Ashley Edwards is a youth mental health expert and technology innovator. She is also a startup and corporate advisor, as well as a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur. Forbes recognized her thought leadership in mental health, social innovation, and racial equity, naming her one of the top “Healers” set to influence the next century. Her work has been featured in notable publications, including ELLE, Business Insider, and Inc. Throughout her career, Ashley has focused on leveraging technology to advance equity, healing, and justice.

Ashley grew up in New Jersey and attended Yale University, where she received the Yale Franciscus Fellowship in Entrepreneurship. During her time at Yale, she explored her passion for social innovation. She traveled to Haiti, Hong Kong, and Uganda, supporting sustainability and political and economic development efforts. After graduating from Yale, she moved to Newark, NJ, and started her career in social impact by managing operations for a charter high school.

Her experience in urban education sparked a passion for creating healing opportunities for youth from marginalized communities. These youth often face trauma and barriers to mental health and well-being. This drive led her to pursue and earn her M.B.A. and M.A. in Education from Stanford University. At Stanford, she received the Miller Social Change Leadership Award and served as President of the Black Business Student Association.

Currently, Ashley is the Founder and CEO of MindRight Health. This tech startup aims to make mental health care radically accessible and inclusive for underserved communities. Ashley is the first Black female founder to raise over $1 million in venture capital in New Jersey. At that time, she was one of only 35 to achieve this in the United States.

In addition to leading MindRight Health, Ashley has served as a corporate advisor on social impact, racial equity, and mental health councils at organizations such as Forbes, Zoom, and NewSchools Venture Fund.