Our Mission

As teenagers growing up in a world dominated by social media, constant notifications, and nonstop pressure from school, sports, and life, we saw something troubling: so many of our peers were quietly struggling with anxiety, burnout, and technology overload.

We didn’t see many resources that felt made for us, and if they were it was behind a paywall. So, we built one.

StayMindful is our way of creating a space that actually helps. It’s a totally free app designed to let teens take a break from the noise, breathe, reflect, and recharge.

With simple tools like visual breathing exercises, guided meditations, concise helpful articles, and daily motivational quotes (delivered at different times each day), we want to make taking care of your mental health as easy as checking your phone.

When we learned that 1 in 5 teens have seriously considered suicide, that hit hard and motivated us even more. This isn’t just an app. It’s a mission.

We’re here to build a community where mental health is the priority, not an afterthought.

Founding Members

Charley Wolf

Founder

Chief Executive Officer

Scarsdale High School '27

Theo Kertesz

Co-Founder

Chief Operating Officer

Scarsdale High School '27

Harry Wolf

Co-Founder

Chief Financial Officer

UT Austin '29

Expert Advisors

Our expert advisors are a collective of licensed professionals and experienced practitioners who provide validation and guidance for StayMindful’s tools and content. They ensure that our resources are trusted, accessible, and suitable for students, while offering occasional insights.

Fernanda Amaral Couto, LMHC, LPC

Fernanda Amaral Couto, LMHC, LPC, is a licensed mental health counselor practicing in Scarsdale, NY, and Darien, CT. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in supporting teenagers, young adults, and adults dealing with anxiety, depression, life transitions, trauma, and self-esteem issues.

Elvira Maria Medus, LCSW

Elvira Maria Medus, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist based in New York, USA, with deep expertise in the Person-Centered (Rogerian) approach to therapy. Trained originally in Argentina in 2004 and holding a Master of Social Work from Columbia University (2008), she brings a unique blend of humanistic sensibility and professional rigor to her practice.

How Did We Build This?

StayMindful is made up of over 101,970 lines of code written by Charley Wolf. The platform is built with a focus on performance, accessibility, and user experience. It consists of a comprehensive backend API, a React frontend, a React Native mobile app, a Postgres Database, and integrations with various microservices I built to manage things like articles and push notifications.

I began the development process in March of 2025 with an idea and a vision. Over the next few months, I designed a full-stack Next.js website and backend API that would serve as the foundation for our platform. In February of 2026, after hearing feedback from early testers, I began developing a React Native mobile app to make our platform more accessible to teens on the go. I launched the first version of the StayMindful in March of 2026, and since then we have been continuously improving and expanding our platform based on user feedback. I am committed to making StayMindful the best it can be, and I am always looking for ways to improve and expand our platform.