Ten years ago and fresh out of high school, future Happow Co-Founders Gianna and Brendan locked eyes. Working on a group uni assignment to make a magazine for a youth organisation, the pair discovered their love of empowering young people through media and education.
It was at that moment, they decided they wanted to future-proof the lives of young people.
Fast forward a decade and their vision for Happow was cemented. But not without its hurdles.
Over the years, the now married couple have battled their own mental health issues including anxiety and chronic illness and seen friends losing their way with their health, finances, careers and relationships.
After both losing their jobs in the midst of COVID-19 and with nothing but their life savings pushing their idea forward, Gianna and Brendan’s dream of launching Happow appeared out of reach.
But despite all this, the married couple realised that young people needed Happow now more than ever.
In 2020, UNICEF Australia reported 67 per cent of young people were concerned about their education being disrupted or held back during the pandemic, and their ability to cope with life almost halved from 81 to 45 per cent.
Now with their growing team, youth advocates and influential ambassadors backing their biz, the team are working hard to realise Happow’s vision of changing the lives of 10 in 10 (10 million around the world by 2030) – to give young people the critical life skills they need to leave their mark on this world to not just survive, but thrive.
