Meet Larissa May of #HalfTheStory

Today we’d like to introduce you to Larissa May.

Larissa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
I started #HalfTheStory when I hit rock bottom in college as a fashion entrepreneur/blogger and realized the toll that technology was taking on my mental health. Shortly after my first summer internship in Los Angeles at Rogers and Cowan, I had a lightbulb moment that social media was only #HalfTheStory, but there was an opportunity to create a more connected experience through authentic social storytelling. I didn’t want to be part of the problem, and I wanted to fix it. My conclusion was that the systems are not in place for kids to develop healthy relationships with technology, so I decided to build it myself. I started #HalfTheStory out of my college dorm room and now we’re a global non-profit that has reached millions of youths around the globe. Our mission at #HalfTheStory is to empower the next generation’s relationship with technology through advocacy, research, and education. We recently launched Social Media U – the next-gen educational program across schools in the US and UK – to help teach teens how to develop healthy relationships with tech from the start. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Describing the entrepreneurial journey as “smooth” would be about as far from the truth as one could get. It’s been more like navigating a twisting, winding road with unexpected turns at every corner. There have been days that felt like soaring, followed swiftly by days where everything falls apart. I’ve been fighting for our vision for 10 years. 

As you know, we’re big fans of #HalfTheStory. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
#HalfTheStory is an education-tech nonprofit focused on adolescent digital well-being and the influence of technology on mental health. As the preeminent education-turned-ed tech nonprofit focused on this, #HalfTheStory’s evidence-based intervention, SocialMediaU (SMU), teaches key digital metacognition and emotional regulation skills while empowering young people to understand and advocate for their human right to digital wellness. 

One thing I love most about the #HalfTheStory brand is that it’s led heavily by actual teens. Teens run our social media, teens run our substack, and we meet with our teens constantly to make sure the brand and programming we are putting out is actually useful and effective to teens. 

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Say No Like It’s Yes: No is a very powerful word and one that I have been afraid to use for many years. Time is a nonrenewable resource and your most valuable asset as an entrepreneur. What you say NO to is oftentimes more important than what you commit to. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.halfthestoryproject.com/