A former school principal in Compton, a majority-minority city near Los Angeles, Amen Rahh launched Knowlej last year to reward students with gift cards and sneakers for regularly showing up to school. San Francisco-based Hopelab, which is building a portfolio around youth mental health, sees the company’s solution as an alternative to punishments such as detention and suspension.
“I saw firsthand that many students, especially those from underserved communities, weren’t disengaged because they lacked intelligence or potential,” Rahh said. “They were disengaged because they didn’t see the relevance of school in their lives.”
Knowlej’s AI-powered software rewards students each time they complete a task. The platform, used by 15,000 students, offers financial literacy tools, counseling and mental health services for students, as well as resources for parents.
Youth mental health
Hopelab Ventures targets early-stage mental health and wellbeing solutions for adolescents and young adults aged 10 to 25, with a focus on low-income and underserved US communities. The nonprofit impact investor’s portfolio includes Miami-based Brave, which provides virtual behavioral health care for low-income teenagers; Boston-based Mightier, which offers gamified and evidence-based pediatric mental health for youth eligible for Medicaid; and New York’s Lex, which offers a safe digital community for LGBTQ+ youth to address mental health, loneliness and connection.
