Ladderworks is an online curriculum and picture book publishing platform with a mission to empower over a million children to become social entrepreneurs. Our current series features interviews from our interplanetary journalist Spiffy with inspiring social entrepreneurs and business ecosystem builders, who are advancing the UN SDGs.
Spiffy here with the scoop on the business leaders of Planet Earth. As the only interplanetary journalist stationed on this blue planet, I am delighted to present this galactic exclusive with Ariana Alejandra Gibson, co-founder and CEO of STIGMA. Let’s see what she is doing to make a positive impact in the world.
Elegant: Hi Ariana, thanks a million for talking to me today. Tell me, what challenge is STIGMA addressing?
Ariana: Happy to be with you, Spiffy! Our mission at STIGMA is to normalize conversations about mental health through storytelling so that asking for help is easier. There are many rallying cries in the world to “normalize mental health conversations,” but if you don’t give people a safe space to practice these challenging conversations for the first time, we won’t make any progress. At STIGMA, we host events where people can sit in front of a camera and share their stories and we have a mobile app where people can view those stories or use them as a way to ask for and offer messages of hope to people who understand their lived experiences. .
Elegant: What motivated you to do it?
Ariana: I was born in Costa Rica to a father with schizophrenia, and I saw how cruel the world can be to people who are different. I saw many portrayals in the media and on television of people with schizophrenia that were not fair or correct. So, I wanted to tell stories of real people living with misunderstood conditions to help educate societies about what it’s really like to live with mental illness and other conditions.
Elegant: This is so important, how would you say your organization is building a more equitable world?
Ariana: We have three pillars of STIGMA: Education, Compassion and Action. We educate people with the stories we share, and when people learn about a condition through the voice of a human who lives with it, they develop more compassion for that person and the lived experience. When someone is ready to take action, our app connects them with others and resources to get help or offer support.
Elegant: How nice! Tell me about a recent milestone for the STIGMA organization. What impact does it have?
Ariana: We recently crossed 1 million views of our content on TikTok. For us, it’s not about being “famous” or “influencers”. This number means that more than a million people have seen stories that will either make them feel less alone in their experience or make people more compassionate about experiences outside of their own.
Elegant: That is beautiful. Speaking of shared experiences, what is an experience when you faced failure and didn’t give up? What did you learn from that?
Ariana: I love singing. I’m not good at it, but it’s something I love to do. In high school I auditioned for an a cappella group at school and I didn’t make it. I tried every year and never quite got it, but I didn’t let that stop me from singing. For me it was never about trying to make it as a singer. I just wanted to pass the time singing because it brought me joy. So, I kept doing it. When I was pregnant with my son and almost every day since he was born four years ago, I sang to him. Now I sing with him. I didn’t let a singing slot that said “No” stop me from doing something I love.
Elegant: What is something you have unexpectedly learned from someone recently?
Ariana: I have learned that if you have a dream, work very, very hard and never give up, even when it gets so challenging that you want to, you can do amazing things.
Elegant: Thanks for talking to me today, Ariana, it’s been an honor!
Ariana Alejandra Gibson is a documentary filmmaker and startup founder who spends her time making videos about people who are inspiring. She is passionate about normalizing conversations around mental health and loves to travel. (Nominated by Desiree Vargas Wrigley of TechRise. First published on the Ladderworks website on September 8, 2022).
© 2022 Ladderworks LLC. Edited by Jason “Jackson” Block. Spiffy Illustration by Shreyas Navare. To view Ladderworks digital curriculum to help K-3 children advance the UN SDGs, visit Spiffy’s Corner here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
