Small steps, big dreams

Hannah Hardy-Jones, Kite Founder and Steve Kenchington, Jaguar NZ CEO with the all-electric I-PACE.

Christchurch entrepreneur Hannah Hardy-Jones has been recognised for her change-making work in tech and mental health. She was awarded a grant to develop a programme that allows better support for women on their cancer journey. 

Launched earlier this year, the ‘She Sets The Pace’ community grant by car brand Jaguar recognises changemakers and people challenging the status quo by providing funding for their ventures. In Hannah’s case, the $10,000 prize will go towards The Kite Program, a mental health app publisher that creates apps to support groups, organisations, and causes. 

The Kite Program aims to overcome mental health challenges, especially for women. It highlights the gender-based obstacles that prevent people from receiving the help and support they need by creating highly specific app programmes. These include services for eating disorders, maternal mental health, veterinarians, HR professionals, and an offering for small businesses, to name a few. 

Hannah started Kite due to her own difficult mental health journey with postpartum bipolar disorder following the birth of her daughter in 2013. Using her HR experience, she created a solution to support mums through the challenges of motherhood – an app was the perfect way to reach as many women as possible. 

“Since the success of Kite for Mums, we have launched versions of the app into new markets and focus areas, particularly within corporate wellbeing. All are based on the Kite app philosophy of small achievable steps each day.” 

As people move through the app, they select the Kite modules that apply to them, and they receive one quick, practical and achievable task, idea or activity to complete that day. When stressed and overwhelmed, our ability to retain and apply ideas and suggestions is limited, so breaking it down into small steps is effective, according to Hannah. 

“It was important that I was open and transparent about my mental health journey when I launched Kite. When I was unwell, I couldn’t find anyone who was thriving or who was able to manage their illness successfully – all I could find were heart-breaking stories. I wanted to show that it is possible to live a full life and come out the other side. It has been my mission to break down the stigma of mental health and be open about my experience wherever I can.” 

Hannah mentions how incredibly exciting it is to be chosen as the first recipient of the Jaguar She Sets the Pace grant. 

“Being a sole female founder of a tech start-up can be challenging, and winning this grant was wonderful validation for me, personally. I love what Jaguar is doing with challenging conventions for women, and these values fit so well with my own values and that of our wider organisation. The grant has allowed us to start working on some epic projects in the mental health space, plus being able to drive a beautiful I-PACE has just been the icing on the cake and a great way to experience an EV. 

“No matter what you are going through right now, there is always hope and always a way through. I would never have thought I could start a mental health tech company based on my mental health and being a mum of small children, but anything is possible. It just takes small steps each day to get to your dream.” 

Our full interview with Hannah from Kite is below.

jaguar.co.nz/news-she-sets-the-pace-grant | thekiteprogram.com

Congratulations on this incredible concept. In your own words, what lead you to launch The Kite Program?

I started Kite as a result of my own difficult mental health journey with postpartum bipolar disorder following the birth of my daughter in 2013. I decided to use my HR experience to create a solution to support mums through the challenges of motherhood and an app was the perfect way to reach as many women as possible! Since the success of Kite for Mums, we have launched versions of the app into new markets and focus areas, particularly within corporate wellbeing. All are based on the Kite app philosophy of small achievable steps each day.

Tell us about She Sets The Pace - what has being chosen for a grant meant to you personally and for your brand?

It was so incredibly exciting to be chosen as the first recipient for the Jaguar She Sets the Pace grant. Being a sole female founder of a tech startup can be challenging, and winning this grant was wonderful validation for me personally. I love what Jaguar is doing with challenging conventions for women and these values fit so well with my own values and that of our wider organisation. The grant has allowed us to start working on some epic projects in the mental health space, plus being able to drive a beautiful I-PACE for three months has just been the icing on the cake and a great way to experience an EV.

In creating The Kite Program, you’ve offered up a fair amount of personal transparency which is incredibly commendable - how has this process been for you?

It was really important that I was open and transparent about my mental health journey when I launched Kite. When I was unwell I couldn't find anyone who was thriving or who was able to manage their illness successfully – all I could find were heartbreaking stories. I wanted to show that it is possible to live a full life and come out the other side. When I first shared my story it was really scary as the fear of being judged was very much there but since then it has been my mission to break down the stigma of mental health and be open about my experience wherever I can.

Kite has evolved somewhat – tell us about that journey, from where it started, to what it is today.

 Our first launch was the Kite for Mums solution as this was a topic close to my heart because of my own experience. The next phase was to use the template of the app and recreate it for different user groups. Our corporate wellbeing solution launched 6 months later and we have worked with businesses around the world to create a Kite app for their employees. We also have an app for Eating Disorder recovery which has a huge impact. Our focus now is to work with specific challenges that people face, such as an app to support people on their IVF journey, one for women with ADHD and a more specific maternal mental health resource. The $10,000 grant will be used to investigate how The Kite Program can be used to support women on their journey, in particular after being diagnosed with the breast cancer gene.

Tell us about 'micro-learning solutions’.

Kite is based on very small steps each day, which we refer to as microlearning. As people move through the app they select the Kite modules that apply to them and they receive one practical and achievable task, idea or activity to complete that day. These take no longer than 3 minutes to complete. We know that when we are stressed and overwhelmed our ability to retain and then apply ideas and suggestions is limited, so breaking it down into these small steps is really effective.

Can you highlight for me some of the gender-based obstacles mentioned?  

Women are highly under-represented in the startup world, particularly in tech. On top of that, starting a business as a mum of two young children added another dimension to this. There is a culture of work-hard-play-hard in many cases and for me personally, I couldn't identify with that world, particularly one dominated by men. When it comes to capital raising, women-led startups are far less likely to be invested in than men and there are many barriers as a result of this.

Anything you’d like to leave Avenues readers with?

No matter what you are going through right now there is always hope and always a way through. If you have an idea or a dream, don't give up on it. I never would have thought I could start a mental health tech company based on my mental health and being a mum of small children, but anything is possible. It just takes small steps each day to get to your dream. I would also like to thank the team at Jaguar for helping me reach even more people through Kite.