*Mumbai, India - March, 2024:* STEP, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs, successfully hosted the inaugural Green Ribbon Fest on Thursday, at the Hall of Harmony, Nehru Centre, Worli, Mumbai. The event, which ran from 10 am to 5 pm, brought together mental health startups, investors, industry experts, and stakeholders for a day filled with impactful discussions, pitch presentations, and networking opportunities.
The Green Ribbon Fest was founded as a platform to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of mental health. Against the backdrop of increasing awareness and destigmatisation efforts surrounding mental health, the fest aimed to address the critical need for accessible and comprehensive support systems in today's fast-paced and digitally connected world.
Speaking at the event, Reinu Shah, Founder, STEP said, “It is necessary to highlight mental health and look into cutting-edge ways to address mental health issues as societies struggle with a variety of issues. Neglecting mental health can lead to a range of problems, including depression, anxiety, among others. As an incubator, our aim is to encourage innovation and collaboration in the mental health entrepreneurship space. By promoting mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and fostering supportive environments, we can create a society where everyone has access and support they need to thrive mentally and emotionally.”
In the next session, Stepper Ms. Bhavana Issar wowed the audience with an emotional tale of personal and professional experiences highlighting the issues plaguing family caregivers and stated that there isn’t an equivalent word for caregiver in any of the Indian languages. She emphasized that not only the patients but the family caregivers need a community of others who are walking through difficult conditions so that no one feels alone and everyone can replenish their emotional reservoirs. Bhavana is the Founder & CEO of Caregiver Saathi, a social venture dedicated to providing tech-enabled support for family caregivers.
Neha Kirpal, Founder, Amaaha Health said, "The Green Ribbon Fest provides an important forum for startups, investors, and industry experts to come together and drive meaningful change in the mental health landscape. I urge people to work together and build this ecosystem. We need to educate our stakeholders, keep doing advocacy to our stakeholders so that they can educate our investors, educate other sectors and other doctors so the ecosystem can build. Mental health should be treated as science as it creates an impact on every aspect of our lives, everybody needs to work together to solve mental health. By working together, we can build a more accepting and caring society where mental health is valued and encouraged."
Further, she added, “In reflection on the relevance of the event. We can develop workable solutions to deal with our society's changing mental health necessities by encouraging innovation and teamwork. In the field of mental health, activities such as the Green Ribbon Fest are essential for increasing awareness, encouraging cooperation, and sparking creativity. Together, we can build a more promising and healthful future for everyone."
The event showcased the most promising mental health innovators, with 10 startups selected as winners from approx.100 applications received from all over the country. The diverse panel of jury comprised of investors, entrepreneurs, and mental health experts. The startups were categorized into revenue, pre-revenue & prototype stages.
The winners of the pitching competition were INSIGHTE Counselling Vertical- Co Founder: Nikita Nath, Strangify - Founder: Himanshu Rajporohit, Goodlives - Founder: Sakshi Shah, Wellbe – Co Founder: Dr. Siddarth Kumar, Curomates - Founder: Anirudh Roy; and Reboot Wellness - Founder: Saloni Malhotra, Niya - Co Founder: Nidhi Lal, Momly - Co Founder: Supriya Anantkrishnan, and Crink App – Co Founder: Mariyam V Vijayana.
The grand prize, accompanied by a grant of Rs 10,00,000 lakh, was won by Kodate Parenting, led by Jeyappriadhevi J, for building an innovative solution to parenting issues.
When asked about the importance of winning the grant, the winners expressed a sense of gratitude and happiness for their victory. They expressed that winning the grant will significantly aid in the further development and expansion of their startup ventures. This sentiment underscores the importance of such opportunities in providing crucial support for budding entrepreneurs to realize their visions and advance their businesses.
Durmeric Natureceuticals Pvt Ltd served as the gifting partner, underlining their commitment to supporting mental health entrepreneurship.
The Green Ribbon Fest concluded with the prize distribution. STEP expressed gratitude to all the guests, sponsors, and participants for their vital roles in making the event a success. The Green Ribbon Fest, supported by Parivartan, signifies a significant stride towards fostering innovation and collaboration in the mental health sector.
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