Breaking Mental Health Barriers: My Atlas Health's Innovative Approach

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
God is the East, Boston a plain Asta Roxbury, test
Is Ka Boston La Tito, then.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Buenos Dias Boston Comana still Mingo and Precioso Geno, the Mooses,
Sass Persona an Heria. So I'm gonna be speaking in
both languages, English and Spanish and canglez Ivamsama Una persona,

(00:41):
gando commigrantecadovar la salutal form commons manhammala salud mental. Yes,
the Los premier Recono mass Innovation Networks. So, however, I
want to start this conversation by sharing my experience. A

(01:05):
few days ago, I had the opportunity of attending one
of the most amazing and impressive events. And I'm not
talking about the show per se like it was not
impressive because it was, you know, flashy, and you had
lights and music. It was very impressive because the people

(01:26):
in the room were masterminds. And when I mean masterminds,
I'm not talking about just the way they connect. It's
just the way they're innovating. They're inventing new tools, resources,
new companies to help this world and to enhance what
we see now in biotech and medicine. I was so

(01:50):
amazed and thanks to my friend Dimitri who has been
involving me in all these AI innovation and MIT and whatnot.
He's been opening my eyes in my mind to new
things that I for sure was very visionary, but I
did not have the opportunity to be present and see
it with my own eyes. Amos conversa Nita. She is

(02:18):
an amazing person. She started a new business and she
was awarded with one of the eddies which is part
of the mass Innovation Network. Massachusetts Innovation Network is Gesta
really Sadaolli in Boston, cambiarel Mundo. So one of the

(02:50):
things that I had taken my mission or or work
into action is that I want to be part of
that revolution. I want to speak about what I see
here in Massachusetts. As you may all know, we have
most of the top universities in the world, such as

(03:12):
Harvard University and MIT, which are part of the big
innovation in the world. And today you know, Boston has
becoming one focused city around the world to become the
capital of AI, and not only AI in the aspect

(03:33):
of you know what we use it with chat Gipt,
but everything that you can do in the robotic scene.
And when I was listening to all the stories, all
the companies that they've been you know, helping to come
to life. Mass Innovation Network has done a tremendous job
highlighting the mentorship program and everything that is related to

(03:58):
making sure that these visions naris have the right steps
and the right resources to elevate their concept and make
it a reality. So in this case, Nita Eiko, who's
from Nigeria, she's coming into presenting her new venture. It's
called My Atlas Health, and she has made her mission

(04:19):
to innovate the way that we deal and we see
mental health, and she doesn't actually call it mental health,
she calls it mental wellness. And one of the reasons
I invited her to this show is because I want
to share how important it is for Latinos and for
the Hispanic community dealing with mental health situations. No Zeja

(04:43):
Comparti and stas Aria Cierta's foremast problema the depression, La familia,
masco sierados, mass concervadores much as versus noremos and lasmos
and loquez las a loud, mentalos medica, menos cine barbo.

(05:08):
I'm just a statistic asos done la sabiduria, lore coursos
andros mejosa, cultura ke ne emo familia. So in this case,
I have a report here that Nita was very kind

(05:32):
to share, and I want to share these statistics with
you before we start the conversation with her, because I
think this is very important. So one in five Latinos
experience mental health issues each year, yet fewer than thirty
five percent received treatment, compared to forty six percent of
the general population. Ima hien s Ono and Kara Sin

(05:55):
called Latin Latinos experimenta or tienel says as experiences the
salutemental the problems the salutmental cada annual in meno trenticinco
porciento receivetamiento comparadoes perciento la populac heneral. What that means, people,

(06:18):
is that we have issues that we need to that
we need to solve, and less than thirty five people
are receiving the treatment that they need. So forty six
percent of the general population will have this help and

(06:39):
also Latinos are not getting it. Another important note is
twenty seven percent of Latinos with depression receive appropriate care,
highlighting a significant gap in accessible mental health services. Being
ticie percent Latinos condepression receive el tratamiento pro piano, yes,

(07:02):
les pass significant as mental meal mahin and scent the
persona being personas naa MA receiven. So if you're suffering
of depression, good luck, because you're not gonna receive the

