Most Startups and the success stories we hear involve a Founder who pushes themselves to both physical and emotional limits. According to Leva Katiliute of Kavidan Kaptal, deliberately pushing yourself to burnout is usually celebrated and seen as a ‘good’ imbalance. The constant stream of stories about “overnight success” and “crushing it” create an unattainable standard for Founders.

According to a widely cited study by Michael Freeman (Prof of Psychiatry at Uni of Calif , Entrepreneurship Mentor & Serial Founder), entrepreneurs are 50% more likely to report having a mental health condition, with some specific conditions being incredibly prevalent amongst Founders.

Founders are twice more likely to suffer from depression, suicidal thoughts and have psychiatric hospitalization. They are 3 times more likely to suffer substance abuse, 6 times more likely to suffer from ADHD and 10 times more likely to suffer from bi-polar disorder. It only makes sense that these conditions undermine Founder performance and put their own (and company) success in jeopardy. This realisation together with the stigma of mental health amongst company Founders and leaders makes it that much harder for the entrepreneurs to get out of the loop of mental health erosion — they are seen as super-humans and speaking up about it feels like weakness, it feels shameful.

Startupgrind East London invites you for a fireside chat on this topic – sharing experiences, exploring potential solutions and available support.

Mr Oyama Balfour, Founder and Managing Director of Penrose Capital will be our guest for the event.