Shining a light on the YF Mentors

Today, we’re excited to kick off our YF Mentor Spotlight series with two remarkable leaders in mental health: CeCe Morken , former CEO of Headspace, and Lori Evans Bernstein , co-founder & former CEO of Caraway Health. As part of the YF Academy, each YF Innovator from the Lonely Hearts Club Challenge was paired with an industry mentor aligned with their mission to guide the growth of their nonprofit. Cece brought her expertise to Trisha Prabhu of ReThink Citizens, while Lori mentored Larissa May of #HalfTheStory.

We recently sat down with Cece and Lori to hear their reflections on the mentoring experience and what they hope to contribute to the community.

First, we dove right into each of their views on youth mental health and its intersection to technology.

For Cece, it's personal:

Like so many of us, members of my family and close friends suffered from mental health issues, and it all started in their youth; if not treated, it can lead to a lifelong challenge with depression and anxiety, or much worse.? This is the reason I joined Headspace and the reason we made Headspace free to our youth.?

Youth mental health is critical, given its long-lasting impact on an individual's well-being, development, and social integration. The relationship to technology is particularly important today because it shapes how young people interact, learn, and experience the world.?

Rapid technological advancements have brought both opportunities and challenges. On one end, technology provides access to mental health resources and support systems that were previously inaccessible. On the other, it can contribute to issues such as cyberbullying, social isolation, and addiction. Ensuring that technology enhances, rather than hinders, youth mental health is crucial for fostering a healthier, more resilient younger generation.?If we focus on this, we can prepare future generations to be much stronger than we ever were.

Lori underscored the personal connection to youth mental health and their relationship to tech:

As a mother, every single day I deal with the challenges of navigating technology’s powerful influence on my kids' life and well-being. Balancing the benefits of connection and creativity that technology offers with its downsides—like screen addiction and exposure to unrealistic standards and inappropriate content —is an ongoing struggle.? I worry constantly about the effects of technology on their developing brains and the lack of urgency and action from tech companies and government as more research emerges about the deleterious effects on youth.

As a founding CEO of a women’s health company prioritizing young women, we witnessed firsthand how digital habits profoundly affect mental well-being. In our clinical practice, we asked about "digital living" and wellness as naturally as we did about exercise or substance use, recognizing that technology's influence is just as impactful on mental health.

Next, we asked Cece and Lori to share what impressed them most about their mentees.

Cece was captivated by Trisha's passion for transforming challenges into positive change.? Here’s what stood out to her about Trisha’s incredible work with ReThink Citizens :

I learned so many things, but three stand out to me:

The power of channeling adversity you've experienced into a driving force for positive change. Often, it’s about transforming pain or frustration into purpose, using your personal story as motivation to solve or improve that problem for yourself and others. Trisha Prabhu, for instance, turned her experiences with online bullying into a powerful mission to prevent and reduce cyberbullying through technology.

Leveraging technology for good. ?Trisha leveraged the very technology that is at the root of the problem and combined this with AI to build an accessible, user-friendly platform to detect and stop cyberbullying, demonstrating an acute awareness of the real-world issues faced by youth today.

We need our youth more than ever. Trisha is our youth, and her ability to engage with the youth demographic and involve them in the development process was impressive, ensuring that her solutions were relevant and effective.? People closest to the problem are the best ones to innovate the solutions.

Lori was all in on Larissa’s peer-to-peer approach, seeing it as a game-changer in digital wellness. Here’s why #HalfTheStory resonated so deeply with her:

What stood out most to me is Larz’s philosophy on youth teaching youth, creating a supportive environment where kids can learn about mental health, digital wellbeing, and resilience from peers who understand the challenges they face. Larz has pioneered this approach through initiatives like Social Media U and the Digital Civics Academy, where teens engage with real-world lessons about managing their digital lives.

#HalfTheStory empowers young people to take charge of their digital wellbeing, emphasizing that they have a say in how technology impacts their mental health. Larz’s model reflects a belief that when young people learn from one another, they feel more understood, supported, and equipped to take actionable steps toward healthier digital habits.

Mentorship, of course, isn’t without its hurdles. We asked Cece and Lori about the challenges they’ve faced in guiding their mentees.

Like many passionate innovators, Cece and Trisha had to learn the art of prioritizing for impact. Here’s how they tackled the balancing act of time and energy:

In the early stages, there's a strong desire to seize every opportunity, attend every meeting, and explore every idea. However, this approach can quickly lead to burnout and a lack of focus on core priorities.

One of the ways we tackled this was by setting clear objectives and prioritizing tasks that directly aligned with her mission and the most significant impacts. We focused on “do less better” and the discipline to be very clear on the big bets and push the others to the side.? This helped her to respectfully decline tasks or engagements that didn’t contribute to her goals. We also discussed implementing mindful moments for reflection and energy so she could be fully present in the moments that matter, personally and professionally.

For Lori and Larissa, the challenge was all about building a powerhouse team to support #HalfTheStory’s mission. Here’s how they tackled it:

The biggest challenge we worked through was the People/HR function including strategic workforce planning, talent acquisition, and organizational culture development. Given the significant progress of #HalfTheStory due to Larz’s incredible leadership, HR’s role becomes vital in ensuring that the right team is in place to meet the increased demand.?

By focusing on these areas, HR can create a structure that supports sustainable growth, empowering #HalfTheStory to meet the increasing demand for its resources while staying true to its mission. This scalable HR approach enables Larissa and her team to seize new opportunities without compromising the organization’s core values or mission.

We’re incredibly grateful to these YF Mentors and the YF Innovators for sharing their inspiring journeys and being in the community. Both Cece and Lori’s dedication to youth mental health and invaluable mentorship have provided invaluable guidance, empowering Trisha and Larissa to take their organizations to the next level.

Together, they exemplify the power of shared mission, resilience, and collaboration in addressing the complex challenges of youth mental health in a tech-driven world. As we continue our Mentor Spotlight series, we look forward to sharing more stories of dedication, growth, and impact that are fueled by this mentor/mentee relationship.

If you’re interested in becoming a YF Mentor, let us know by filling out this interest form.?