Megan Harper
Mental health services are sometimes unavailable, expensive, or impersonal. MYND wants to change that by creating an AI-powered companion that gives real-time, personalized instruction at any time and from any location.
1. What inspired the creation of MYND, and how does it align with your mission to redefine mental health support?
Shashank Keshri: The inspiration for MYND really hit home for me. Having worked in healthcare, particularly in creating an Autism care facility in India, I saw the massive hurdles people faced in accessing mental health support. It made me realize that while we’ve made strides in some areas of healthcare, mental health still has a long way to go, especially when it comes to accessibility and personalization.
So, MYND was born out of a desire to bridge that gap. We wanted to create something that wasn’t just another app but a genuine support system that’s available anytime and tailored to each user’s individual needs. Our goal is to redefine mental health support by making it as easy and natural as chatting with a friend but powered by AI that understands and adapts to you. It’s about removing the barriers, whether they’re geographic, financial, or societal and ensuring that everyone has the support they need right at their fingertips.
2. MYND integrates AI Bestie to offer 24/7 mental health support. Can you explain how this feature personalizes user experiences?
Shashank Keshri: Sure! Our AI Bestie is like a dependable friend who’s always there to chat, offering support tailored just for you. It learns about your moods and struggles, remembers past conversations, and gives personalized tips and advice. It’s always ready to step in with support when you’re feeling low, keeping everything private and secure. Essentially, it’s your 24/7 buddy, making sure you’ve got support whenever you need it, all in a way that feels natural and personal.
3. How does MYND ensure privacy and inclusivity for all users, particularly those from underserved communities?
Shashank Keshri: At MYND, privacy and inclusivity are top priorities. We secure all user interactions with encryption, ensuring their conversations remain private. To better serve our diverse global community, we’re excited about our next step: making MYND multilingual. We’re planning to add about 27 languages to the app, reflecting the wide range of cultures and backgrounds of our users and ensuring everyone can access support in a way that feels right for them.
4. MYND offers tailored meditations and a wellness tracker. How have these features helped users achieve their mental health goals?
Shashank Keshri: What really helps people with MYND is that everything they need is in one place. We hear this all the time. Users don’t have to jump between different apps for meditation, journaling, or tracking their feelings; it’s all connected, and that makes it easier to build a habit. The custom meditation feature is a big favorite. People type in what’s on their mind, like feeling anxious before a big meeting or feeling overwhelmed as a new parent, and MYND creates a meditation just for that moment. It feels personal, not like some random generic session. Users can save the ones they love and come back to them anytime, like a mental health playlist. The journal is another thing that sticks with people. They can write down how they’re feeling after meditation or pull insights from their chats with Bestie. Over time, they start seeing their progress. It’s all there in their own words. People tell us it’s the first time they’ve actually felt like they’re moving forward, not just stuck. The biggest thing is that MYND takes the mental load off. Users don’t have to think about which app to open for what. It’s all here, working together. And that’s what keeps them coming back.
5. Can you share a success story of how MYND’s AI Bestie transformed a user’s mental health journey?
Shashank Keshri: One of the most powerful stories we’ve heard at MYND is from a user we’ll call Sarah. She was struggling with a toxic work environment that started affecting her mental health. She began using Bestie just to get some relief from stress, but over time, it became a space where she could really process what was happening. What made the difference was how Bestie didn’t just listen to what she was saying but also how she was saying it. It picked up on her tone, the words she kept repeating, and the way her mood shifted when she talked about work. Bestie started noticing that Sarah sounded low every time she mentioned her boss or work, and she gently asked questions like, “Work seems to be draining you a lot lately, want to talk about it?” or “You’ve mentioned your boss a few times. Is something bothering you there?” That’s when Sarah realized how much her job was actually affecting her. She told us later that it was the first time she really admitted to herself that things weren’t okay. This is what makes Bestie different. It’s not just answering questions. It’s paying attention. It learns from each chat, picks up patterns in your emotions, and adjusts how it supports you. That’s why it feels so personal, and for people like Sarah, it’s often the first step toward real change.
