Two years ago, an explosion in Alexandra Assouad’s hometown of Beirut, Lebanon, killed 218 people, leaving Assouad emotionally devastated. She complained of tension in her arms and neck, but later realized that she was suffering from somatic symptoms from the stressful explosion.

Assouad, who was living in Toronto at the time, teamed up with three other immigrant women from the area who shared Assouad’s interest in mental health issues. Together, they launched a mental health platform with an emphasis on cultural sensitivity and understanding of the mental health needs of communities that are underrepresented in mental health research.

His company, Mind-Easy, started with a mobile platform that provides mental health checks using AI-based avatars that help users unpack their feelings, engage…