Michelle Chen is a Study Melbourne Future Founders alum and RMIT University PhD graduate and founder of Mental Jam.

Michelle recently returned to Future Founders Day as a panellist, describing it as a full circle moment in her start-up journey.

Mental Jam is a start-up focusing on mobile video games co-created with people who have lived experience of mental health challenges. Through storytelling, music, visuals and interactive play, the games aim to build emotional literacy, coping strategies and empathy.

Michelle’s journey highlights the value of Study Melbourne’s Future Founders program in helping international students and alumni build the skills, networks and confidence to pursue entrepreneurship and create positive social impact.

You were part of the Study Melbourne Future Founders program as a scholar and you recently returned as a panellist at Future Founders Day. What has that journey been like for you, both personally and professionally?

It feels like a full circle moment, because I remember learning from other founder's experiences while I was part of the Future Founders program. I always loved hearing their stories, because it made the startup process feel more human, like a lot of times we just see the positive side of things on LinkedIn, but sometimes there is also a lot of value in learning about their challenges too. I hoped that the participants at the Future Founders Day can learn from my experiences too. I've since connected with people at the event, who shared that they found the tips I provided useful, and it feel good to be giving back to the community that has supported my startup journey.

How did your experience in the Future Founders program help shape your development as a founder and support the growth of Mental Jam?

A really practical one, while I was part of the Future Founders program, I was telling my cohort that I wanted to spend more time on the startup. At that time, I was also applying to the Breakthrough Victoria Fellowship, and Richie advised me on my application. The Future Founders program played a big part in us getting the BV Fellowship, which has allowed me to spend more time on the startup and accelerate our growth. Our mentor Alvin, the cohort and the Startspace and Study Melbourne team was also very supportive, sharing their experiences and expertise with us.

Mental Jam is creating games that explore mental health through storytelling and co-design with people who have lived experience. What inspired you to build a venture in this space, and why is this work important to you?

My personal mental health challenges motivated me to build a venture in this space. Growing up in the Philippines and Taiwan, there was a lot of stigma and we didn't talk about mental health. This work is important to me because I'm building what I wish I had while I was struggling. Working closely with other people with lived experiences also made me feel less alone and together we are building a safe space for us to share our experiences and learn from one another.

At Future Founders Day, you shared your founder journey with current students, alumni and industry representatives. What key message or advice did you most want the audience to take away from your story?

I think the key message that I want to share is, in a world of AI, it’s important to be human and authentic. Students might be tempted to rely on AI for their writing or job applications, but when everyone else is doing that, when you are unashamedly yourself, when you let your voice through (and it doesn't have to be perfect), you will stand out more. As humans, you also don't need to be perfect all the time, you just need to be 'you'.

For current international students and alumni who may be considering entrepreneurship, what would you say to encourage them to take the first step and back their ideas?

Just do it :) It might seem scary at first and you might find the lack of stability uncomfortable, but at least you are building something that you care about and something that you think can make the world a better place. It's also important to remember to focus on the problem that you are solving and who you are solving it for. When things get hard and challenging, think of the people that you will help with your solution, and use that as your motivation to keep going.

What role have programs, mentors and connections across Victoria’s start-up ecosystem played in your journey, and how can industry better support emerging founders from international student backgrounds?

The programs, mentors and connections across Victoria's startup ecosystem really played a big part of my journey. After graduating from my PhD, I embarked on this startup journey not knowing anyone, but I took advantage of the programs available, such as RMIT Activator, the Future Founders program, Catalysr, etc. to build new connections and learned as much as I can from the mentors and people in the startup ecosystem. I think the industry can better support emerging founders from international student backgrounds by becoming mentors or by sharing their experiences, even simple things like tips on finding grant applications that they are eligible for. As someone on a visa, there are less opportunities available, but it doesn't mean that aren't any. I really appreciate the Future Founders program, because it's one of the very few programs that cater to and support us.