Bright Shitemi

Bright Shitemi is the Founder and Executive Director of a youth-led youth-focused mental health organization, Mental 360, and a digital wellness start-up, Boma. He has a background in Business/Economics and is a Certified Public Accountant 2. He combines his economics, business management, and project management skills with his enthusiasm for sustainable and impact-driven work that is locally designed with global insights and applicability. With Mental 360, he provides affordable, accessible, and holistic mental health support to at-risk underserved youth communities.

Mental 360 works through a peer model that empowers persons with lived experience to be champions who raise awareness and support others in their communities. With Boma, he aims to increase access to peer and professional mental health support across Africa, leveraging technology and community. Boma was awarded Best Growth Plan Project in the Facebook Accelerator Program 2020. Bright is interested in the intersection of climate change and mental health, realizing that the fight for natural resources will continue to shape the history of mankind and how we relate to each other.

He has been recognized as an African Visionary Fellow in social entrepreneurship and innovation. His desire to strengthen community social support systems motivates him to believe that sustainable mental health outcomes lie in community-based approaches. He believes that conversations save lives.