Taanvi Arekapudi

I’m a 16-year-old Irish-born changemaker with Indian roots, now based in Washington—an award-winning social entrepreneur, youth mental health advocate, global keynote speaker, a national leader in youth mental health innovation, and founder/president of the nonprofit, Uplift Teens Today, revolutionizing how we support student well-being.

I’m the international bestselling author of “Uplift Teens Today,” the first teen-to-teen mental health book, published at 13, and creator of the Emotion Cards Deck, an interactive tool for emotional literacy used by students and professionals alike.

As part of my nonprofit, I launched Nexus: Mental Health Hub for Schools & Communities — a FREE, teen-to-teen, vetted platform that has reached over 1M+ students across 50 states and internationally. Nexus shares science-backed coping strategies, anonymous peer stories, mental health information, and more — all in one platform!

Inspired by my early struggles with anxiety and isolation as an Irish-Indian immigrant, I turned personal pain into purpose — committing to reach 80+ million students worldwide. My work has been nationally recognized with honors such as the Google Most Innovative Award, the NAMI Youth Award, the Civil Champion Award, the Washington PTA Outstanding Student Advocate Award, the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, the C.P. Dorothy Johnson Humanitarian Award, and the Washington Health Care Authority Prevention Award. I serve on the board of NAMI and act as a mental health youth advisor to Harvard Medical Center, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Wellness Lab, Macy’s, OSPI, and work closely with the Washington Health Care Authority.

Featured monthly by FOX, CNN, CBS, and The Seattle Times, my advocacy goes beyond awareness — it’s creating systems change and saving lives. I am co-researching with the University of Colorado Boulder and The Crown Institute. From building transformative tools to shaping mental health policy with leaders like Patrick J. Kennedy, I’m working to ensure no student ever feels alone again.