About Voda
Anyone can face mental health challenges. But being LGBTQIA+ brings with it unique challenges, which means that traditional forms of mental wellbeing are often less relevant to us.
Voda is the LGBTQIA+ mental wellness app designed with leading LGBTQIA+ psychotherapists.
From coming out and body acceptance, to overcoming stigma and discrimination, Voda delivers guided digital therapy programmes centred on the LGBTQIA+ experience. Our programmes are derived from mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), as well as additional evidence-backed modalities including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).
Our initial data shows a 43% and 40% reduction in clinical symptoms of anxiety (GAD7) and depression (PHQ9) respectively amongst early users of Voda.
Voda is designed by a panel of leading LGBTQIA+ psychotherapists across the spectrum of sexuality, gender and ethnicity, to ensure an intersectional lens on all of our programmes.
Why I Started Voda
Mental health problems such as depression, self-harm, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts can affect anyone, but they’re more common among people who are LGBTQIA+. A recent study by Stonewall found that over the previous year: half of LGBTIQ+ people had experienced depression, three in five had experienced anxiety, one in eight LGBTIQ+ people aged 18-24 had attempted to end their life, and almost half of trans people had thought about taking their life.
Personally, I struggled heavily with being gay in my younger years. At times I felt very alone, and didn’t understand why I felt the way I felt. I also didn’t understand how my emotional history was holding me back in my life and relationships.
Therapy has helped me gain the self-awareness to show up better in my personal and professional life. I’m building Voda to provide a more accessible, affordable, and more inclusive alternative to conventional therapy for LGBTQIA+ people.
Voda is developed by an all-queer team and is available on iOS and Android. Learn more here. As of May 2024, we currently serve over 10,000+ LGBTQIA+ people across the globe.
My Role
As Co-founder and CEO of Voda, I steer our mission to democratise mental health support and tailor it to the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community.
My responsibilities encompass strategic oversight, ensuring that every aspect of Voda aligns with our core values of inclusivity, compassion, and innovation. I actively engage with stakeholders across various sectors—including healthcare, technology, and advocacy—to build partnerships that amplify our reach.
My responsibilities span multiple roles: including strategy, fundraising, stakeholder management, product and growth.
Looking forward, my vision for Voda is to not only expand our service offerings but also to advocate for systemic changes that address the broader societal factors impacting LGBTQIA+ mental health.
Our work has been featured in Forbes, GAYTIMES, Out and Attitude magazine. Voda also has been recognised by Founders Forum as a “HealthTech Startup To Watch”, and was awarded the PinkNews Inclusive Innovation Award (2023) and the Rising Star Award (2024) in the UK Startup Awards.