(07:23):
appropriate care. And that's what it's astonishing to me, And
this is why I want to be very vocal about it.
I'm a person that suffers from depression. I'm I've been
diagnosed for many many years. I actually take medication and
it has been a life changer for me. I'm very
spoke out spoken about it because it's not something that

(07:46):
comes just for me. It's a generational situations free The
problem is the salmental and we need that extra help.
And people don't understand sometimes that our bodies don't produce
the same ways that you have issues with your hormones

(08:07):
or with the stosterone or with collagen or you name it,
like we have deficiencies with vitamins minerals. It happens also
with your brain and sometimes you need to know and
you need to go to the right person to analyze
it and to see what the best treatments and diagnosis

(08:27):
are if you have an opportunity to follow doctor Amen.
He is an expert when it comes to brain scanning.
He has done over two hundred and fifty thousand brain
scans and he has gone through all these processes to
develop new techniques and new strategies on how to help

(08:48):
people with mental health or mental wellness. One of the
things that he says that it's talked to my mind
is that we as people ball go to the doctor
and if you break a bone, the first thing they're
going to do is take an X ray. So let's
say that you fall and you break your your your elbow,

(09:10):
They're going to take an X ray in order to
seek the appropriate care, the appropriate treatment colo usk much
as basis analysis, casilla analysis, the las angere, karen So

(09:32):
Bannard receiver, mandar lescan And what doctor Amen says is
that for many years we have not done a brain
scan before we treat any of the mental health issues.
Imah tros bamos in quandel doctor well see colo Let's

(09:57):
stamos expresstras lematicas lo primo quas and di agnosticos, the
cordolos tomas nemos peronoas and significant nisi quiras ap point
in the quenta cereal problema phisio logico and the tomoro

(10:19):
termination the COEs problematmos. So I recommend everybody to reach
out to to Google, YouTube, Instagram, whatever you want and
search for doctor Imman because he's an amazing brain health
expert that could give you some background on what is

(10:41):
going on with with the health with mental health anywaysiciente
porciento and loss the Los Counties and DNA problema se
veros in a a Spana. Seventy seven percent of the

(11:05):
US counties faces severe shortage of Spanish speaking mental health professionals,
limiting culturally competent, careful Latino communities looks principios ke last persona,
nemos una differencia, cultura general mente, latinos mas conservadores, l
stie perciento, the last juda is the last, the last,

(11:30):
the lost, distritos aquia and loss d NA own problema.
There not their own staff or personal kavelio Espanol, but
there prove owned service professional the ajuda. There's a mental
limita cultural men mientomos como communida minoritaria in yes, Lo

(11:58):
platic last a, mist comnica, porquel muchuke and commonstros problemmas.
Latinos are fifty percent less likely than non Hispanic whites
to seek mental health treatment due to stigma, costs and
systematic or systemic barriers local the sia mosque los spanos

(12:22):
and emos in quenta percientomenos, the portunidades, the ear of
the neostratamientos, port la falta, the recursos economicos por ele
stigma por los tabusk existence itami and portla partel system
america muchas barrets pan accessary, strata, menos and eligoma. When

(12:43):
in la in trata mento cultural at equalo, twenty four
percent of Latino youth report feeling depressed or hopeless, with
suicide attempts being twice as common among Latino high schoolers
compared to their own White peers. Tocami, corrason, painting quarter

(13:04):
persi Latinos joenes and reportado star de presivos is a
sentence in Esperanza costentos the Swiss video Yes those vases
mast commune in Circulo de los Latinosa second preparatoria Comparado

(13:26):
Alos Americanos or hen Kestincus on the mainstream Kat and
subagrounds Medee Meelas and your st Porque San Join la
Vida for Port Atlantic Pena s really yes, tanp Sano

(13:53):
lu On Aventana on a lous. We need to speak up,
We need to care about our people. We need to
have the right resources and tools. Yes, Boston, that prolemas

(14:19):
is kuchen Esta and trevist Nita Aiko Na Mucher exceptional. Nita.
I am so proud that you were able to make
time and come and talk to us because these numbers
have definitely make an impact on on me right now.
I'm emotional about it and I want to be part

(14:40):
of that change and that difference. So with you, Nita Aco, thank.

Speaker 3 (14:46):
You so much. I'm so excited to be here and
share everything, even working.

Speaker 2 (14:50):
On Thank you.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (14:52):
So tell me about Nita. Who is she?

