Venture Spotlight: Bare Mind Holdings

Founders: Mahlodi Letsie, Rethabile Mokhothu and Paul Ramaema

The Africa Health Collaborative, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, will be welcoming the Health Entrepreneurship (HENT) African Impact Challenge’s second cohort for their upcoming visit to Toronto, where they will continue their implementation phase through activities targeting business development, expanding entrepreneurial networks, and facilitating exposure to potential investors.

The University of Toronto’s Health Collaborative Internal Communications Working Group caught up with the ventures to learn more about the origins of their companies, what they’ve learned to date, and what is coming up next…

Category: Spotlight
Country: South Africa
Pillar: Health Entrepreneurship
Tags: African Impact Challenge; Health Entrepreneurship; Venture Spotlight

Bare Mind Holdings

Co-Founders Mahlodi Letsie (CEO), Rethabile Mokhothu (COO) and Paul Ramaema (Creative Director) share a deep-seated passion for promoting mental wellness. Seeking to combat the pervasive stigma that exists in many African communities when it comes to talking about mental health, the three founders set out to create an innovative solution which gave birth to Bare Mind Holdings.

The Bare Mind Holdings team observed that stigma, societal taboos, and limited resources were preventing many Africans from accessing support for their mental health. They are addressing stigma and associated barriers by providing accessible, culturally relevant and personalized mental health resources. The venture leverages and combines cutting-edge technology and innovative approaches to provide personalized self-development programs tailored to the African context.

Their flagship app uses a gamified interface and natural language processing technology. Further, the app features content written in predominantly spoken African languages. Through the platform, users can access storytelling initiatives, immersive events and e-commerce. This end-to-end ecosystem provides a variety of ways to engage with mental health supports, allowing each user to continuously customize their experience to suit their unique needs.

What is the accomplishment to date that your team is most proud of?
“Securing our first partnership with a JSE-listed corporate and unlocking enterprise development (ED) funding from them is our team’s proudest accomplishment to date. It validates our vision and demonstrates the potential impact of our platform in promoting mental wellness in corporate settings.” .

If you could give advice to another founder getting started, what would that be?

“ Stay resilient and adaptable. Embrace failure as a learning opportunity and be willing to pivot when necessary. Surround yourself with a supportive network of mentors, advisors, and peers who can provide guidance and perspective along the entrepreneurial journey.”

Looking ahead, the Bare Mind Holdings team is focused on securing further partnerships to accelerate and maximize their impact and improve access to care for individuals and communities across the continent.