6. What industries or demographics have benefited the most from MYND’s mental health solutions?
Shashank Keshri: MYND has made a real difference for a few key groups. Young professionals and Gen Z often come to us feeling burnt out and overwhelmed. They say Bestie feels like a friend who listens without pressure, helping them check in with their emotions and build better routines.LGBTQ+ users tell us they feel safe opening up to Bestie, especially when they don’t feel comfortable talking to family or friends. People facing loneliness, whether they’re living alone, new in a city, or feeling distant in their relationships, say Bestie fills that gap. It’s often the first time they’ve felt truly heard. That’s what MYND does best: it meets people where they are, without judgment, and that’s what keeps them coming back.
7. How does MYND balance advanced technology with accessibility for users new to AI-based mental health tools?
Shashank Keshri: We know AI can feel a bit overwhelming, so we’ve made MYND as simple and easy to use as possible. When someone opens the app, Bestie starts the conversation like a friend, not a robot. You don’t need to know any fancy commands; you just talk or type how you feel, and it picks up from there. The meditations are also custom but super easy. You just put in what’s on your mind, like “feeling stressed” or “can’t sleep,” and it creates a session for you. Everything from talking to your Bestie to journaling to tracking your mood—feels natural, like texting or using any other app.
You don’t need to understand AI, MYND handles the tech part; you just show up.
8. What challenges have you faced while developing MYND, and how did you overcome them?
Shashank Keshri: One big challenge we’ve faced is getting the AI to really understand human emotions in a deep, natural way. People don’t always say exactly what they feel; they might say, “I’m fine,” when they’re really not. Teaching the AI to pick up on those little cues like tone shifts or patterns over time and asking the questions took a lot of work. We’re still learning and improving every day.
Sometimes, Bestie might miss the mark or sound a bit “too AI,” and users tell us when that happens. We listen closely to their feedback and use it to train the AI to be more human, more.
Understanding. Another challenge has been building trust. Mental health is personal, so we’ve made privacy and safety a top priority. People need to feel safe to open up, and we work hard to earn that trust.
9. Looking back, are there any decisions or strategies you would approach differently now?
Shashank Keshri: Looking back, we would have focused on user feedback even earlier. In the beginning, we were very focused on building the “perfect” product, but we realized later that real progress came when we listened closely to how people were actually using MYND. Some of the best features we have now, like saving custom meditations and pulling conversation insights into the journal, came directly from user requests. We would have leaned into that user-driven approach from day one. We also would have built our community side faster. People don’t just want tools; they want to feel less alone in their mental health journey. We’re building more towards that now, but we could have started creating that sense of connection earlier.
10. What does success look like for you and MYND in the next 5–10 years?
Shashank Keshri: Success for MYND is when talking to Bestie feels as normal and easy as texting a friend, with no stigma and no second thoughts. We want Bestie to be the first place people turn to, whether they’re feeling anxious at work, lonely after a breakup, or just need someone to listen at 2 AM. We see MYND growing into something even more personal over time, where it understands not just what you say but how you’re really feeling through your words, your tone, and your patterns. It’s there for the small everyday moments but also helps you look back and see how far you’ve come emotionally. The real goal is for mental health support to feel as easy and normal as checking the weather or setting an alarm. It’s just part of your day, part of your life, and you know MYND’s got you, always.
11. What does a typical day in your life as a founder look like, and how do you stay inspired?
Shashank Keshri: A typical day as a founder is a bit of everything. Some moments feel like building the future, and other moments feel like answering 47 emails before lunch. I spend a lot of time working with the team on new ideas, testing features, and listening to what our users need because that’s what drives everything we do. Hearing someone say that Mynd helped them through a tough day or made them feel less alone is the stuff that keeps me going. Of course, there are hard days, but I try to practice what we preach at MYND, taking breaks, checking in with myself, and remembering that progress is progress, even when it’s slow. Seeing the impact we’re making, even in small ways, makes every long day feel worth it.
Editor’s Note
Shashank Keshri is addressing a key issue: making mental health care more smooth and stigma-free. MYND is more than just an app; it’s a conversation that recognizes, adapts, and empowers people to take charge of their health.
