FemSTEM Africa 2025 Kickoff Event & Panel

Mahlodi Letsie is the visionary Founder and CEO of Bare Mind Holdings, a pioneering HealthTech platform dedicated to destigmatizing mental health and wellness across Africa. With a passion for bridging the mental health accessibility gap, she is committed to creating culturally relevant, scalable solutions that empower young Africans to prioritize their well-being through personalized self-development and innovative technology.

Her journey into the mental health space was shaped by her personal experiences navigating the pressures of academic life at the University of Cape Town (UCT). During her postgraduate studies, she developed a deep interest in mindfulness as a tool for mental resilience, planting the seed for Bare Mind. Today, the platform serves as a holistic ecosystem that offers personalized wellness tracking, making mental health support more accessible, scalable, and relatable.

Mahlodi has built Bare Mind with a dual focus: driving meaningful social impact while also unlocking new business models in the mental wellness space. She is a proud alumna of UCT, where she earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing, and later specialized in Mindfulness-Based Interventions at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences.

In 2023, Mahlodi was selected for the African Impact Challenge (AIC), where she represented Bare Mind on an international stage, engaging with global investors during a 10-week incubation program in Toronto. Under her leadership, Bare Mind has secured key partnerships with corporate clients and mental health organizations, accelerating its expansion across Africa and beyond.

Her contributions to innovation and entrepreneurship have earned her multiple accolades. In November 2024, she was recognized as one of Inspiring Fifty Africa’s top fifty women shaping the tech ecosystem. In December 2024, she received the Standard Bank Innovation Award at the 2024 ESD Awards, celebrating her commitment to transformative solutions in technology and entrepreneurship.

Beyond building a thriving business, Mahlodi is deeply committed to mental wellness as a catalyst for societal transformation. As a thought leader and panelist, she shares her expertise on entrepreneurship, mental health, and innovation, offering valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing African innovators.

Phyllis Kyomuhendo is a passionate Ugandan social entrepreneur and innovator with seven years of experience in the social-innovations sector. Phyllis has a master’s degree in Public Health, and is a medical radiographer by profession. She is also the director and co-founder at the Ugandan startup, MSCAN. Through MSCAN, she and her team develop low-cost mobile ultrasound devices to combat maternal and neonatal mortality in low resource settings.

MSCAN has so far scanned over 10,000 pregnant women and detected over 1300 life threatening complications in pregnant women across East Africa. For this work, Phyllis has been profiled by CNN, BBC, Google, Meaningful Businesses 100, to mention but a few. In 2018, Phyllis received an award as the overall young Achiever of the year in Uganda. The award was handed over by the current President of The Republic of Kenya, H.E Willian Samoei Ruto. Phyllis is a 2019 Mandela Washington Fellow, a 2019 One Young World Summit Ugandan delegate, and a 2023 Global Good Fund Fellow. She was also awarded the Women in Tech Award at The GITEX Africa conference in 2023. She also mentors budding change makers across the globe.

Faith Chuby Labija is the founder and CEO of ChuChu Softies, a startup that is producing affordable period products to increase access to menstrual hygiene. With a strong background in Business and information systems and a deep commitment to public health, Faith has led initiatives that have empowered over 850 girls through menstrual hygiene education and advocacy.

Under her leadership, ChuChu Softies has harnessed meaningful support and partnerships with ALfor Health South Africa, African Impact Initiative Canada, Nobellum Canada, League of Innovators Canada, Mastercard Foundation and others to scale its work.

As a speaker at FemSTEM Africa, Faith will share insights on innovation in menstrual health, the intersection of STEM and social entrepreneurship, and the role of young leaders in shaping Africa’s future.