Features October 04, 2025

This Global Mental Health Startup Provides 24/7 Access to Mental Health Support

MindNation is about creating safe, stigma-free spaces where people can seek help, talk openly, and find solutions.

MindNation, a global mental health and well-being company, was selected as one of the five recipients of the GrowthCon PH 2025 Startup Awards for its innovation and AI integration, as well as its impact on mental health care in the Philippines.

With the theme “Powering Up the Startup Ecosystem Through AI,” GrowthCon PH 2025 look at how artificial intelligence fuels startup growth in the Philippines. The inaugural Startup Awards was held as part of the event to honor the most forward-thinking startups that are reshaping industries through groundbreaking AI integration, visionary leadership, and sustainable growth strategies.

In an exclusive interview with The Business Manual, MindNation Co-Founder and Chief Product and Data Officer Cat Triviño talked about how MindNation tackles mental health challenges, what challenges the startup continues to face, and what it hopes to achieve in the years to come.

The Starting Point Was a Breaking Point

With a background in marketing and brand strategy, Triviño built campaigns and managed global brands in fast food, media, and telecommunications for over 12 years. However, all her hard work came to a standstill in 2018, when she experienced what she describes as a “deeply personal breaking point.”

“My mental health challenges forced me to pause, re-evaluate my purpose, and ask myself harder questions about the kind of impact I wanted to make,” says Triviño during the interview. “Through my personal experiences, I had learned how difficult it was to be able to find and afford expert support and how stigmatized it was to talk about at home and in the workplace.”

This led her to ask, “How much more difficult would it be for people who don’t have the same resources?”

“I’ve lived through anxiety, burnout, and depression myself, and I saw firsthand how inaccessible, expensive, and stigmatized mental health support was globally. At the time, most companies didn’t offer mental health support, and individuals were often left to navigate their struggles alone.”

This shift inspired her to co-found MindNation with Kana Takahashi—who contributed her background in psychology and advocacy—and Monique Ong, whose expertise in business, technology, and leadership completed the team.

Just like Triviño, her co-founders saw a huge gap in mental health care.

“People needed support, but the systems weren’t built for accessibility or affordability,” Triviño points out. “MindNation was born out of that need: to make mental health care more approachable, more human, and more integrated into people’s daily lives.”

“Our goal was to normalize conversations around mental health and create solutions that meet people where they are, whether at home, at work, or online,” she adds.

Comprehensive Services, Holistic Well-Being

At the core of MindNation is the drive to help individuals and organizations take charge of their overall well-being.

“We offer comprehensive services that promote holistic well-being for individuals and teams, encompassing physical, emotional, mental, social, and cultural aspects,” says Triviño.

Through MindNation, anyone in need of mental health support has immediate access to experts through 24/7 teletherapy, group sessions, in-depth assessments and surveys, mental health first aid training, and more.

Organizations looking to offer mental health care for their employees can likewise tap MindNation’s end-to-end Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This gives employees confidential access to expert care, data-driven well-being insights, and a supportive ecosystem that drives productivity and trust.

“At its heart, MindNation is about creating safe, stigma-free spaces where people can seek help, talk openly, and find solutions anytime, anywhere,” says the MindNation co-founder.

*Kana Takahashi, Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer of MindNation*

The Challenge of Tackling Stigma

Despite the strong sense of purpose that drives MindNation, Triviño admits that one of the biggest challenges that she and her co-founders have faced is tackling both the cultural and corporate stigma around mental health.

“In many traditional workplaces, mental health is still seen as taboo,” she says. “Getting leaders to invest in well-being programs required a lot of education, storytelling, and proving ROI through data.”

The co-founders likewise faced challenges in scaling responsibly as they worked to ensure that growth didn’t compromise the quality of care.

“We solved this by investing heavily in tech, processes, and training while building a strong network of qualified experts through partnerships with the academe (we’re providing scholarships for Psychology graduates in De La Salle University) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses and training for professionals,” Triviño shares.

