In a groundbreaking interview with Khawla Hammad, the Founder and CEO of Takalam, readers gain exclusive insights into the brand's award-winning technology for mental well-being. Khawla discusses Takalam's innovative approach, leveraging artificial intelligence for real-time mood tracking and personalized recommendations. The interview delves into the brand's strategic expansion into the GCC region, outlining its commitment to reshaping the mental health technology landscape. With a spotlight on both B2B and B2C offerings, Takalam emerges as a comprehensive and culturally attuned solution, poised to make a lasting impact on mental well-being.Can you elaborate on the specific objectives behind Takalam's expansion into the GCC region, particularly focusing on the UAE and KSA? How do you envision the impact on mental well-being in these countries?As our operational reach is expanding to neighboring countries, beginning with Saudi Arabia, the potential to effect meaningful social change is substantial, given the government's commitment to elevating community well-being as part of the Kingdom’s 2030 vision. Our initiative is fueled by a dedication to meeting the distinctive mental health needs of individuals in KSA, aligning with the leadership's 2030 vision to enhance the livability index. Takalam currently serves users from 50 countries worldwide, including KSA. In line with our commitment to broadening impact and in response to interest from private and government entities in the kingdom, we will intensify our efforts by establishing a physical presence for better engagement with various stakeholders and the community. Takalam will persist in refining its services and developing new products to provide an optimal experience for addressing users’ needs.Takalam employs cutting-edge technology and AI to redefine the mental health technology landscape. How does the utilization of artificial intelligence set Takalam apart, and what benefits does it bring to users in terms of mental well-being?At Takalam, the integration of cutting-edge technology and AI aims to create a defining edge in reshaping the mental health technology landscape. Our use of artificial intelligence goes beyond mere innovation; it pioneers a new era of proactive mental healthcare that profoundly impacts lives. By leveraging AI, we aim to transform mental health care from a reactive to a proactive approach, empowering users to manage their mental well-being more effectively. The use of AI distinguishes Takalam by enabling personalized and precise mental health support. It allows us to offer tailored experiences, from AI-powered mood tracking to user-counselor matching, enhancing the efficacy of counseling sessions. The real-time insights gathered from AI-driven analytics enable mental health practitioners to provide proactive interventions, identifying patterns and trends that lead to more effective support strategies.With the expansion, what aspect of Takalam's business are you keen on highlighting in media coverage within the new market? Is there a specific emphasis on B2B offerings, healthcare entities, or community-focused B2C services?We're eager to spotlight the diverse facets of Takalam's offerings. Firstly, we aim to showcase our robust B2B initiatives, notably the 'Wellness at Work' program. This initiative collaborates with organizations, delivering tailored digital solutions encompassing webinars, personalized counseling, and coaching sessions. Our focus lies in assisting companies to foster a culture of mental wellbeing, ultimately enhancing productivity, and reducing burnout among employees. We have been running this program with some of the market leaders and Fortune 500 companies, such as DAMAC, Al Dar, Bloomberg, Serco, and many others.Simultaneously, in the B2C realm, our emphasis in the KSA market is to introduce Takalam's services to a wider audience. We aspire to grow our loyal user base, positioning Takalam as an everyday empowerment tool for mental health. To achieve this, we focus on our community focused B2C services, aiming to make Takalam a trusted resource for individuals seeking daily support, guidance, and empowerment for their mental well-being journey. Our vision is to be the go-to platform, ensuring accessibility and personalized care for everyone prioritizing their mental health in the KSA market.The real-time mood detection and personalized recommendations are intriguing features of Takalam. How do these features enhance the user experience, and what role do they play in fostering long-term mental well-being?The newly launched AI-powered mood tracker within Takalam harnesses speech and video recognition signals to detect user’s real-time Moods and emotions. It also offers personalized recommendations and interventions precisely tailored to the user's immediate emotional needs. This proactive support serves as an invaluable aid in managing stress, anxiety, or other emotions in the moment, providing immediate relief, and fostering emotional regulation.Beyond real-time assistance, the Mood Tracking feature provides users with long-term insights through personalized dashboards and data. By capturing and analyzing patterns over time, users gain a deeper understanding of their emotional trends and triggers. These long-term insights empower individuals to make informed choices for their mental wellbeing, fostering greater self-awareness and proactive emotional management. In essence, this AI-powered mood tracker is a holistic tool that not only delivers immediate support in managing emotions but also equips users with valuable long-term insights, enabling them to navigate their mental health journey with greater awareness and efficacy.Mental health and therapy remain somewhat taboo in the MENA region. How does Takalam overcome the stigma that is associated with seeking help, while making it easy for people to secure the help they need?The social stigma has been an issue for a long time, mostly due to the culturally reinforced negative perception associated with those who may need mental health support. A platform like Takalam mitigates this concern by providing a private and confidential solution people would be more inclined to use. Moreover, because of the pandemic, mental health has been the focus of many governments and communities around the world that realized its importance. According to various studies by the UN and WHO, 1 of 3 individuals that have recovered from COVID-19 experience mental health challenges post recovery. The need to create awareness and embrace the topic of mental health became essential to mitigate and control a mental health crisis which could potentially result from the pandemic.