Ashley Edwards

Ashley Edwards is a prominent social entrepreneur and mental health advocate. She is the Founder and CEO of MindRight Health, a tech startup based in Newark, NJ, that provides culturally responsive mental health coaching via text message to underserved communities.14 Edwards holds an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University, where she received the Miller Social Change Leadership Award, and a Bachelor's in Economics from Yale University.12

As a trailblazer in the field of mental health innovation, Edwards has achieved several notable accomplishments:

1. She is the first Black female founder to raise $1 million in venture capital in New Jersey.23
2. Forbes recognized her as a 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur.12
3. Forbes named her one of the top "Healers" set to influence the next century.12

In addition to her role at MindRight Health, Edwards serves as the Inaugural Visiting Social Entrepreneur at the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.4 She also coaches aspiring entrepreneurs at Stanford GSB and has served on various impact, racial equity, and mental health advisory councils for organizations such as Forbes, Zoom, and NewSchools Venture Fund.34

Edwards' work focuses on advancing health equity by making mental health care more accessible and inclusive, particularly for communities of color and low-income families.12 Her innovative approach to mental health support has garnered recognition from various organizations, including being selected for the 2020 Google for Startups Accelerator: Black Founders inaugural cohort.4