BetterMynd grows by prioritizing student mental health

At a time when there is increasing emphasis on the importance of youth mental health resources, a Buffalo startup is quickly building a presence on college campuses across the country.

Better Minds, which offers an online platform to address the mental health needs of college students, has come a long way since founder Cody Semrau relocated his company from Rochester to Buffalo in 2020 and won a $500,000 finalist prize in the 43North competition a year later.

BetterMynd has seen 66% growth in campus partnerships over the last year, and from an idea a few years ago, it now serves more than 100 universities and serves more than 500,000 students.

And it’s not just in the region: The company, which has about 20 employees, also partners with universities across the South and West.

BetterMynd has also doubled the number of participants in the 50-minute online therapy sessions it offers to partners compared to last year, and has significantly expanded its counselor network, which now consists of more than 400 licensed and insured mental health clinicians.

Semrau founded the company to help students get the help they need quickly, before they drop out or commit suicide.

“We are proud to provide college students across the country with the flexible, individualized online care they need to address a wide range of complex mental health issues,” said Semrau, who is also part of LaunchNY’s investor network.

“As we look ahead to the remainder of 2024, we remain focused on expanding our impact through new and strengthened partnerships and making it as easy and convenient as possible for students to access the online therapy support they need,” he said.

BetterMynd complements and expands on-campus mental health resources, providing students with more accessible, personalized care that meets their individual mental health needs and schedules.

According to BetterMynd, approximately 77% of students on college campuses experience mental health issues, and more than 85% of college counseling centers have experienced an increase in demand for online therapy.

The company has partnered with 47 additional campuses over the past year, including recent deals with schools such as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Southern University A&M College System.

Additionally, BetterMynd has formed business partnerships with Togetherall, Upswing, and the Hope Center to further expand the company’s impact.

The company currently sees an average of more than 1,400 students participate in 50-minute sessions each month, helping to meet the growing demand for mental health services among college students.

BetterMynd has expanded its counselor network by increasing the number of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) counselors by 30% and the number of multilingual counselors by 15%.

The University at Albany has partnered with BetterMynd for the past two years.

“We know that students’ mental health and well-being is paramount to their academic success,” said Karen Sokolowski, director of the university’s counseling and psychological services.

For the past few years, Matt Gracie has been trying to bring people in the technology and information security communities together.

When she noticed there weren’t many meetup and networking opportunities available, Gracie decided to take things on her own.

He founded BSides Buffalo in 2021 and hosted a tech and hacking conference in Western New York shortly thereafter.

Now in its third year, BSides Buffalo will be held June 1 from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Canisius College’s Science Hall. There will be numerous speakers, lock-picking and capture-the-flag hacking contests, vendors, giveaways and more. The event is part of a network of events that began in Las Vegas in 2009 and has taken place in 239 cities in 63 countries.

Gracie, who also hosts monthly meetups to bring the tech community together, said BSides Buffalo draws hundreds of guests, ranging from hobbyists and students to security professionals and chief information security officers.

Speakers will cover general security and hacking topics, and there will also be a sponsored expo area and space for community groups like TechBuffalo and Buffalo Game Space.

Tickets can be purchased on EventBrite.com for $20, or will be free if participants submit a resume and agree to share it with event sponsors.

Applications are now open for the second round of Springboard, an entrepreneurial competition open to organizations and companies, with this year’s total prize pool of $600,000 available.

The first round launched in March and attracted 131 applicants from a mix of businesses and nonprofits, with prizes ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 per winner across three rounds.

The deadline for applications for the second round is June 21. Ideal candidates will live in Greater Buffalo, Greater Rochester or Southern Tier communities and have a product, service, program or initiative that will benefit entrepreneurs and businesses in need of capital to scale their ideas or bring them to market.

Applications should be submitted online at springboardny.org.

The State University of New York at Buffalo Program cuts and acquisition proposals To eliminate the fiscal deficit.

The residential area near the former Medalla College campus It’s for sale.

FeedMore WNY Get cheap electricity For the new headquarters.

Falconer Maker There is a new owner.

Large-scale affordable housing projects Getting ready for Dunkirk.

Buffalo Niagara unemployment rate It remains relatively low.

Evans Bank Looking for customers In the legal cannabis business.

Old Edition Bookstore Project I’m stuck.

Eastside Healthcare Project Advance.

Downtown Revitalization Project Lancaster, Dunkirk and Wellsville receive funding from the state.

Buffalo-based employee benefits company An acquisition was made.

Five articles from Buffalo Next:

1. Do individual seat licenses retain value? Here’s what happened in other NFL markets.

2. Michael Montante Looking back on my four years as CEO of Uniland.

3. Federal agencies: Genesee County STAMP SiteHow will it impact two businesses preparing to open facilities there?

4. After several years of relative inactivity, the rural areas north of Amherst A surge in new development projects.

5. The Buffalo Bills’ move to hire more female and minority contractors for their stadium project. Potential to benefit We plan to be involved in other large scale construction projects in the future.

The Buffalo Next team will be bringing you the full story on the region’s economic revitalization. Email your tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or call Buffalo Next Editor-in-Chief David Robinson at 716-849-4435.

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