Impakt Foundation for Social Change was founded in 2019 by Paul Klein, a recognized leader in corporate social responsibility and social impact. Inspired by The Tailor Project, Paul saw how meaningful employment, skill-building, and community connection could help newcomers rebuild their lives while strengthening the broader community.
At the same time, Fatemeh Alhosseini was completing her PhD on resilience among refugee communities. She first joined Impakt as a board member and later became Executive Director, bringing a unique combination of evidence based practices, lived experience, and deep commitment to refugee-led solutions.
Newcomers arrive with significant skills, experience, and potential. However, the systems designed to support them are often fragmented, siloed, and difficult to navigate, resulting in delayed employment, prolonged shelter stays, and underutilization of talent.
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Rather than adding more programs to an already complex landscape, we integrate and coordinate existing services around each individual. Through trust-based relationships and refugee-led support, we connect employment, mental health, belonging, and housing pathways into one coordinated journey.
Our idea is simple: when systems work together around people, newcomers can move faster from survival to stability.
A leading organization for the holistic integration of newly arrived Canadians that honours & strengthens the uniqueness of a diverse, inclusive Canada. Newcomers are welcomed into every community.
We transform refugee shelters and temporary accommodation spaces into dignified, community-powered hubs: where refugees lead navigation, mental-health support, and employment pathways onsite, accelerating stable housing transitions and reshaping the system, for refugees, by refugees.
Kinship: We are a family of friends bonded by the need for connection and support in navigating a new life in Canada.
Empowerment:
We encourage our voices to be heard and part of the solution.
Compassion:
We stand with newcomers, not above them, as they overcome challenges and pursue their dreams. We create a community where everyone belongs.
Curiosity:
We listen to each other’s stories through the lens of possibility, guided by evidence-based insights and research-driven approaches, while remaining open to growth & improvement.
Optimism:
We meet each other with courage, determination hope, where aspirations are our collective priority.
Refugees are not just participants in our programs. They are leaders within the system.
Through our Cultural Ambassadors, individuals with lived experience take on active roles in service delivery and design.
Guide and support peers through complex systems.
Build trust and increase engagement among communities.
Co-design programs based on real, evolving needs.
Lead program delivery and contribute to ongoing evaluation and needs assessment
This approach embeds lived experience at every level, from outreach to implementation to evaluation.
As a result, we see stronger participation, more relevant services, and improved outcomes across employment, belonging, and stability.
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Our Board of Directors and team bring together lived experience, professional expertise, and a shared commitment to supporting newcomers and refugees.
Together, we work to create meaningful impact and lasting pathways to belonging.
