I’m an
Economist, Artist, Poet, Linguist, Inventor, Social Entrepreneur
Speaker
&
interested in
mental health & wellbeing
MISSION
We’re in the midst of a mental health crisis, with seismic levels of anxiety, depression and suicidality worldwide…
Empowering people’s wellbeing is the key to a better society: It increases productivity, cultivates community, inspires creativity and can even fix this environmental crisis (yes, really!) 🥰🌴✨
Today, I combine my personal experiences of mental health with over a decade innovating in the sector to help over 14 Million people take care of their minds continuously. I founded How Mental in 2016 to achieve this and launched our app How Are We in 2024.
My mission is to make wellbeing the #1 priority, for you and me.
“I’m here to make the most of life and help others do it too”
ABOUT ME
Hey, I’m George!
Born in London 🇬🇧 raised by Middle Eastern parents 🇱🇧 I’m queer, non-binary (he/they) 🏳️🌈 and spiritual 😇 I believe in ‘possibility’ 💫
I’m creative & analytical and love to make things of real value that still inspire & engage people!
In 2013, I started working in mental health to help my grandpa who was suffering with Alzheimer’s. I lead the way in using tech for wellbeing and am a patented inventor.
In 2018, I became suicidal (ironic, I know!). Psychoanalytic therapy helped me process trauma and limiting beliefs. Art, music, dance & poetry heal me daily :)
I believe in the power of humour to bring levity, accessibility and joy to difficult topics - which we need because life’s short!
I’VE WORKED WITH
SPECIALITIES
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Just like we all have a body, we all have a mind to take care of - but most of us don’t! I believe accessibility is key to getting people the support they need.
Over the last decade, I’ve helped millions of people make mental wellbeing part of their daily lives. I make it simple, fun & relatable instead of complex, painful & clinical.
I founded How Mental in 2016 to bridge the gap between people and mental health support. Our followers or Madvocates include Bella Hadid, Emma Bunton & Alanis Morissette.
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Creativity is the imagination set free, and innovation is where this gets applied to reality to meet a particular need - which I do daily ✨
When my grandpa suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, he could no longer speak. This isolated him from everyone, including me. So, I created a way for us to communicate without the need for words, using haptic technology…
Inspired by our sense of touch, I manipulated the vibration patterns of our phones, to create a new ‘language’ or way for us to share distinct emotions non-verbally. I secured a patent for my work in 2018.
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I started my own business, How Mental, for which I won grants, raised funding and served millions of people & organisations globally. Over the past decade, I’ve consulted companies across the wellbeing industry on strategy.
It hasn’t been easy and I’ve won awards for Entrepreneurial Spirit including one from The Centre for Entrepreneurs where I also give talks on the subject.
Prior to my time in mental health, I worked for Deloitte & Barclays Wealth, kicking off innovative projects in-house and consulting clients on strategy; as well as Marketing Manager at Perkbox.
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In such an individualistic world, community can seem like a radical concept - but it’s inherently human - it’s the reason we’ve survived and thrived globally.
Personally, I understand its power because when I was suicidal, the love I have for my family encouraged me to keep going…
Through How Mental, I built the largest community dedicated to mental health & wellbeing globally from scratch! We reach over 14 Million people monthly and cite countless celebrities who support our work.
This community is not just for those we serve, but the industry itself. Competition can be helpful, but I also believe in the power of collaboration, and the value we can add to each other’s work.
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Self-expression is the most important way for me to process reality: Art is one of my most powerful means. I do this through drawing, painting, designing clothes - anything I can get my hands on! My art lives on I Feel George.
I also design logos, social media posts and UI/UX for apps & websites because I like blending a more practical, logical, analytical lens with creativity.
I’ve designed content for clients and for myself, including How Mental’s app, How Are We. Design is usually a team effort and I can communicate needs to colleagues with different skillsets, such as developers.
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Empathy is possibly my greatest skill. It helps other people feel comfortable opening up to me and has been key to building an iconic brand in mental health. People have even tattooed our logo onto their skin (yes, really!).
I’ve used online, social media, email and partnerships to market and grow a following of over 750K+ people on Instagram organically.
I consult clients on Branding & Marketing. Through interviews, I get to the heart of why they do what they do and discover how their customers feel. Then, I turn this into a Brand Playbook with design guidelines and a Marketing Strategy that tells the story of the organisation in the most compelling way possible.
This process has led to iteration of clients’ actual products too - which I also help with. Every element of business is closely intertwined, and I enjoy helping people find that alignment in themselves and the work they do. :)
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Writing is another form of therapy to me. Words reveal worlds of feelings within me that I can’t otherwise tap into right away, consciously…
I write and perform poetry. One of my poems was published in The Book of Hope by Jonny Benjamin MBE - a compilation of pieces from leaders in the sector. You can find more of my writing on I Feel George.
I enjoy adapting my writing and editing others’ to cultivate a particular Tone of Voice. I’ve written thousands of social media posts for How Mental, articles, scripts for videos, courses & more - and edited just as much!
I was awarded ‘Top Writer’ in Mental Health on Medium in 2016 and wrote an eBook called ‘I Lead When I Follow’.
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Born in London to a mother from Lebanon, I’ve always seen the world through multiple cultural lenses. A blend of East and West, I believe by combining the best of diverse cultures, we can create a better world.
Organisational psychology is important to me, understanding the dynamics of particular communities, cultivating values and embedding these in systems that allow everyone to thrive.
I speak 4 languages: English, French, Arabic and Spanish. These are keys that unlock millions more people for me to connect, communicate with and learn from. I love to travel and have visited over 50 countries (so far!).
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I adore my analytical side too! I studied economics at LSE to understand how we can make society fundamentally better.
Money is the lifeblood of the economy. It’s not a goal - but a tool - and plays an important part in everyday decision-making. The economic case for wellbeing is clear: Healthier People -> Higher Productivity -> Money 🤑👌
Part of my mission with How Are We is to create a tangible measure for people’s wellbeing we can track and use to take action to improve lives individually, in our communities and globally - because GDP is simply insufficient.
SPEAKING EVENTS
Type: Workshop
Time & space to check-in with your mind.
Type: Talk
Let’s understand and stop suicide!
Type: Workshop
How do we overcome our fear of self-expression?
ART & WRITING
Find all my art & writing on www.ifeelgeorge.com but here’s a sneak peek…
The Drummer
Meeting Mother
Don’t Cry 4 Abstract Art
CONTACT ME
GET TO KNOW ME A LIL’ BETTER