Speaker 3 (14:55):
So? Nita just graduated college. Nita grew up in Nigeria,
born and raised in Nigeria.

Speaker 2 (15:03):
Is any Hidia me now?

Speaker 1 (15:04):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (15:04):
Yeah? And I moved to Canada when I was thirteen.
I moved all alone, left my family in Nigeria just
because I wanted to explore. My parents always told me
I had a curious mind. They would tell me curiosity
kills the cat, and it has favored me so far.
So that is a bit of where I'm from.

Speaker 2 (15:25):
Oh, I love it. So what brought you to Boston
because you're mentioning Nigeria Canada? What part of Canada?

Speaker 3 (15:31):
I was in Niagara Fall, so we really love it.

Speaker 2 (15:35):
Oh it's so beautiful. And then you come here to study?

Speaker 3 (15:39):
Oh? Yes, I came here because I mean I got
a scholarship at Northeastern, and Northeastern was one of the
best schools offering a neuroscience program. I had always been
obsessed with the brain, so I was like, yes, finally
I'm going to get a school that also, you know,
gives me some money to study. That I love.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
Fantastic. How did you learn about that?

Speaker 3 (16:01):
Movies? I used to watch The Mentalist, you know, like
and Yes, Miami and all of that, and I would
be obsessed with dear understanding on human behavior. And then
I also had an aunt who has bipolar disorder, and
so nobody spoke about her bipolar disorder. When you know,
growing up, no one spoke about mental health and Nigeria.

(16:24):
So that curiosity like what is she going through? What
is happening? Just like led me. And this was when
you know, the Internet started being a big thing. So
I would go to the cyber cafe because I didn't
have a laptop at home at that time, and google
about the brain and it became an obsession and it's
led me here today. I love that.

Speaker 2 (16:44):
So now when you come to Northeastern you decide to
go and starty neuroscience. Yes, right, because of the Mentalist,
which by the way, I was a big fan. I
was in love with him. I was like, oh my gosh,
this is a guy that I want to fall in
love with him, get married. And that was it, like
because he was so smart? Right, oh yeah, So how
does that pair with the reality of like neuroscience.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
I mean the great thing about neuroscience right now is
there's a lot of things we do not know. Neuroscience
is still actively being researched on. And take you know,
schizophrenia for example, most people don't know whether it's genetic,
whether it happens.

Speaker 2 (17:24):
When it could be genetic.

Speaker 3 (17:28):
Yeah, it could be genetic, and it could you know,
there's early onset. There's so many question marks. And I
was part of a lab that was using everyday data
and using it to build a program to reduce auditory
hallucinations just by someone going into the MRI scan, and
that really showed me like, wow, data can really do

(17:50):
a lot of things. We saw people coming in and
they no longer had terrible hallucinations. And seeing that happen
in a small lab and eastern and knowing it could
be bigger and have more impact was really just a
stamp on Yes, I meant to be here and neuroscience
is where I want to be.

Speaker 2 (18:09):
So you're not just the scientist, but you're also one
of uh two Is it a brother that you have? Yes,
I am okay and you're like the oldest and youngest.

Speaker 3 (18:21):
I'm the oldest. I'm the firstborn daughter of a Nigerian family,
which is a big badge of honor to have.

Speaker 2 (18:29):
Oh that's amazing. I mean your parents must be really
really proud. Are they here or they still in Nigeria.

Speaker 3 (18:36):
They're in Nigeria. And it's been really hard, you know,
being away from home from such a young age. But
my parents always pushed me to really chase my dreams.
My parents are entrepreneurs, themselves, and they really made it
out of their you know, families, and made it and
made it so I could be here today. So they're
really excited. And my younger brother just now moved from Nigeria.

Speaker 2 (18:59):
To the How do you say it in your language?
I miss you or I love you parents.

Speaker 3 (19:06):
In a sun ki? I love you in a soon key.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
In a sunky.

Speaker 3 (19:17):
This is so cool.

Speaker 2 (19:18):
So when you're thinking about the background, your family, where
you come from, and the science that comes you know,
to your to your world, how do you foresee Nita
playing rugby because you're you're gotta tell me a little
bit about that, and then going into science one hundred percent.

