About
Our Mission
To empower those who have someone in their life facing mental health or addiction challenges by providing real-time support, expert guidance, and a compassionate community.
Empowerment
We believe in giving people the tools, confidence, and knowledge to make meaningful changes.
Healthy Relationships
We believe strong, healthy relationships are key to well-being.
Evidence-Based Support
We rely on proven methods to guide our work, ensuring both our team and our members have strategies that truly make a difference.
Our Story
KulaMind was created out of a shared understanding that navigating the mental health or addiction struggles of others can be difficult, to say the least. It can leave you feeling lost, unsure of what to do, or even guilty for taking care of yourself while trying to help someone else. We’ve been there too, and we know how isolating it can be when you’re searching for answers. That’s why we created KulaMind - to offer a place where you can find real, practical help when you need it most.
Our team, made up of mental health professionals and tech innovators, came together with one simple goal in mind: to make it easier to find your way through these challenges. Some of us have worked in the field for years, while others have personally experienced the difficulties of supporting loved ones through mental health or addiction struggles. We saw firsthand how traditional options don’t always fit the needs of people facing these situations. So we set out to build something different, a space that combines expert guidance, real-time solutions, and the reassurance that you’re not alone.
Our 12-week course approach is based on the benefits we saw when we delivered psychoeducation programs for caregivers and family members at Duke University. These courses are based on research showing that the right support can make a big difference for people who have someone in their life struggling with mental health or addiction. Through simple, practical tools like learning how emotions work, practicing mindfulness, improving communication, and using strategies from cognitive behavioral therapy, our members learn how to better understand mental health and support someone who is struggling.
We are a team of computer scientists and clinical psychologists from Duke University passionate about mental health.
Dr. Kibby McMahon
(Chief Executive Officer)
Dr. Kibby McMahon is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of KulaMind. She completed her BA at Columbia University and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Duke University. She is an expert in treating loved ones and caregivers of people with mental health issues. To support loved ones, she hosts a podcast called “A Little Help For Our Friends,” publishes in the media, and provides coaching sessions. From her own family struggles with mental health and treating clients with cognitive behavioral therapy, she sees first-hand how many people need to feel seen and supported.
Find Kibby on LinkedIn
Sida Zhu
(Chief Technology Officer)
Sida Zhu is the Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of KulaMind. He was previously an AI researcher at the General Robotics Lab at Duke University where he built an AI and human collaboration platform. He completed his Bachelors of science at Syracuse University and his Masters of Science at Duke University. He comes from a culture where mental health is greatly stigmatized. When the pandemic hit, his own mental health struggles inspired him to create novel solutions at KulaMind for pressing mental health problems.
Jan Appel
(Product Designer)
Jan Appel is a Product Designer at KulaMind, specializing in crafting designs that prioritize positive user experiences. Jan has worked on a wide range of projects, focusing on UI/UX design to enhance user satisfaction and engagement. He earned his MFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2020 and previously taught various design and art history courses at several post-secondary institutions. Jan’s personal relationship with mental health fuels his passion for developing solutions to support others in their mental health journeys.
Meenakshi Kothari
(Clinical Associate)
Meenakshi Kothari is a part-time associate at KulaMind, working on building chatbots, curriculum development, and clinical research. She holds an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her passion lies in making mental health services more accessible with the help of technology to bridge the treatment gap. She is excited about being involved in translating evidence-based practices into real world solutions.
Jacqueline Trumbull
(Podcast Co-Host and Clinical Expert)
Jacqueline Trumbull is a clinical psychology Ph.D. candidate at Duke University, where she specializes in treating patients with borderline personality disorder and other emotion regulation difficulties. She is currently interning at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs in the Bronx, NY, where she is primarily treating PTSD and working with couples impacted by trauma or emotion dysregulation. She has specialized training in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), emotion focused therapy for couples, evidence based therapies for PTSD, and patients struggling with infertility. In her personal life, she enjoys painting, stained glass, literature, cooking, and affectionately mauling her cat Sisi. You may know her as a contestant on Season 22 of The Bachelor!
Dr. Kate Wolin
(Advisor)
Dr. Kate Wolin is an entrepreneurial leader with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of population health science and business. A pioneer in translating scientific evidence into engaging digital health products, she specializes in technology-enabled behavior change solutions that drive real population outcomes. As a C-suite executive, board member, and scientific advisor, Kate excels at aligning diverse teams to build B2B2C and B2C health innovations. She’s authored 75+ peer-reviewed publications, secured major research funding, and has been recognized as a Forbes Healthcare Innovator to Know. She's the fractional Chief Science Officer of CaringBridge and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University- Kellogg School of Management.
Be part of the KulaMind team
We’re always looking for passionate, caring people to join our team. If you’re driven to support those who have someone in their life facing mental health or addiction challenges, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out at hello@kulamind.