After a personal family crisis involving his goddaughter's mental health struggles, this founder set out on a new mission. His startup, Zoala, built an AI-powered mental health platform to provide a crucial early warning system for schools and workplaces, backed by $1.5 million in funding.

Founder and CEO Jeff Lee joins us to share his journey and explain how Zoala aims to supplement, not replace, professional care. He discusses their B2B model, how the platform uses AI to help users process challenges while alerting professionals when needed, and their plans to expand into key markets like Malaysia.

We discuss:

• The powerful personal story that sparked the company's mission.

• How their AI acts as an "early warning system" in schools and workplaces.

• Their B2B model and why they chose it over a direct-to-consumer approach.

• The importance of co-founders with complementary skills (ops, AI ethics).

• Their plan to raise $1M to expand into Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

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