When it came time for Laiba Khaqan (BA ’22) to choose where to study, York University’s distinguished psychology program was an easy decision. It was her time as a York student that would spark her passion to drive systemic change, a commitment that continues to shape her path today as an entrepreneur and mental health advocate bridging mental health, technology and education.
“I chose to study at York because I think it has one of the best psychology programs,” says Laiba. “I had a professor named Dr. Joel Goldberg and he was very specialized and passionate about schizophrenia, which is something I’m doing my mental health work in today.”
As a psychology student, Laiba noticed the lack of awareness and conversation around schizophrenia. For Laiba the silence was deeply personal; having a close family member with schizophrenia gave her a first-hand perspective on the impact of the stigma that surrounded it. This motivated her to create the Schizophrenia Society of York, a platform to raise awareness, encourage conversations and build community.
“I thought I was the only one who had a family member with schizophrenia,” says Laiba. “When I started talking to people on campus, so many people including my close friends shared their experiences. It made me understand that when we create the space to talk, the lived experiences and storytelling is what humanizes people.”
After graduating from York, Laiba wanted to continue to inspire change and advocate for schizophrenia and mental health beyond the York community. In 2023, she was a founding member of Living Beyond Labels, a non-profit that uses storytelling to reduce stigma around mental health and support individuals affected by schizophrenia and psychosis. Through this initiative, Laiba has reached over 600 people with her advocacy.
“I think there’s a lot of stigma, no matter how many mental health conversations we have,” says Laiba. “Conditions like schizophrenia and psychosis are never given light to when we have these conversations. I hope we can continue to humanize individuals who have it and provide the spaces to have these conversations.”
But mental health advocacy isn’t the only domain where Laiba is leveraging her education and skills. She is also a founding member and director of People Strategy and Operations of ConnectED Labs, a tech startup that develops artificial intelligence (AI)-powered 3D environments to enhance online education, hybrid work and workforce training.
“I think it’s important to have people like myself in these spaces, with a background in psychology, to provide a more humanistic approach,” says Laiba. “We can create something that isn’t so tech-driven and eliminates the human connection.”
Laiba has grown the team from two people to 25, helped raise over $6.1 million in funding and led multimillion-dollar projects with the Government of Canada. Her leadership has scaled the company as part of a social enterprise with Voilà Learning.
“I’m kind of excited to see where AI agents are going to go,” says Laiba. “I think with AI, we’re going to lose human connection. It’s going to be interesting to see how we can promote human interactions using AI and not just see it as something that’s going to destroy but facilitate.”
Today, Laiba is building on this passion as she is currently pursuing her graduate studies in clinical mental health counseling, deepening her commitment to creating digital and institutional systems that prioritize people first.
Laiba Khaqan is a 2025 recipient of York University’s Top 30 Alumni Under 30 which recognizes inspiring and diverse alumni 29 years old and younger who are driven to make a difference locally and globally. View the 2025 Top 30 Alumni Under 30.