For MindNation’s Chief Product and Data Officer, the biggest lesson she has learned from these challenges is that purpose is powerful, but execution is everything.

She explains, “We had to balance empathy with strategy, staying rooted in our mission while building systems that sustain it.”

Building a Team Driven by Purpose

Triviño acknowledges that the shift from being an employee to leading an organization has been a challenge as many things, including her own attitude, mindset, and priorities, had to change.

“But it’s been a blessing to have a stronger sense of self and purpose to what I do every day,” she says.

Having lived through anxiety, burnout, and depression herself, Triviño ensures that she and her co-founders’ leadership approach is both collective and collaborative. While Triviño serves as Chief Product and Data Officer, Takahashi is now the Chief Impact Officer handling product development and tech, while Ong serves as MindNation’s Chief Executive Officer.

“We believe leadership isn’t about one person’s voice, it’s about creating an environment where every team member feels supported, trusted, and empowered to do their best work,” she explains.

As MindNation is a mostly remote organization, trust, empathy, and accountability—which the company refers to as Heartitude, Each Person Counts, and Betterfy—are at the core of operations. This is likewise reflected in their hiring philosophy.

“Since we’ve been a remote-first organization from the beginning, we also value people who thrive in environments built on trust, accountability, and autonomy,” Triviño explains. “We focus on output-based delivery—promotions, recognition, and merit are tied to the impact and quality of work, not simply time logged.”

While skills and performance are non-negotiable, MindNation likewise looks for purpose alignment.

“Our mission to make mental health care more accessible and stigma-free resonates deeply with our team, and it’s that shared sense of responsibility that drives collaboration and innovation across regions,” says Triviño. “By combining technical excellence with cultural fit and trust-driven flexibility, we’ve been able to build a strong, diverse, and passionate team that’s capable of scaling our impact globally.”

Ultimately, MindNation’s workplace culture embodies the very advocacy its team champions—a workplace where psychological safety, trust, and balance are not just ideals but everyday realities.

*Monique Ong, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MindNation*

Growth Driven by Continuous Innovation

Triviño believes that MindNation stands out for its ability to foster meaningful collaboration with organizations, ensuring that mental health and well-being are not treated as mere box-ticking initiatives but are deeply embedded in the company’s DNA.

“We work closely with leaders, HR teams, and employees to co-create strategies and solutions that transform workplace culture into one that genuinely prioritizes care, psychological safety, and employee well-being,” she explains.

Bolstering this approach is MindNation’s continuous innovation, which combines human-centered care with technology. Triviño highlights the 8-Minute Connect, the company’s rapid-access mental health hotline that is designed to make expert support available within minutes, as well as the Infinity Plans for individuals on the MindNation app, which offer flexible, all-in-one care subscriptions.

“Our strategy has earned us the trust of global organizations from Asia to Latin America and soon the U.S.,” says Triviño. “Our expansion across these regions is proof that our model, one that balances contextually relevant services, human-centered care, and tech-driven accessibility, works at scale.”

MindNation in Today’s Competitive Landscape

Six years after it was founded, MindNation is now seen as a trusted mental health and well-being partner in various regions. In addition to the 8-Minute Connect and Infinity Plans, the following innovations have been key to setting MindNation apart from similar companies and organizations:

HERmones – an upcoming women’s hormone health app designed to provide an unfiltered and no-holds-barred look at hormonal changes. By integrating physical and mental well-being, HERmones aims to extend our mission into this critical and underserved space for women.
The Best Me Dashboard© – gamefies and rewards users’ well-being journey and empowers organizations with actionable insights into employee well-being, cultural transformation, and ROI, helping leaders make better decisions and build healthier workplaces.

“These solutions are backed by a high-performing, globally distributed team built on skill, quality of work, and purpose alignment,” says Triviño. “By combining expertise with empathy, we’ve been able to deliver consistently at the highest standards, earning the trust of global organizations across industries.”

“We don’t just provide services; we create long-term partnerships that embed a culture of care into the DNA of organizations and within individuals—and that’s where our true competitive edge lies,” she adds.

