I invite you all to join me in building a global movement:
> to end the stigma around mental health and loneliness
> to challenge the culture of silence around gendered violence, and
> to redefine masculine ideals for future generations
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THE WHY BEHIND THE MOVEMENT...
My path to Stanford began not so much with ambition, but survival.
Years ago, I'd quietly endured an excruciatingly painful, near-fatal medical trauma. I was a nineteen year old in a college dorm who chose to not call home for help just so my sister, who was halfway through a pregnancy that was a massive risk to her life, could be fully supported over me.
But when I got home and my sister was safe, I did not get the surgical cure that I needed and was rather met with shaming and silence.
In the years that followed, I suppressed unending pain and health anxiety while continuing to witness gendered violence around me. That propelled me to overlook my own pain and rather keep working to get my sister and her child a new beginning away from home.
I succeeded but only to find myself totally broken, grappling with thoughts such as "what is my identity?" "why am I even living?"
Eventually, by seeking mental health help, I dared to stand up and make a fresh start in California — a new beginning that demanded years of quiet grieving and slow rebuilding...
But there came a point when my deepest inner demons came knocking back on the door of my consciousness.
So, 2 years ago, I left my job and a California life that looked picture perfect to face a truth I could no longer outrun: My body was holding unresolved pain that my voice had never been allowed to even name.
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A STORY AS A ROADMAP FOR OTHERS...
Now I am back not just with healing – unlike ever before – but also a vision to build an ecosystem so others won’t have to go through a similar journey all alone.
Particularly people from cultures – like the South Asian one that I come from – where silence is the norm.
Especially men, who would consider suicide over speaking up.
It starts with my memoir, one that I began drafting in my time away from California as I started living with new mindsets and somatic tools as outlined in the book The Body Keeps The Score (B. van der Kolk).
The universe responded, as veterans from the literary and journalism world began backing my early work. Penguin Random House in India reviewed my samples and said they were “extremely interested” in pursuing this story when its crafted and ready.
As a result, I began believing in the power of stories — honest, vulnerable, redemptive accounts of lived experiences — that can change the world.
Just as... Maya Angelou's works giving voice to the marginalized; Trevor Noah's Born a Crime becoming a bridge across cultures; Brene Brown's books sparking a dialogue on vulnerability and Gabor Mate's voice normalizing trauma, grief and healing!
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FROM A STORY TO A MOVEMENT...
While bringing my story to life is a starting point, it won't be enough to bring large scale impact and social change.
That is why, through public conversations, community events, and cross-cultural storytelling we will create a social impact vehicle confronting stigma and gender violence head-on and usher us into a world where silence breaks and human-centered leadership grows.
A community platform will be the central living hub for this movement and among many things, it will particularly give men a space to be vulnerable and supported.
The long term vision is even bigger: creating modern gathering places that serve as centers for healing and transformation, where people come together across backgrounds to rebuild the community that we’ve lost in recent years.
So this is not just about art. It’s a social change movement that is seeding a storytelling and community venture for combating stigma and gender violence, and creating physical hubs for healing and transformation in the long run.
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THE PROGRESS SO FAR...
This vision isn’t something any single donor or organization can create alone. Real change takes a movement, and movements are only built on public support. Philanthropy helped me get this far, but from here it’s people like you who can carry it forward.
I have completed Phase 1 — drafting the memoir — with $50,000 of philanthropic support for my writing sabbatical.
Now I’m raising an initial $100,000 by Nov 15th to kickstart Phase 2 by:
Ø Launching a digital media platform that brings people together to share personal stories in a safe space — helping men, especially, see they are not alone in their pain, healing, or search for belonging.
Ø Levelling up the draft manuscript for global readership with a US-based team of writing collaborators, mentors and editors.
Ø Running pilot workshops and forums that connect thousands of people — especially men who are lacking community and good masculine ideals in their life.
Ø Building momentum ahead of the memoir’s release by amplifying the story through content, speaking campaigns, podcasts, and collaborations — and as a result, nudge others to share their stories.
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BE A PART OF THE CHANGE...
This isn’t charity — it’s fuel for change.
It’s an invitation to be part of something larger than any one of us: a movement reshaping how we understand and speak about mental health, masculinity, trauma, and healing.
Supporting this work isn’t just about helping me launch a memoir — it’s about joining the early wave of a platform that will help save lives, shift culture, and give voice to countless untold stories. It’s about creating the kind of space where men and women alike can see that vulnerability is not weakness — it’s the beginning of truth.
And it’s not just personal — it’s urgent. We’re heading into a post-AI, post-borders, post-trauma world that demands not just new technology, but new humanity. This project aims to equip people everywhere with the tools, stories, and community to meet that future with more healing, more readiness, and more optimism.
Your support will ripple outward — touching not just one life or one book, but generations to come. If you see the long game the way I do, I’d love your support.
Come join me in changing the world!
Love,
Zuber Memon
Stanford MBA alum
Memoirist & Social Entrepreneur
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References:
Organizer
Zuber Memon
Organizer
San Francisco, CA