Roots Under Pressure: AANHPI Founders, Investors & Mental Wellness
Roots Under Pressure by Emari
An Honest Conversation on Mental Wellness and the Founder Experience
Join us for an intimate evening at the intersection of mental wellness, identity, and the founder experience. As we honor Mental Health Awareness Month, this gathering brings together AANHPI founders, investors, and community members for an honest conversation that rarely happens in professional spaces.
Event Logistics
Date: Wednesday, May 20.
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Location: Downtown San Francisco.
The Program
Our discussion will move beyond surface-level networking to address the deep-seated challenges faced within the AANHPI community, featuring:
Founder Burnout: Navigating the unique stressors of the startup journey.
Cultural Shame & Silence: Breaking through intergenerational silence and cultural shame.
Culturally-Rooted Care: Exploring mental wellness strategies that honor our heritage.
Schedule
5:30 PM — Private reception for panelists and select guests
6:00 PM — Doors open
6:25 PM — Panel begins
8:00 PM — Close
Panelists
Criselle Angeline Penamante (Host) Physician · Harvard Medical School Graduate · VP, Harvard Alumni for Mental Health · Philippines AI Retreat Fellow at Stanford
Yangchen Bhutia Sharma General Partner, Roundtable VC · Founder turned Investor · CEO, VALERI
Earl Martin Valencia Digital Innovation Executive · National Innovation Council Appointee · Co-author, Penguin Random House
Lieza Danan Founder & CEO, LiVeritas · Practitioner AI for Regulated Science
Erick Davidson Founder, Hello Future
Eric Valle Co-founder, Foundry1 · Director, Aduro Advisors · 25+ Years Across the Venture Ecosystem
Gladys Chiang Co-founder, Woodpecker AI
About Emari Emari is a wellness platform being built for the AANHPI community, connecting people with culturally rooted practitioners, holistic healers, and community care that actually understands where you come from. We believe mental wellness should speak your language, reflect your values, and honor the fullness of who you are.
Roots Under Pressure is our first community gathering. We are early and we are building this with the people in the room.
🌐 Learn more at emari.ai
📋 Sign up for early access: emari.ai/register
This event is presented by Harvard Alumni for Mental Health and Emari