Ashli Edwards
Founder and CEO of MindRight Health, a Newark-based mental health tech startup providing culturally responsive, community-centered mental health coaching via text message to underserved communities. First Black female founder to raise $1M+ in venture capital in New Jersey.
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APPEARANCES
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PODCASTS
May 29, 2026
Ashli EdwardsGUEST
Yeah, I think, I think the ability and potential for tech to support our communities really relies on the people who have power within tech and how they're choosing to use it.
Ashli EdwardsGUEST
Um, so at MindRight, we are choosing to use it for good and for the betterment of our communities.
Ashli EdwardsGUEST
Um, and I think for Mi- like one question we always get with MindRight is when people sign up, they start receiving support from our MindRight partners over text.
Ashli EdwardsGUEST
The first question is, "Is this AI? Is this a bot?" And we're always like, "No, it i- we are real people," and we stand on that.
Ashli EdwardsGUEST
We at MindRight, which is c- feels, uh, we're at, at the stage of the world right now where it's kind of controversial to say that we stand on humans should be on the other end, and at MindRight, humans will always be on the other end.
6 MINS LATER
Kelley BonnerHOST
Like, can this break? And if this break, what does it cost to someone on the other end? And so how have you navigated those shifts as you scaled, and what lessons have you learned, and are you continuing to learn as you do it?