Our Story

The WellMind Foundation was born in 2019 from a deeply personal experience, co-founded by a father-son duo, Allen and Justin Khademi. 

The story began with Justin's struggle with anxiety and depression during his high school years, first at Millburn High School and then at Summit High School. As Allen and his wife Hilary navigated these challenges with Justin, they encountered a stark reality. School professionals, despite their best efforts, were often overwhelmed with large caseloads and lacked the necessary tools to effectively support students facing serious mental health issues.

Recognizing the gaps in the system, Allen and Justin decided to take action. They established the WellMind Foundation (originally incorporated as "WellMind NJ, Inc.") to address the shortcomings they had experienced firsthand. 

Allen and Justin hope to one day expand the WellMind Foundation's influence to enable schools across the country to fundamentally change their mental health infrastructures. This ambitious goal includes integrating comprehensive mental health education into curriculums, ensuring accessible and effective support services are available to all students, and creating environments where mental well-being is prioritized alongside academic achievement. However, Allen and Justin are pragmatic in their approach to this vision. They understand the enormity of the task at hand and recognize that systemic change requires time, effort, and collaboration. 

Thus, their current priority lies in implementing minimally invasive programs and services that can immediately begin to improve the quality of life for students. These initiatives are designed to lay the groundwork for more significant changes in the future. By focusing on these accessible and impactful programs, the WellMind Foundation aims to not only provide immediate support to students in need but also to foster a broader understanding and conversation around mental health in educational settings.