Hi friend, my name's Alina Liao. I'm Founder of Zenit and instructor of our mini-retreats. I started Zenit to make wellness and journaling more accessible, especially in communities of color, which have historically faced, and continue to face, systemic barriers to health and wellness. When I think about accessibility, it's not only about removing structural barriers. It's also about the deep, slow work of letting go of the internalized beliefs that "wellness isn't for me," or "my feelings don't matter," or "I don't get to take care of myself."

I held those beliefs for most my life. I inherited them. The world reinforced them. I'm still on the journey of embracing that I, as a human being, have the right to take time for myself, to heal, to be well.  This is my vision for my contribution to the world: To build Zenit as a radical wellness company that makes it easier for us to feel pride and joy in the work we do for our mental health. To not feel guilt for squeezing in a breath, but to sing self-love as we take our time.

Prior to Zenit, I co-founded a non-profit that provided mental health coaching over text message to youth of color exposed to trauma. I provided mental health coaching directly and built trauma-informed, culturally responsive, healing-centered training programs for our coaches, with the guidance of clinical advisors, social workers, and youth advisors. Before this work, I spent a decade working directly with youth affected by trauma on a volunteer basis. I have a Master of Art in Education and Master of Business Administration from Stanford University, as well as certifications in Supporting Students Exposed to Trauma by Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) and Mental Health First Aid by the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI).

Contact me at [email protected].