Idania Rodriguez saw that there was a lack of mental health resources in Hillsborough County, Fla., during the peak of COVID-19, particularly in marginalized communities, so she decided to do something about it. Idania, 18, joined with Garrett Livingston, another teen from North Carolina with whom she connected online, to found Mental H20, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students’ mental health worldwide.
The company has more than 400 active users from across the United States who receive emotional support and guidance for their mental health services online.
“Students may feel more nervous talking to an adult or a counselor,” Idania said, explaining what she believes is the success of her company. “I know I was, and they’re afraid of the outcome of what will happen if they do speak with an adult.”
Before becoming a founder of Mental H20, Idania was an author. She has written two books: one for young girls who need role models, and a business book about entrepreneurship and how to start your own business in the United States.
Idania started her Mental H20 at age 15. The teens had help and guidance from adults in creating the company, such as with technological, student access issues, and resources, but they came up with the idea on their own. Idania noticed that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, kids were all isolated with a lack of communication. She was not able to reach out to others and she began noticing statistics showing that the country was experiencing greater rates of mental health problems such as rising suicide rates and other mental health issues drastically.
Idania didn’t see adults taking a stand and advocating for the youth’s mental health, so she decided to create her own platform. Her organization makes it easier for students to come to them with mental health problems and to seek advice and guidance, rather than going to a higher authority figure.
Idania’s first steps to get Mental H20 off the ground were first finding out how to establish a nonprofit organization within her state. Her nonprofit had to be a 501(c)3 just because they were a small organization targeting educational initiatives regarding mental health, so she drafted a mission statement bylaw with her partner. Another step she took was to upload frequently on many social media platforms, letting others know of the organization’s existence. She started gaining traction online and students were finding out about Mental H20 about what they offer and their benefits, which allowed her Foundation to apply for grants and receive funding for their initiatives and run ads.
Some milestones and achievements that Idania is proud of were being able to receive a $6,300 grant from a local organization called 100 Care Valencia Lakes, and receiving more donations through her GoFundMe. Mental H20 has been able to run advertisements which led to starting their global health ambassador program – a program designed to empower and recognize our volunteers from across the globe who are dedicated to promoting mental health awareness.
Participants go through a mental health course, funded by Mental H20, that gives them comprehensive knowledge about mental health. Idania also acquired 100 guides on the Mental H20 resource web page and over 100 general mental health resources for students to access.
Her upcoming projects are aiming to print out mental health literacy brochures for schools and underserved populations in Hillsborough County. She is also aiming to launch another internship program and volunteer program for students to get involved in the fall.
Idania said the experience greatly improved her confidence. “It’s easy to feel not confident about what you’re doing so definitely take everything step by step and organize what you’re going to do to obtain the proper outcomes,” she said.
The advice she would give to any upcoming innovator is to start a business that follows their passion. “Whatever you are trying to create – whether you’re trying to sell an innovative product or whether you’re trying to start a campaign about social issues – you have to be passionate.”
