embrace that degrees, recognized certifications, lived experience, and alternative learning paths are all valid. There’s power in unlearning, relearning, and honoring your truth. I’m proud to lead from a place that is authentic, trauma-informed, and rooted in purpose—modeling that the most transformative knowledge often comes from the intersections of experience, culture, community, and self-trust.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://liftedbypurpose.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liftedbypurpose
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiftedByPurpose
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lifted-by-purpose
- Twitter: https://x.com/liftedbypurpose
- Youtube: https://vimeo.com/liftedbypurpose
- Other: https://linktr.ee/LiftedbyPurpose
https://www.linkedin.com/in/arifah-yusuf-29a7aa55/
Image Credits
KYLE SEALEY
FABIAN REINKE
FITZROY FACEY
KYLE BOHAM
DWAYNE EVANS
DAAIMAH YUSUF
RSONIST
INKED BY GIGGLES
GEE
JELLYTOOFLY
STEPHANIE MARSHALL
KIMBERLY MILLER-PRYCE
MERGE SPACES
ARTSCAPE SANDBOX
LBP ALUMNI PARTICIPANTS
VOLUNTEERS