Human Nature

Social entrepreneurs Rebekah Lin and Cynthia Chu share how they are creating safe spaces for difficult conversations and meaningful experiences with their new mental wellness start-up

- Hashirin Nurin Hashimi

We often ask, “How are you?” upon meeting someone for the first time, or when reconnecting with someone we haven’t met in a while. While it may not always invite a detailed response, the simple question opens the door for deeper dialogue, giving the other person a chance to reply in a way that reflects their current emotional or social state.

“Nowadays, I try to be a bit more honest,” says Rebekah Lin, about her approach to answering this common greeting. “But you also see who’s asking the question. If it’s a good friend or people I trust, I’ll do my best to share how I’m really feeling, and not just do a quick brush-off.” On the other hand, Cynthia Chu believes, “It’s important to have compassion and empathy for the other person. Sometimes a person just needs someone to listen to them and have that space to talk.”

This desire for meaningful human connection inspired Lin and Chu to create Half, a platform dedicated to fostering safe spaces for meaningful experiences, and engage in difficult conversations about mental wellbeing and resilience. “In a world of experts and specialists, we see ourselves as collaborators—and that we are only half of the equation,” Chu explains. “Our goal is to bring people together and leverage the power of community to normalise difficult conversations.”