Free the Mind Co Discusses How to Scale their Online Program Aimed at Improving Children’s Social Emotional Awareness

Nov. 1st, 2022

According to the CDC, 1 in 5 children in the US have a diagnosable mental, emotional or behavioral disorder, all amplified by the pandemic. It has become essential to recognize the importance of understanding and normalizing our emotions. Kim Normand Dobrin and Brent Feinberg founded Free The Mind Co in 2019 to tackle this problem and improve children's social emotional awareness through interactive programs. 

Free the Mind Co integrative online program uses the charming story of “Freeing Freddie the Dream Weaver” to bring understanding and normalize emotions, releasing fear and anxiety to build dreams. The online program has reached 21,000 youth, teachers and parents to date. Kim and Brent along with Nancy A. Green, Director Curriculum & Educational Products, and their team, reached out to KIN for a 90-minute Catalyze session to brainstorm how it could scale in the United States to reach more households and schools. Knowledge Partners Charlotte Chiu, Moonlit Beshimov, Qingxi Wang, and Vanessa Loy discussed two fundamental strategic approaches: B to C targeting parents and B to B targeting schools and how at a grassroots level they can gain traction so they can get the funding to scale. The four knowledge partners pledged to connect them with key contacts in the SEL space. Knowledge Partner Moonlit Beshimov said “I believe this is the best way for experienced business talents to contribute back to the community, more effective than volunteering at soup kitchen (though if possible, we should do both!). I very much enjoyed the active problem solving and hearing and learning from the diverse perspectives and ideas.” 

“At Free The Mind Co we have a big vision – to create integrated, generational emotional intelligence to ensure ongoing positive societal impact. Having a group that is dedicated to supporting our vision and giving graciously of themselves is a blessing we are grateful for. We look forward to building our partnership with KIN and their team,“ Kim Normand Dobrin said.