The dynamic serial entrepreneur, angel investor, founder, and innovator has been making waves in the tech, real estate and mental health realms with her one-of-a-kind foundation.
Only a handful of entrepreneurs and founders have made a prominent name for themselves in their fields by thriving on a genuine purpose to become catalysts of change in society. Through their remarkable work in their niches and industries, drawing from their experiences in life and expertise gained as entrepreneurs, they ensure that they inspire the gen-next with their incredible ideas, innovations, and purpose-driven work. We couldn’t help but notice the consistent rise of one such serial entrepreneur, founder and angel investor named Sharmin Ali.
Sharmin Ali is the one who felt the need to address the crucial subject of mental health in entrepreneurship. Hence, spotlighting the topic, she established the Sharmin Ali Foundation for Entrepreneurs (SAFE), a pioneering organisation to support entrepreneurs’ mental health while navigating the relentless pressures of entrepreneurship. On asking what inspired her to create something as meaningful as SAFE for entrepreneurs, Ali said, “After my near-fatal cardiac arrest caused by chronic stress, I understood how people hardly focused on dealing with stress and other mental health issues. This ignited the fire within me to start something that could draw people’s attention toward this important topic and provide entrepreneurs with mental health support.”
Ali’s life-altering cardiac arrest triggered by chronic stress turned her crisis into a mission to transform the entrepreneurial landscape through SAFE. Her story is one of courage, persistence, ambition and resilience. Through all these years, she has successfully raised millions in funding and founded ventures that created over 10,000 jobs. However, her remarkable rise came with hidden costs. The relentless pressure to excel took a toll on her health, which culminated in a near-fatal heart attack. This inspired her to establish SAFE, a foundation dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs’ mental health.
Her organisation aims to address the often-overlooked psychological challenges that come with the entrepreneurial grind. Recently, she was honoured with a prominent feature on the NASDAQ billboard in Times Square, New York, spotlighting her as a mental health advocate for entrepreneurs. She highlights that SAFE plans to expand its impact by organising annual mental health summits, publishing research, and collaborating with policymakers to foster systemic change in the startup ecosystem.
The tech innovator, serial entrepreneur, angel investor and founder envisions a future where mental health resources are integral to entrepreneurial success.
