Dealing with depression is tough, but alumnus Christian Chonardo (BBA, Class of 2021 and MSc in Finance, Class of 2022) managed to overcome it.

Christian’s depression even led to him quitting Princeton University’s undergraduate engineering programme in 2018. “I returned to Jakarta to take time off and get medical care. Luckily enough, I could get back on my feet,” he said.

While recovering in his Jakarta home, Christian thought of a business idea to help individuals affected by mental health. But, he felt that the timing was not suitable as society was not open to speaking about mental health.

“When I dropped out of Princeton, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to receive treatment. But, many Indonesians don’t have that opportunity because if they’re depressed, they’re told things like, ‘Oh, you’re mentally weak. You don’t pray enough, you don’t feel grateful’,” Christian said.

A new learning journey

While his idea was put on hold, Christian decided to continue his studies and take the chance to build his entrepreneurial skills. He enrolled in NUS Business School for his undergraduate studies in 2019. He later registered for the Master of Science in Finance graduate programme.

At NUS Business School, Christian picked up skills such as business strategy, financial modelling, and marketing and soft skills such as business pitching. Christian also had the chance to interact with “like-minded” peers from the Entrepreneurship club, meeting Nicco Parikh, who co-founded Teduh with him. The word Teduh means shelter, offering people a safe place to deal with mental health. The mental health app aims to help affected individuals in Indonesia.

Christian also encountered professors and lecturers who shaped his worldview, including Adjunct Senior Lecturer Mita Natarajan from the Department of Strategy & Policy. For instance, Mita brought up a thought-provoking Harvard Business Review article titled “How will you measure your life?” by Professor Clayton Christensen. It prompted Christian to reflect on what he hoped to achieve and how he could touch the lives of others. “I learned a lot about social entrepreneurship,” Christian said. And it rekindled his passion and revived his idea to make an impact. All that remained was for him to pick the right moment to become an entrepreneur.

Opportunity knocks

The COVID-19 pandemic was an opportunity to launch Teduh. The lockdown left many grappling with psychological distress, with limited access to professional support. More Indonesians, including social media influencers, openly shared about their mental health struggles online. It was a sign that Indonesian society has become more receptive towards seeking help for mental health.

Then, in 2021, Teduh was finally launched, a one-stop platform for mental health providing teleconsultations with psychologists, mood trackers and meditation exercises. Bearing in mind that there is still some stigma against seeking help for mental health, the app offers the option for users to remain anonymous when consulting with psychologists.

Today, there are more than 30,000 downloads for Teduh, and it has also received the Best Hidden Gems accolade by Google Play Store Indonesia, which recognises new apps that are building solid fanbases. Christian has also partnered with the University of Indonesia to provide mental healthcare support for students, staff and lecturers.

“The important thing is that I can help uplift people. I am happy that that’s something I can have make an impact,” said Christian.

*Teduh was co-founded by Christian Chonardo, Nicco Parikh (BBA, Class of 2023) and Adrianus Matthew.