Our Story

From Struggle to Solution
We arrived in the U.S. from Ukraine in 2021—two immigrants with no English, no connections, and just $300 in our pockets. Navigating a new culture, financial uncertainty, and the emotional weight of starting over took a toll. Like many, we faced isolation, anxiety, and stress, but when we sought mental health support, we hit barriers: high costs, long waitlists, and stigma.

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“Even when I was finally ready to seek help, the cost of therapy was overwhelming. It just wasn’t an option.”

Olesia Paliukh, Co-Founder & CEO


“I felt the stigma first-hand. I wanted to talk to someone, but the silence around mental health stopped me.”

Vladyslav Budko, Co-Founder & CTO


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These struggles weren’t just ours—they’re universal. That’s why we founded MyWhy: to build a real-time AI voice therapist that’s private, affordable, and available 24/7. We’re creating a solution for the millions who feel the same way we did.
Our Story

From Struggle to Solution
We arrived in the U.S. from Ukraine in 2021—two immigrants with no English, no connections, and just $300 in our pockets. Navigating a new culture, financial uncertainty, and the emotional weight of starting over took a toll. Like many, we faced isolation, anxiety, and stress, but when we sought mental health support, we hit barriers: high costs, long waitlists, and stigma.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


“Even when I was finally ready to seek help, the cost of therapy was overwhelming. It just wasn’t an option.”

Olesia Paliukh, Co-Founder & CEO


“I felt the stigma first-hand. I wanted to talk to someone, but the silence around mental health stopped me.”

Vladyslav Budko, Co-Founder & CTO


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


These struggles weren’t just ours—they’re universal. That’s why we founded MyWhy: to build a real-time AI voice therapist that’s private, affordable, and available 24/7. We’re creating a solution for the millions who feel the same way we did.
Our Mission

Making Mental Health Support a Right for 1 Billion People

We believe mental health support is not a luxury.


It’s a basic human right — one that over a billion people around the world are still denied.


We know what it feels like to need help but not know where to turn.


To feel the weight of stigma.

To be told to wait months for an appointment.

To feel judged, misunderstood, or simply… alone.


We’ve been there. That’s why we’re building MyWhy.


Our mission is bold but simple:


To make emotional support accessible, affordable, and stigma-free — for one billion people.


We’re not just building an app.

We’re creating an ecosystem that makes therapy available to everyone, everywhere — without fear, without judgment, without barriers.

Our Team
Driven by Experience and Passion
  • Olesia Paliukh
    CEO & Co-Founder
    A neuroscientist with 10 years in psychophysiology, Olesia brings a deep understanding of mental health and a passion for using technology to improve emotional well-being.
  • Vladyslav Budko
    CTO & Co-Founder
    With over 10 years in tech, Vladyslav has experience building and scaling digital products, ensuring MyWhy is user-friendly and technically sound.
Our Journey & Roadmap
Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going
2023
  • Registered MyWhy as a company, laying the foundation for our mission.
2024
  • Built our first prototype with text-chat support and onboarded 30 early testers to gather initial feedback.
Q1 2025
  • Improved our prototype with real-time voice support, which you can test for free.
  • Over 65 users have interacted with our platform, helping us refine the experience.
  • Completed the app design and started development of our MVP for App Store and Google Play.
  • Began working on our website to create a hub for users and investors.
Q2 2025
  • Finalize our website, making it a seamless experience for users and investors.
  • Continue MVP development with a planned launch on App Store and Google Play by the end of this quarter.
Q3 2025
  • Grow our user base to 500+ through early adopters and targeted marketing efforts.
Future
  • Expand to more platforms, like smart speakers, to make MyWhy accessible anytime, anywhere.
  • Reach underserved communities, such as schools and shelters, to provide support where it’s needed most.
  • Build a global ecosystem where emotional support is a seamless part of daily life for millions.
Join Our Journey
Want to help us make mental health support a reality for everyone? Request our pitch deck or join our pre-seed round on AngelList.

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