Speaker 3 (19:42):
You know, the interesting thing is one cool thing. Science
is discovery and science lets us understand who this person is.
And so I really identify as an African immigrant and
my experience being a in Canada, playing rugby, being interested
in the mentalists, they all make up who I am.

(20:05):
The problem is when we look at trying to treat
people with mental illness, everyone assumes this one size approach.
So knowing I had all these things that made up me,
when I would talk to a therapist, they were just saying, oh,
an African girl or oh, a black girl. And because
of this, they were not really able to connect with me.
I wasn't able to get the therapy I needed, and

(20:27):
this was during COVID where I needed it the most.
And that has really pushed me to say, Okay, there's
a lot of people who are not the stereotypical person.
You know, there's a lot of people who are not
from America, are not born and raised in Boston, or
are not white, and those people are the ones who
really really need care because they're less likely to reach out.

(20:48):
So how do I make science work for people that
look like me? And how do I make sure I
can use my knowledge to make sure that people who
have my experience or have different experiences from me, can
have the same access to good quality care like the
people that we were treating in the lab.

Speaker 2 (21:06):
Yeah, that's fantastic. And for the audience Boston, you don't know.
But what's up here is that we have Enrique Garcia,
our honorable ambassador for the Dominican Republic, and eventually Nita
and him, they're gonna talk and they have a conversation
about how the mental health is impacted also in the
Latino community, and Rique Stamos impact. So we're going to

(21:37):
have a conversation with him later on. But I just
wanted to bring that up because I think it's so
important what you're doing, the work that the research, the science,
like you you placed it, how everything is working for
for us as a community. And that's why the Mass
Innovation Network was so important to you, Right, How did

(22:00):
that get into your path? Like you go from Northeastern,
you start working on science, you're playing rugby, you're talking
to your family, and now you get into innovating.

Speaker 3 (22:12):
Mm hm, oh my god. My journey as an innovator
and entrepreneur was so random. It came out of anger.
I was working in a psych hospital and I saw
people like me get misdiagnosed and you know, so much passion.
So I didn't know I was gonna start a business.
I had this like lab. I was working with a professor,

(22:34):
my co founder at Northeastern, and I go. I moved
to San Francisco to be a consultant. I was working
in consulting, loved it, but Mass Innovation Network. I got
nominated to be one of the finalists for their Eddy's program,
and that is what brought me back to Massachusetts and
they have single handedly helped me turn my research, my

(22:57):
innovation into a business, help me with financial statements, help
me talk to people who can fund us. And it's
been an amazing process. And I have come out of
this program being a better businesswoman, you know, being a
Nigerian who does not know how to do business in America.
I can confidently say now we are hiring, we're doing

(23:18):
payroll in Massachusetts. What you know, I'm now a business
owner and that is just amazing to.

Speaker 2 (23:23):
Be able to say how many people are working with you.

Speaker 3 (23:26):
We have about ten employees, eight of it just started. Oh,
we have people reaching out to me every day that
they believe in the work we're doing. They believe in
the idea of using data to help people.

Speaker 2 (23:40):
And now more than ever, I think that after everything
that we have experienced with the pandemic and then with
all these social and political situations that are like really
stressing people out, this is just perfect. I mean, like
we need any kind of support, never mind, you know,
like whether it is in you know, in telling or

(24:00):
innovation or like one to one. So one of the
things that you have and that I admire is that
partnerships and alliances that you're building, even though you're providing
jobs here in Massachusetts is wonderful, but you're also looking
for the well being of anybody that it's around our community.
So tell me a little bit of what that means.

Speaker 3 (24:21):
Of course. So in the my Atlas application, you have
access to interventions, so we send you welleness recommendations every day.
But we don't want it to be just about the app.
We want to make sure that the people who use
my at Lias are able to get the benefits of
different wellness solutions. So we recently had a partnership with

(24:44):
Juicy Greens where anyone.

Speaker 2 (24:46):
In Latina yees, Juicy Grains is owned by a Latina Yes,
I have.

