In late 2021, a critical conversation finally began in the United States—a conversation about youth mental health. Alarm bells were sounded by the Surgeon General¹, the American Academy of Pediatrics² and the Department of Education³, all highlighting a disturbing trend: youth mental health had been declining for over two decades, a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Having dedicated a decade to working with schools and adolescents at Actively Learn (now part of McGraw Hill), cofounders Jay Goyal, Anish Mehta, and Scott Freschet recognized the urgent need for innovative solutions. Their research revealed alarming statistics: a significant number of adolescents were not receiving the help they needed, with many relying heavily on schools for support. However, schools were facing a daunting shortage of 100,000 counselors, making it impossible to meet the growing demand.
‍
Initially, the cofounders believed that the solution to this problem must be a human one. Yet, despite their best efforts, they found that no human solution could overcome the barriers of supply and cost—there simply weren’t enough resources to provide human care to every teen in need.
¹ https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-youth-mental-health-advisory.pdf
² https://www.aap.org/en/advocacy/child-and-adolescent-healthy-mental-development/aap-aacap-cha-declaration-of-a-national-emergency-in-child-and-adolescent-mental-health/
³ https://www2.ed.gov/documents/students/supporting-child-student-social-emotional-behavioral-mental-health.pdf