BNU psychology alum creates digital happy place for future generations of children
A Buckinghamshire New University alum has created an app to help children improve their own wellbeing through positive psychology and immersive augmented reality technology.
Pep Stonor completed a MSc in Applied Positive Psychology at BNU to develop her understanding of positive education approaches that could secure better outcomes for children. As the end of her course approached, Buckinghamshire New Uni’s participation in Research England’s MedTech Super Connector programme opened an opportunity for Pep to enter and win a hackathon competition which saw her invited onto a six-month programme providing access to entrepreneurship training and financial support.
The theme of the hackathon was mental health, wellbeing and happiness. A prototype was created which would eventually develop into the app Coggi – its vision is to engage a ‘digital-native’ generation of children through technology to promote their own psychological wellbeing and to prevent mental health problems from occurring or escalating. Pep says: “the premise of Coggi is that schools should be places of self-discovery and should enable children to acquire lifelong wellbeing skills.”
The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique and untimely challenge for Pep and Coggi. “We were just about to start pilot studies when COVID hit, so we couldn’t do that unfortunately. But COVID has massively propelled the whole discussion about wellbeing to the point it’s a lot easier to tell Coggi’s story. When talking about prevention, COVID has shown what happens when mental wellbeing is affected by a lack of social interaction, isolation and other factors. So, on balance, COVID has increased the need to address wellbeing and mental health issues.”
“As an entrepreneur, you’re thinking all the time about the business to the point it becomes quite exhausting, so you have to take a step back and manage your own wellbeing and have strategies to cope. You also have to be very ready to change and adapt.”Pepita Stonor Founder, Coggi
Every entrepreneur faces personal and professional obstacles. For Pep, it was staying on her A-game. “As an entrepreneur, you’re thinking all the time about the business to the point it becomes quite exhausting, so you have to take a step back and manage your own wellbeing and have strategies to cope. You also have to be very ready to change and adapt.”
Pep thrived on her course and credits this to studying alongside a cohort of the “most amazing bunch of people from around the world” and being guided by expert lecturers who “were really supportive throughout the two-year Master’s degree”. In addition to having the support of her tutors at BNU, Pep also benefitted from the University’s partnership with HSC Ventures and has made important connections since becoming a participant on the programme. Another benefit to Pep is being a Bucks Health Tech Hub customer which offers mentorship from an entrepreneur in residence, an office space to meet and many other benefits with a discounted rate for BNU alumni.
The next steps for Coggi are product testing and more research. For Pep, it’s about continuing to make progress and maintaining a sensible work-life balance. “It’s been the most enormous year on a personal and professional front. Covid completely turned everything on its head but it has made me more efficient and happier, and given me much greater balance in life. The past year has shown me what really matters. I’m more determined than ever to get this into children’s hands.”