My name is Aja Stubbs, and I created We R.I.S.E. New York because I believe deeply in the power of lived experience—and in the people who carry it.

For nearly twenty years, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside individuals impacted by substance use, trauma, and life’s many challenges. I’ve witnessed their courage, their potential, and their ability to rebuild—often while navigating systems that weren’t built with them in mind. Time and time again, I’ve seen that the people closest to the work are the ones who bring the deepest wisdom, the strongest empathy, and the clearest understanding of what true recovery looks and feels like.

But I’ve also seen how often their gifts go unrecognized.

We R.I.S.E. New York was born from a desire to change that—to create a space where people’s stories are honored, their strengths are developed, and their lived experience is seen as a foundation for leadership, not a barrier to it.

My own journey through behavioral health, peer leadership, harm reduction, and program administration has taught me that healing is not linear, and growth is not always comfortable. But I’ve also learned that when someone steps into their purpose—when they begin to see themselves as capable, worthy, and powerful—everything shifts.

That is the heart of We R.I.S.E. New York.

Here, we don’t just train peer professionals.
We nurture confidence.
We grow leaders.
We create belonging.
We build pathways that allow people to rise into who they’ve always been capable of becoming.

If you are entering peer work for the first time, returning to the field, or simply searching for your next chapter, I want you to know this:

Your experience matters. Your voice matters. Your story has power. And there is space for you in this work.

Welcome to We R.I.S.E. New York.
Let’s R.I.S.E. Together.

— Aja