The challenge
In the Nordics, we are currently witnessing some of the highest rates of mental suffering among emerging adults compared to other European countries. Compared to the rest of the population in the Nordics, twice as many in this age group are dealing with mental health challenges.
Too many struggle to access affordable, appropriate help, making it one of the greatest challenges facing our Nordic societies today. If we continue down this path, we risk leaving an entire generation behind.
Mental health is a human right, and more needs to be done to secure it. We need to increase our support systems for the mental well-being of all emerging adults.
Turning challenge into opportunity
Next in Mind was founded by Reach for Change, The Inner Foundation, and the Tim Bergling Foundation as a coordinated response to the rising mental-health crisis facing emerging adults in the Nordics. The initiative is designed to strengthen the solutions, systems, and leadership needed to make mental-health support more accessible, effective, and relevant for this life stage.
At the centre of the initiative is an incubator program that supports social entrepreneurs who are developing new approaches to mental well-being. The program focuses on strengthening operating models, building readiness to scale, and improving impact measurement, evaluation, and funding strategies — giving promising solutions the conditions they need to grow.
Next in Mind goes beyond venture support. Through co-created ecosystem and advocacy efforts, the initiative brings together partners across public institutions, private-sector organisations, academia, mental-health practitioners, and emerging adults themselves. This cross-sector collaboration creates the grounding needed to address fragmentation, surface shared insights, and influence how mental-well-being solutions are funded, developed, and implemented across the Nordic region.
Together, these efforts aim to shift the broader systems that shape mental-health outcomes for emerging adults — ensuring that innovation is not only supported, but connected to the structures that allow it to reach real scale and impact.
Visit websiteFounder
Tim Bergling Foundation, The Inner Foundation & Reach for Change
Geography
Nordics
Organizational type
Thematic area
Time of investment
2023
Co-investors
Illusian, Eva Ahlström Foundation, Tim Bergling Foundation
Tangible impact
20
Social entrepreneurs
supported
4
Nordic countries
20+
Cross-sector and discipline
partners in the ecosystem
100%
Commitment to emerging
adults (aged 18-29)
“Emerging adults are often a forgotten group when it comes to investments in mental health and well-being. That’s why we are proud to be a part of Next in Mind, which will make help and support more accessible to them.
Through Next in Mind, we raise awareness about mental health, contributing to removing the stigma and ensuring that more emerging adults reach their full potential. Moreover, the involvement of emerging adults is crucial. I believe that we by understanding the solutions needed, truly can make a difference.”
– Klas Bergling, Founder of Tim Bergling Foundation
“We have supported over 2,000 social entrepreneurs in Europe and Africa, so we understand the power of social entrepreneurship and that there are many solutions out there that can reshape our current systems. As Reach for Change was co-founded by a social entrepreneur and the private sector, these types of partnerships are in our DNA. Therefore, it’s exciting to co-create Next in Mind from its inception. Instead of starting from scratch, we want to build on the good work already being done and invest in solutions that exist but need coaching and investment to get to the next stage.”
– Sofia Breitholtz, CEO of Reach for Change
