(Shine co-founders Naomi Hirabayashi and Marah Lidey)
Dealing with stress in the workplace is one thing, but when it’s dialed-up to the max due to racism, sexism, and microaggressions, something’s gotta give.
For Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi, the tipping point came almost a decade ago. They met as coworkers, and did the usual watercooler chat, comparing the mental and emotional roadblocks they’d both endured in their corporate careers to date. But when it came to the mental health redress solutions on the market, they just didn’t see themselves represented.
So they jumped ship, formed Shine, a BIPOC-centered wellness app, and raised $11 million from investors. It now has over 4 million users across 189 countries, and Apple named Shine one of its App Store Best of 2020 winners. We spoke with Lidey recently about why Shine is a welcome addition to the wellness space for so many people.