Speaker 3 (24:50):
An amazing Latina woman who has a great history in nutrition.
And anyone who is part of the my Atless ecosystem
is now able to go to any of the Juicy
Greens location. Once you get one meal or smoothie, you
get another one for free. And we're encouraging people to
take their friends and go out there and get free,

(25:12):
good nutritious food. And this is part of the collaborations
we want to make where we're giving people access to
not only our solution and insights, but also welless as
a whole.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
So you know, my people are quite said Wollstone. So
if you have a business, maybe partnering with my Atlas
Health could be the way to go because you're going
to promote your business but at the same time also
help you know the citizens that are looking for or
people that are living in this community that need the

(25:44):
support all over. It just it's a three sixty, right,
I like to call it that way. It's a three
sixty because you're not just touching your brain or it's
like what you put in your body, like it's feeding
your body the right food, putting the content right. If
you're looking into TikTok and TV, what do you think
of that is what you're feeding your brain too?

Speaker 1 (26:06):
Right?

Speaker 3 (26:06):
Oh, yes, one hundred percent. And we want it to
be in a way where it's mutually beneficial. We're able
to give you access to our population. Right now, we
have over two hundred people waiting to enter the application
that is launching in January. So come January we're full
to launch and really be able to touch the hearts,

(26:27):
minds and brains of people who need care.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
The moves and if you go to the description you're
going to see where you can find Nata, and you
can find her on LinkedIn and www dot Myatlas, slash
health dot com, and on social platforms. You can find
her at Nita nos. But we're going to share all
of that on our platforms or our social media. But

(26:52):
one of the things before I let you go, and
before we end this conversation, as an entrepreneur, you and
I were talking of mental health and how lonely it
can get. Oh wow, what is your take when you
decided to launch this business? Did you know it was
going to get that lonely?

Speaker 3 (27:12):
I didn't. I didn't know, and no one knows. You
never know how it truly feels. Sometimes I look at
other founders who are young solo founders and are women.
It's really alienating and running a mental health business myself,
it's surprising that I found myself, you know, you know,
kind of being burnt out and stressed. A funny story

(27:34):
I always say, is because we work with data, and
so when we were testing, one of my engineers reached
out to me and he was like, Nita, there's something
wrong with the app. It's saying that your stress score
is really high and your sleep is so low and
I have to tell him, no, you are actually so right,
And that was the moment of weight Nita. You really
have to pull yourself up. And it's in the small things,

(27:58):
isn't making sure you're waking up and you're thinking yourself.
You'real you know your circle, your friends, people who fail you.
As an interrepreneur, all you have is your fell All
you have is your passion and if you lose that,
you lose your business too as well. So it's really
important to make sure that no one drains you, not

(28:18):
the business, not a partner, not anything. Make sure that
you are fully invested in yourself.

Speaker 2 (28:24):
And I wish you guys could see Nita right now
because she is so personable and her energy is just contagious.
And I think it does have to do with what
you're sharing, is what you're fueling with the amount of
energy that you're bringing from like your partners, Because you
have a partner, Oh yes, you want to give a
shout out to your partner?

Speaker 3 (28:44):
Oh yes, I would love to give a shout out
to Professor Artie Sathyana Rayana, an amazing lady renowned in
the world of sleep and stress. She has done work
with Harvard Mayo Clinic Northeastern Dubai. She is amazing and
she is the reason why I'm here today, so I
couldn't have done it without her.

Speaker 2 (29:03):
Well, I got to give you a shout out to Unita,
because you are amazing. I'm just so inspired. I admire
you very much since I met you. I was part
of that Eddie celebration and it was so joyful and
I was very happy to see that you want ten
thousand dollars, that you were like in front of all
these humongous investors. That the Mass Innovation Network has done

(29:26):
a lot to provide for these new company startups like
yourself and now here at Kapasa Boston, I am very
proud to feature somebody like you. I can wait to
hear what the future has for you, and again, anything
that we can do to support anything like you have,
We're very very much so available for you.

Speaker 3 (29:49):
Oh wow, thank you so much. It's such a pleasure
to be here and share my story. I look forward
to meeting new people and please feel free to reach
out anyone who's listening.

Speaker 2 (30:00):
Thank you so much, Nita, Thank.

Speaker 1 (30:02):
You, Tramos last his Storias Vos, Richmonds, k As a
movie Canoe Trako Munida parent contral He Luisimo episode You
the ka basaitarum Bara went. They see it, They see it.
Bunta come

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Breaking Mental Health Barriers: My Atlas Health's Innovative Approach

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