Sherman Ho is the co-founder of the Happiness Initiative, a social enterprise based in Singapore that aims to make well-being tools accessible to everyone. The initiative was sparked by a simple question: Why are Singaporeans so unhappy, despite the country having the world’s highest GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, and integrity in government and businesses? The Happiness Initiative was established in 2019 by Ho and his co-founder, Simon Leow. Since then, they have developed programmes grounded in data and research to build a preventative approach towards mental health conditions.

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Across Asia, there is relentless pressure to perform on students, irrespective of their academic aptitude. Matthew Kwok, co-founder and executive director of Just Feel, is dedicated to providing more emotional support. Just Feel has conducted emotional intelligence workshops for over 25,000 students in Hong Kong, aiming to enhance their well-being.

Fatiha Shuib has been immersed in the social impact space since her graduation in 2015. She first established 1Moment4Them, a social enterprise dedicated to organising humanitarian and economic development programmes in rural areas. Two years ago, she ventured into the mental well-being sector with Sapot, a Malaysia-based self-care and social support platform. Sapot aims to create an inclusive ecosystem for mental healthcare.

Dedicated to helping high-risk youths, psychotherapist Narasimman Tivasiha Mani is the executive director and co-founder of Impart. He established Impart to provide these young people with the support they need to break free from the cycles they're trapped in. Impart focuses on three main areas: Impart Education, Impart Community and Impart Mental Health Care. The latter encompasses four different branches that provide services including mental health first responders, volunteer training, clinical care as well as advocacy and research.

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Accessing mental healthcare can be challenging. It faces stigma in some societies and can be prohibitively expensive. Malaysian clinical psychologist-turned-founder Joey Kee established Ripple Community to tackle these very issues. The platform provides timely and affordable access to a diverse network of therapists across various specialities. Ripple also recently launched Early Minds, an app specifically designed for young children.

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Motherhood can be both magical and daunting. Nadine Gadia Casino, the founder of Modern Nanays of Mindanao and Alima Mother Support Center, is determined to ensure that no new mother in the Philippines faces that journey alone. Her work encompasses pregnancy, postnatal, and breastfeeding support. Modern Nanays of Mindanao is a support network of mothers, offering both practical and emotional advice.

Read more: From mum guilt to breastfeeding, these women get honest about the realities of pregnancy and motherhood

Since its establishment in 2017, Mediot, a mental health platform based in Taiwan, has served 60,000 individuals seeking psychological counselling. Cary Hsieh is the visionary behind Mediot and its subsidiary, FarHugs. He intended to alleviate the strain on Taiwan's medical systems and, in doing so, help democratise access to mental healthcare.

Discover more wellness champions across Asia on the Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow 2024.

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