Mental Health and Mentorship in the MENASA Community with Nagi Alsubai

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, host Alexander Lapa speaks with Nagi Alsubai, founder of Peer Minds, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting mental health in the Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian (MENASA) communities. Nagi shares his personal journey, from struggling with mental health stigma to creating a peer mentorship program that fosters open conversations and real change. Tune in to hear how mentorship, lived experience, and strategic partnerships are shaping a new approach to mental wellness.

Topics We Cover:

• The inspiration behind Peer Minds and the need for culturally specific mental health support
• How stigma and cultural expectations impact mental health in MENASA communities
• The power of mentorship and lived experience in overcoming mental health struggles
• The role of pop culture, including Avatar: The Last Airbender and Boy Meets World, in shaping mentorship models
• How Peer Minds is creating safe spaces for Arab and South Asian men to discuss mental health
• The challenges and rewards of running a grassroots nonprofit organization
• Strategies for building partnerships and expanding reach in the nonprofit sector
• The evolving role of virtual and in-person mentorship in supporting mental wellness

To Learn More and Connect with Nagi:
PeerMinds.org
@PeerMindsMentors on Instagram
@Peer-Minds on LinkedIn
E-Mail Nagi@PeerMinds.org
Avatar: The Last Airbender (TV series)
Boy Meets World (TV series)