Silja Litvin

I'm, quite impressed by Calm as a successful startup, but there are so many cool little ones out there that just blow my mind beacuse they're so creative.

I was working on my Ph.D. and I didn't want to 'only' add knowledge to the pool through my work, but leave behind a tool people could actually use. After understanding all the restrictions that come with University funding, I decided to go private and the route of compassionate capitalism.

Fundraising. I. Hate. Fundraising.

I think it's easy to get caught up in your vision or product and not consider consumer needs or even business requirements. We learned the hard way that you need a business model before you design a product. Cost us 2 years possibly.

1) Don't take rejection personally but still listen closely to the reasons. 2) Ask for help: reach out to mentors, advisor and investors and ask, ask, ask: most peple love to support someone who works hard and has a good idea. 3) Don't get too emotionally deep into your start up: it's always important to try and keep a meta position, otherwise you'll emotionally and mentally drain yourself.

After working internationally for 17 years as a model and managining my own book, I could not imagine a 9-to-5 job with a boss I may or may not agree with or respect. That and wanting to create something new that was mine, was the main driver.

I really loved my 3 moths with techstars: the comradrie, the learning curve, the other CEO's one could share experiences with were really some of the best months of my life.

Silja Litvin was born in Germany but moved to southern California early in her life. Exposed to many diverse cultures early in life, she developed an insatiable curiosity for the human condition leading to her pursuing a degree in psychology.

She began her master's degree at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, graduating in Clinical Psychology and Systemic Family Therapy in 2013. Alongside her education as a Systemic Family Therapist in 2015, she began her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

A child of the digital generation, Silja was looking for ways to use apps and social media to help people suffering from mental issues. She went on to create a psychological mobile app that helps users identify and self-manage depression. With this idea, she undertook her Ph.D. thesis, thus ensuring it to be evidence-based and ethically sound.

Now she is venturing into the world of AI, gamification, and chatbots to find a way to be able to help people help themselves, launching the beta of her emotional fitness game eQuoo in New Zealand and Australia.