Merijn Schellekens, MA, MSc, GBC

CEO at TalksfrTeens.com. Board advisor & Investor. Women’s advocate, passionate about establishing health equity for women. Psychologist and life coach. Special interests ADHD and anxiety. Start by doing.

United Kingdom

About

After many years in finance, the Covid lockdown painfully showed how challenging life was becoming for most young people, missing a LOT of important life stages - like starting secondary school, first nights' out, parties, missing VIth Form and graduation; learning to not get close to friends and that indoors is the safe space. Seeing all this first hand in varying degrees in families all around me, we launched Talksfrteens as an information tool for young people discussing mental health issues, while simultaneously studying psychodynamic counselling, coaching and doing a MSc in Psychology between 2022-2025. We recently founded MINDSTEP, a solutions-based Therapy and Coaching practice for young people working on Identity, Purpose, Motivation and Confidence to successfully navigate life's transitions. Mindstep uses a solution based brief therapy model and is interactive and immersive.

Experience

  • Chief Executive Officer at TalksForTeens
    Apr 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 4 mos

    TalksfrTeens is an information platform for teens and their parents, focusing on a wide range of topics regarding mental health, wellbeing as well as study - and life-skills.

  • Member of The Supervisory Board at EXKi
    Mar 2019 - Present · 7 yrs 5 mos

  • Principal at Godmother Capital Ltd
    Jan 2011 - Sep 2025 · 14 yrs 9 mos

    Godmother Capital is an early stage investment fund for female founders only. Godmother Capital invested in women, for women and with women. We invested in and exited a range of successful - and some less successful :) - female startups from 2012 to 2024. The fund closed for new investments in 2024.

  • Volunteer mentor VIth Form at Heathfield School
    Sep 2022 - Apr 2024 · 1 yr 8 mos

  • Trustee of the St Nicholas Society Eton at Eton College
    Sep 2020 - Jun 2023 · 2 yrs 10 mos