Our Founding Story

Our founder's brilliant brother - Salil Chaudhry, was bullied in school, had an emotional breakdown, and was further diagnosed with mental health issue. Family, Teachers, and Friends missed early signs of risks and hence missed early interventions. The challenge is to identify these emotional risks for our children, adolescents, and youth proactively and that too at scale.

What happened with the founder's brother should never happen with any student - and that is why we exist.

Founder Sachin Chaudhry with his younger brother Salil Chaudhry - year 1982

Inspired by personal adversity, driven by purpose, fueled by passion

Our Timeline

From founding vision to global recognition: A decade of innovation in student mental health and well-being

The Genesis: TrustCircle's Founding Vision

2015

Born from personal experience and deep compassion, TrustCircle emerged to revolutionize the perception of emotional well-being—transforming it from a stigmatized topic into a celebrated strength. This marked the beginning of our movement for preventative student mental health support worldwide.

Scientific Validation: Forging Partnership with WHO Collaborating Centre

2016

Our collaboration with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health established TrustCircle's scientific credibility through rigorous research and evidence-based field testing. This partnership yielded groundbreaking methodologies that redefined how student well-being is measured, understood, and nurtured across diverse educational environments.

African Horizons: Pioneering Global Mental Health Access

2017

TrustCircle's expansion into Kenya and Nigeria represented more than geographical growth—it demonstrated our commitment to creating culturally responsive mental health tools for underserved communities. This milestone transformed us from a promising innovation into a global force for inclusive well-being.

Global Recognition: Ashoka Fellowship and Strategic Partnerships

2018

Founder Sachin Chaudhry's induction into the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship validated our vision as a transformative social innovation. Simultaneously, TrustCircle secured vital funding from Social Alpha and established a strategic research partnership with the United Kingdom's Warwick University—elevating our platform into a recognized movement for systemic change.

Educational Integration: Empowering Students & Staff in California Schools

2019

Our launch in California public schools marked a pivotal integration of mental health support into mainstream education. TrustCircle equipped students with essential tools for emotional awareness, reflection, and resilience—while securing additional research funding from the Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) to deepen our collaboration with the WHO Research Center.

Pandemic Response: Digital Mental Health Support in Hawaiʻi

2020

During the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, TrustCircle provided critical support across Hawaiʻi, creating secure digital spaces for adolescents to process emotions and maintain connections. Our platform became an essential resource for resilience when traditional support systems were disrupted by the global pandemic.

Global Endorsement: UNDP Recognition and Asian Expansion

2021

Our designation as an official UNDP DigitalX solution amplified TrustCircle's visibility across 190+ countries, validating our approach of combining technology with empathy to transform global mental health care. This recognition coincided with strategic partnerships with SOFINA and The King Baudouin Foundation, expanding our impact for K-12 students throughout Asia and beyond.

International Validation: HBGI, UNICEF India, Ministry of Youth Affairs Recognition

2022

TrustCircle's selection among just 51 global mental health programs by the Healthy Brains Global Initiative (HBGI)—a collaborative effort between WHO, UNICEF, and the World Bank—established us as a leading innovation in the field. Our partnerships with UNICEF India and the Ministry of Youth Affairs created pathways for nationwide emotional learning initiatives reaching millions of students.

Policy Transformation: G20 Honors and Hawaiʻi Statewide Implementation

2023

Our recognition at the G20 Summit as one of the most scalable innovations for student mental health coincided with TrustCircle's adoption as official policy across all Hawaiʻi public schools. This evolution from school-based program to statewide educational standard demonstrated how emotional well-being could be successfully integrated into educational frameworks nationwide.

Scaling Impact: Top Impact Company Award and India Expansion

2024

Earning the Real Leaders Top Impact Company Award in the 'Ones to Watch' category validated our innovative approach to student well-being in educational settings. Our landmark partnership with the Piramal Foundation launched initiatives empowering over one million students across India's most vulnerable and underserved communities, dramatically expanding our global footprint.

Future Innovation: Strategic Alliances for Responsible AI Integration

2025

We're architecting tomorrow's learning ecosystems through responsible AI implementation and policy innovation. Our strategic alliances with the EDSAFE AI Council, SETDA, and CoSN position TrustCircle at the critical intersection of emerging technology, educational equity, and student mental well-being—shaping the future of holistic education worldwide.

Global Recognition: Fast Company's #8 Most Innovative Company in Education

2026

TrustCircle was named the #8 Most Innovative Company in Education worldwide by Fast Company — placing a mission born at a family dinner table among the most influential forces shaping how the world learns. The honor affirmed a decade-long conviction: that prevention will always outweigh reaction.

Deepening Clinical Leadership: Dr. Greg Hammer Joins as Strategic Advisor

2026

Dr. Greg Hammer — Stanford physician, professor, and renowned mindfulness expert — joined TrustCircle as a Strategic Advisor, strengthening the bridge between clinical science and the classroom. His guidance reinforces a commitment to ground every tool in evidence and compassion, nurturing the well-being of students and staff.

A World Changing Idea: Reimagining Childhood Well-Being

2026

TrustCircle won Fast Company's World Changing Ideas award in Education — a distinction reserved for innovations with the power to improve millions of lives. The recognition celebrated a premise taking root across four countries: that emotional well-being belongs at the foundation of every child's education.

"What started as a response to my brother Salil’s silent adversity has grown into a global movement—one where every K–12 student is seen, heard, and empowered to build emotional resilience. This journey is about more than well-being; it’s about preparing every child to face life with strength, empathy, and self-awareness."