meet our founder

When I was eight, I started experiencing severe anxiety attacks in the classroom. My teacher was always the first responder to my anxiety, but rarely knew what to do—she’d either send me to the principal’s office or hand me a stress ball. 

It wasn’t until high school that I experienced what it was like to have educators that prioritized students’ well-being. And it completely changed my life. I went from barely getting through the school day to loving school because I had the emotional capacity, and tools, to navigate anything that came along. 

I started Upstream in 2016 because all students deserve to have their well-being prioritized and to have proven tools that support their mental health. Today, we work with thousands of teachers and impact 40k+ students across the country each week.

These tools have the power to change your students’ lives. I know this to be true, because they changed mine. 

With Gratitude,

Tessa