There are a few different versions of this platform – this one started with a collaboration with Children's Hospital of Los Angeles with the mission of helping Latinx youth get access to the latest behavioral science and persuasive design tactics. Then the pandemic started, and this project grew to reach people from all over the world. But, we would love to learn what elements are most helpful to different groups of people and are honored to be partnering with NYU Capstone project to learn more.
Our hope is that these tools empower people to feel happier, healthier and more in control. We founders have all needed a lot of these tools are feel very honored to be able to share them with you!
MotiSpark is an LA based startup founded by a designer who needed motivation but felt worse when she tried existing 'self-help' apps. Luckily, she was able to hack together prototypes of visual nudges that worked well enough to convince a group of brilliant people to join her on the mission to provide ongoing motivation that feels more like social media than therapy. There are many wonderful people and organizations working on addressing mental health access for Latinx youth. Below are a few of the amazing programs we have encountered as we learned about this space.
- Patricia Foxen, PhD, NCLR’s Deputy Director of Research Resilient Latino Youth: In Their Own Words & Mental Health Services for Latino Youth: Bridging Culture and Evidence.
- Dr. Denise Chavira and her work at the UCLA Calma Lab
- The G.R.E.A.T program introduced to us by Sheriff Daryll of the Compton YAL
Vamos.MotiSpark’s development began with the honor of winning The Grand Prize in The HIMSS, CHLA Innovation Studio Developer’s Challenge to help improve health equality for Latinx youth. THANK YOU 
Briza Covarrubias
Spokesperson
Brilliant actress and mental health advocate based out of Los Angeles. She has an amazing ability to process the intention of scripts – perhaps an upside from experiencing a lot of challenging feelings.
Ariel McNichol
Co-founder & CEO
aka writer, producer, after effects editor and fan of translating science into fun software. Ariel’s got a bio full of life-hack triumphs over anxiety, eating disorders, early trauma, etc. She now parents 2 Latinx kids who surprise her with their brilliance and whom she tries to fiercely protect from screen addiction.
Kyle Brinkman
Co-founder & CTO
Kyle is not the baby above because although Kyle co-founded MySpace, he’s never been the one posting tons of pics. Instead, he designs platforms for lasting engagement and is now finding a million ways of doing it to empower users.
Additional Support from:
Amanda Wang Valentine
Former banker and product market-fit specialist with expertise in healthcare sales and product integration.
Sean Young, PhD.
Executive Director at Institute for Prediction Technology (UCIPT); UCLA School of Medicine. Author of best-selling book on behavior change.
Marlyne Tejada, LA based actress & critic. Check out her YouTube channel.
Samuel Temblador, seasoned bilingual communicator, cultural competency expert and has assisted in outreach projects developed for the benefit of undeserved communities.
Aslin Osmara Paxtor, UCLA Class of 2017. B.A. Sociology, Theater and Anthropology Double Minors
And, Justin Valentine, Camille Hardman,
Winnie, Julia and Ariel’s brilliant brother Jason tambien.
Amanda Wang Valentine
Former banker and product market-fit specialist with expertise in healthcare sales and product integration.
Sean Young, PhD.
Executive Director at Institute for Prediction Technology (UCIPT); UCLA School of Medicine. Author of best-selling book on behavior change.
Samuel Temblador, seasoned bilingual communicator, cultural competency expert and has assisted in outreach projects developed for the benefit of undeserved communities.
Aslin Osmara Paxtor, UCLA Class of 2017. B.A. Sociology, Theater and Anthropology Double Minors
And, Justin Valentine, Camille Hardman,
Winnie, Julia and Ariel’s brilliant brother Jason tambien.
We’d like to dedicate this site to the memory of Sergio Anguiano. Sergio was born in Mexico to a family that struggled to accept his sexuality. His family immigrated to SoCal when he was a toddler. He managed to thrive in LAUSD & earned his way to U.C.Berkeley where he graduated with top honors right before dying from AIDS. Sergio initially told Ariel it was cancer. That was 1993. Social norms can be murderous thieves and need to be seen with clear eyes. Sergio saved Ariel’s sanity throughout our high school & early college years before he died – way, way too young. At first, Ariel fue even more loca unable to process the loss. But, with time, Sergio’s voice came back to her to help – he pushes, he laughs, he offers solace. They worry & joke about cultural authenticity, the definition of Latinx, SDoH, sanity, hope and design.
Sergio loved Stanislavski’s quest that people should “love the art in yourself, not yourself in the arts.” We hope the ‘art’ of this series helps you see the art in you – an art that is healing, collective, wise and created by us, a combination of so many stories.
We’d like to dedicate this site to the memory of Sergio Anguiano. Sergio was born in Mexico to a family that struggled to accept his sexuality. His family immigrated to SoCal when he was a toddler. He managed to thrive in LAUSD & earned his way to U.C.Berkeley where he graduated with top honors right before dying from AIDS. Sergio initially told Ariel it was cancer. That was 1993. Social norms can be murderous thieves and need to be seen with clear eyes. Sergio saved Ariel’s sanity throughout our high school & early college years before he died – way, way too young. At first, Ariel fue even more loca unable to process the loss. But, with time, Sergio’s voice came back to her to help – he pushes, he laughs, he offers solace. They worry & joke about cultural authenticity, the definition of Latinx, SDoH, sanity, hope and design.
Sergio loved Stanislavski’s quest that people should “love the art in yourself, not yourself in the arts.” We hope the ‘art’ of this series helps you see the art in you – an art that is healing, collective, wise and created by us, a combination of so many stories.
