In this episode, Third Culture Therapy’s Layla speaks with Ariana Alexander Sefre, a British-Iranian activist and entrepreneur, and the founder of Spoke – an innovative app using music as a tool for mental health and emotional regulation. Together, they explore the cultural and systemic gaps in mainstream healthcare, Ariana’s personal journey into building Spoke, and the power of music to reach communities often excluded from traditional mental health support. The conversation also touches on technology, activism, ethical business, and what it means to build care-led platforms as a culturally diverse founder.
💬 Topics covered:
✔️ Music as a tool for mental health and emotional regulation
✔️ Ariana’s journey to founding Spoke
✔️ Cultural and systemic barriers in mental healthcare
✔️ Technology, accessibility, and innovation in wellbeing
✔️ Navigating entrepreneurship as a British-Iranian founder
✔️ Activism, ethical business, and social justice
✔️ Mental health, creativity, and collective care
Timeline:
00:00 Introduction
00:55 Ariana's journey to founding Spoke
03:11 The science and impact of music on mental health
10:44 Challenges and strategies in reaching the audience
13:47 Personal reflections and cultural insights
25:26 Activism and social justice
42:27 Conclusion and final thoughts
Relevant links
https://spoke.world/
https://entrepreneursforpalestine.com
https://techforpalestine.org/
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