Pillow — a soft place to land when life changes

    About us

    A soft place to land — built by people who needed one too.

    Pillow is a mental health and community platform connecting people with trusted therapists, meaningful events, and the kind of belonging that quietly changes a life.

    Our story

    It started with a quiet question.

    Pillow began between two cities and one shared feeling — that finding real mental health support, in a language you actually think in, surrounded by people who understand you, was far harder than it should be.

    We started by matching a handful of friends with therapists we trusted. Then those friends asked for events, retreats, and spaces to keep showing up for themselves between sessions. The platform grew from there, shaped by every person who told us what they were missing.

    Today, Pillow supports a growing community across London, Lisbon, and Barcelona — and partners with universities, innovation hubs, and teams who care about the humans inside them.

    Mission

    Make support feel within reach.

    To make high-quality, culturally attuned mental health support and community accessible to anyone — wherever they are in their life or in the world.

    Vision

    A world that holds you back.

    A future where mental wellbeing isn't a private struggle but a shared practice — woven into communities, workplaces, and everyday life.

    What we believe

    Our values.

    Human first

    We design for the messy, beautiful reality of being human — not for metrics.

    Soft but rigorous

    Warm in tone, evidence-led in practice. Every therapist and partner is carefully vetted.

    Belonging by design

    Mental health isn't only one-to-one. We build communities that hold people between sessions.

    Accessible to more

    Multilingual, multicultural, and priced so support reaches people who usually fall through the cracks.

    Meet the team

    The people behind Pillow.

    A small, multidisciplinary team of builders, clinicians, designers, and community-makers — spread across London, Lisbon, and Barcelona.

    Ariana Mendes — Co-founder & CEO

    Ariana Mendes

    Co-founder & CEO

    Former product lead turned wellbeing builder. Believes the future of care is community-shaped.

    Daniel Okafor — Co-founder & COO

    Daniel Okafor

    Co-founder & COO

    Ex-operator across London and Lisbon. Obsessed with making the simple feel effortless.

    Dr. Helena Vasquez — Clinical Director

    Dr. Helena Vasquez

    Clinical Director

    Clinical psychologist with 15+ years across NHS and private practice. Leads therapist quality and care standards.

    Yusuf Aydın — Head of Community

    Yusuf Aydın

    Head of Community

    Builds the rituals, events, and spaces where members go from strangers to chosen family.

    Mei Lin — Head of Design

    Mei Lin

    Head of Design

    Crafts the calm, considered feel of Pillow — from the app to the candlelit retreat.

    Tomás Ribeiro — Head of Partnerships

    Tomás Ribeiro

    Head of Partnerships

    Connects Pillow with universities, accelerators, and teams who care deeply about their people.

    Want to build with us?

    Whether you're a therapist, a partner, or someone who just wants to say hello — we'd love to hear from you.

    Get in touch