My name is Ruhee Khan and I am passionate about improving the quality of life of all those I can reach. This interest stems from me being an Ismaili Muslim and being taught to always give back to my community. Also, the education I received through my Dual Degree with Health Sciences has motivated me to help especially those from lower socio-economic standings. My experience lies in strategy, operations, and healthcare- all of which I use to help fuel my freelance business!

What is your personal definition of sustainability?

My personal definition of sustainability is reflected through the simple word, “honesty”, I feel that if a person or a business is functioning honestly they will be responsible, ethical, and intentional about all their actions. In doing so, they will not harm any communities or populations, negatively impact any lives, and will not create long lasting impacts for generations to come.

Honesty is key to a business and an individual because it builds rapport. If something needs to be hidden, then there must be something off. For this reason, sustainability to me is working honestly, with no shame, and without exploiting anyone along the way.

What role do you see sustainability playing in your professional career?

I do not find myself motivated to work mindlessly unless I feel, genuinely, that I am making an impact. For this reason, all of the opportunities I have sought, I’ve made sure I am helping a population I know will benefit from my efforts. This desire is rooted in my gratitude for being able to have an education at such a great institution and feeling it is my responsibility to help those who do not have these same opportunities. 

In my professional career, I have been working with various companies in many different industries- but my intense desire to create an impact has led to me to the realm of healthcare and business for the time being, where I am able to positively effect the health outcomes of many ill individuals. I hope to continue on this journey, where I can see the return of my hard work in the improvement of others’ lives in whatever industry I end up in. Additionally, I am also an avid volunteer with the goal of giving back to every community which I have lived as I would not be who I am without them.

To me, sustainability is more than just an aspect of my career but it is what will drive me to achieve the highest success and help the most people.

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

The desire to create long term impact was something I thrived towards even before learning about sustainability formally. From a young age I have been very involved with wanting to create an impact with youth because I understood that early interactions matter. I was able to accomplish this by organizing various events within my Ismaili community in Brampton and also volunteering within the city. Throughout the years, I have volunteered with organizations such as Students Offering Support, Frontier College Canada, the Peel District School Board, and many more focusing on students and education.

More recently, I worked at the Crouch Neighborhood Resource Center located on Hamilton Road in London and worked at Youth Support Worker. In my role, I was able to work as a translator with new immigrants, run healthy eating workshops, volunteer at a food bank, and work with youth to create healthy learning environments to enable growth.

This experience to help and engage with vulnerable populations moved me so much that I launched my own initiative helping small business with a social purpose which I continue to pursue into the future.