How These Immigrant Brothers Created a Revolutionary Mental Wellness Platform - AHN Media Group

Stories

June 23, 2023

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At the helm of Aura, one of the world’s largest mental wellness content platforms, is Steve Lee, the co-founder and CEO with an inspiring story to tell.

Steve’s journey began as an immigrant in the United States, facing the challenges of language and cultural barriers. However, it was his parents’ bitter divorce, entangled in unfamiliar Korean laws, that deeply impacted his life. Witnessing his mother’s mental health struggles, Steve recognized the need for support and the stigma surrounding mental wellness, particularly within the Asian community.

Initially on a pre-med track at UC Berkeley, Steve’s true passion emerged through his involvement in founding non-profit organizations and self-reflection. Together with his brother Daniel, who shared the same vision, Steve embraced entrepreneurship as a means to create a societal-level impact. Thus, Aura was born.

With a grand vision to help a billion people find peace, Aura set out to democratize access to the knowledge and expertise of coaches and therapists. They created a platform that enabled coaches worldwide to record their voices and generate high-quality audio content from the comfort of their homes.

Aura is a revolutionary two-sided platform, comparable to Spotify and Netflix, that empowers coaches and therapists worldwide to create engaging mental wellness content. In contrast to earlier wellness apps functioning as content studios featuring only a limited number of coaches, Aura stands out by offering an extensive range of content and creators.

The platform goes beyond mere curation, with coaches hosting live streams and providing personalized 1-1 coaching sessions, making Aura the ultimate all-in-one destination for individuals seeking mental wellness support.

Aura proudly boasts the world’s largest mental wellness library, encompassing a wide array of topics including sleep, life coaching, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), spirituality, breathwork, and much more. Additionally, Aura has fostered a thriving community where users can engage in live events hosted by coaches and benefit from one-on-one coaching sessions.

The platform’s commitment to offering comprehensive content, live engagement, and personalized support has revolutionized the way individuals access and experience mental wellness, firmly establishing Aura as a game-changer in the industry.

Aura has achieved unprecedented success and garnered recognition from reputable sources. In 2017, Aura was prominently featured in TechCrunch’s launch feature, drawing attention to its innovative approach. The following year, the platform received the prestigious honor of being listed in Apple’s “Best of Apps,” solidifying its reputation as a top player in the mental wellness space. To fuel further expansion, Steve secured significant venture capital funding from esteemed investors such as Cowboy Ventures and SkyDeck.

The impact of Aura’s efforts can be seen in the numbers and testimonials. Users flock to the platform, spending hundreds of millions of minutes engaging in meditation and self-care activities each year. This remarkable level of engagement demonstrates the profound influence Aura has on individuals’ well-being.

Steve extends a generous invitation to those who prioritize mental health to avail themselves of a special offer. By using the code “TOGETHERAHN” at aurahealth.io/redeem, individuals can gain free access to Aura for one year. While there is a limit to the number of available codes due to security measures, Steve encourages interested parties to reach out to him should the code become unavailable. More information about Aura can be found at aurahealth.io.

CONNECT WITH AURA

Website: aurahealth.io

Instagram: @aurahealthhq

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Born in Thailand and raised in South Korea, Thai Lee was shaped by constant cultural shifts from a young age. Although her family practiced Christianity, her early education in a Buddhist primary school introduced her to ideas that would quietly guide her life and leadership.

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A core Buddhist teaching Lee internalized early was that suffering is not a failure, but a condition of growth. This belief trained her to stay calm under pressure and to see difficulty as something to be managed, not avoided.

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When Lee purchased a failing IT reseller in 1989 for $1 million and renamed it Software House International, she rejected the idea of growth for growth’s sake. Guided by the Buddhist value of utility, she asked one simple question: does this technology truly help people?

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Right Livelihood as the Measure of Success

As her wealth grew, Lee leaned more deeply into the Buddhist principle of Right Livelihood—earning success through ethical means and responsibility to others. She believes leadership should reduce harm, not amplify ego or excess.

Despite being the fifth-richest self-made woman in the United States, she avoids executive privileges and symbolic power. By parking with employees, managing her own calendar, and staying close to daily operations, she reinforces her belief that real wealth is measured by trust, dignity, and the well-being of the 7,000+ people she leads.

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Solving the “Booty Short” Problem

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ZILIO solves this by replacing confusing size charts with accurate AI recommendations. The company started with corporate uniforms, where poor fit creates massive operational headaches for brands like Coles and Australian Unity. The impact was immediate. ZILIO has helped partners cut returns by 40% and significantly boosted customer engagement by giving them a fit they can trust.

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For Anthony, this mission is personal. He knows that standard size charts often fail people with diverse backgrounds and body types, including many in the Asian community. His goal is to make sizing “invisible” so that people can focus on their style instead of their anxiety.

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