Despite the success MindNation has enjoyed since 2019, Triviño notes that two key trends shaping the mental health and well-being landscape today affect the company. One supports MindNation’s mission, while the other challenges it.

There is a growing awareness and demand for well-being programs, which undoubtedly supports her startup’s mission.

“There’s a stronger push for holistic wellness strategies, not just for mental health but also for physical, financial, and social well-being,” she explains. “This shift has helped open more doors for us to collaborate with companies on building long-term ecosystems of care rather than short-term initiatives.”

While awareness and demand for better mental health care have been steadily increasing, the parallel rise in stress, burnout, and financial anxiety has posed challenges for MindNation.

“Our recent MindNation Well-Being Surveys reveal a significant rise in financial-related well-being concerns, which have become one of the top three stressors for employees,” the MindNation co-founder shares. “Many workers across Asia cite financial instability, rising living costs, and debt as key drivers of anxiety—issues that often intersect with mental health challenges like burnout, sleep disruption, and emotional fatigue.”

According to Triviño, this duality of rising awareness alongside increasing mental health challenges is compelling MindNation to accelerate innovation. The company is focusing on meeting people where they are—whether at work, home, or online—and delivering more holistic, context-aware solutions that address the full spectrum of well-being.

MindNation in the Next Five Years

While MindNation has achieved a lot in the last six years, Triviño and her co-founders still have a vision to make their company the most trusted mental health and well-being partner across Asia, Latin America, and beyond, creating a world where access to care is not a privilege, but a given.

In order to achieve this, MindNation will continue expanding its presence in Asia and Latin America and preparing for its U.S. launch under a brand called Hey Blu. MindNation likewise plans to double down on 8-Minute Connect and scale Infinity Plans on the MindNation app.

“Since the beginning, we have aimed to address well-being holistically—recognizing that mental health is deeply interconnected with financial stress, physical health and workplace culture,” says Triviño. “Our roadmap focuses on expanding solutions like 8-Minute Connect for rapid expert support, Infinity Plans for flexible subscriptions, and HERmones to address women’s hormone-related health—all designed to meet people where they are.”

“We are hopeful and look forward to our rapid global expansion, strengthening our footprint across Asia and Latin America while gearing for U.S. readiness, scaling our services to reach more diverse and underserved communities worldwide,” she adds.

Advice for Future Mental Health and Well-Being Service Providers

Given the demand for mental health care and well-being, MindNation most likely won’t be the last company to tackle the stigma and challenges that prevent people from getting the help they need.

The task can be daunting, but Triviño offers the following pieces of advice to those who want to step into the same industry.

Lead with Empathy, But Design with Data

“You’re building for real human needs,” Triviño reminds. “So listen deeply, but validate your solutions with evidence.”

Build Trust Before Scale

“In mental health, people won’t choose you unless they feel safe with you,” she points out. “Value partnerships, advocates, and pay it forward with non-profit organizations and government groups that share your mission.”

Stay Adaptive

“The landscape changes fast: regulations, tech, even cultural norms. Your strategies must evolve just as quickly.”

Triviño also shares three pieces of advice she’d give her younger self, the version of her in 2019 who’s raring to launch MindNation and change the landscape of mental health care.

Invest in Systems Early

“Prioritize policies, processes, and develop systems that guide teams to work efficiently and effectively,” Triviño explains.

Ask for Help When You Need It

“Whether it’s [from] mentors, advisors, or peers. Surrounding yourself with people who’ve walked this path will save you time, energy, and heartache.”

Pace Yourself

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” she points out. “Don’t burn out building a company meant to fight burnout.”

About GrowthCon PH 2025 Startup Awards

As part of GrowthCon PH 2025, The Business Manual held the inaugural Startup Awards, which recognized the contributions and celebrated the success of five of the Philippines’ most forward-looking startups. Along with MindNation, the Startup Awards honored Shoppable, Lithos Manufacturing, Invested Ed, and Flying Tigers Express.

The five awardees were selected from a total of 16 finalists that were nominated based on the following criteria: