Ahad Bandealy, CEO and Founder of Keel Mind (formerly Get A-Head Inc.), shared with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine the personal journey that led to founding Keel Digital Solutions. Struggling with mental health challenges from a young age, he witnessed the complexities of the healthcare system, prompting him to establish a platform that combines technology with behavioral health principles to address the gaps in mental health care. The resulting solution, Keel Mind, uses AI and machine learning to connect patients with mental health professionals, providing real-world experience for trainees while offering personalized care to those in need. This commitment to innovation reflects a broader mission to transform mental health support and counseling, aligning with Canada’s evolving healthcare landscape.
Ahad has dedicated his career to the intersection of behavioral health, neuroscience, and psychology, with extensive experience on both national and international scales. He brings a wealth of knowledge from his roles as a Ph.D. student, researcher, and practitioner-in-training at the University of Toronto. Drawing from a blend of personal insight and professional expertise in mental health, he has devoted his life’s work to crafting technological solutions aimed at facilitating seamless access to care for those in need. Now, Ahad is the Founder & Chief Digital Officer of Keel Mind (formerly Get A-Head Inc).
Ahad, with a rich background in behavioral health, psychology, and a transition into digital health solutions, what inspired you to found Keel Digital Solutions, and how does your diverse experience influence your vision for the company?
Keel Mind (formerly Get A-Head) started from a deeply personal motivation rooted in personal experiences with mental health challenges. Growing up and navigating life’s twists and turns, including significant setbacks in academia and athletic pursuits, I encountered moments of profound introspection and struggled with depression. These experiences not only shaped my understanding of mental health but also fueled a desire to seek solutions, not just for myself, but for others as well.
As someone who studied behavioural health at the University of Toronto, I witnessed first-hand the inefficiencies within clinical settings that hindered patient care and exacerbated the shortage of accessible mental health services. These experiences ignited a passion to craft a solution that not only addressed these challenges but also prioritized the critical training hours required for aspiring mental health professionals. This personal journey of seeking help and understanding inspired the creation of the innovative Get A-Head platform, which later evolved into Keel Mind.
This blend of real-world insights into mental health care complexities, coupled with the team’s battles and triumphs with mental health, uniquely prepared us to propel the vision forward. Keel Mind, as envisioned, catalyzes positive change, leveraging technology to enhance care accessibility, effectiveness, and equity. The heart of this vision lies in Keel’s training-focused approach. Through our decision support tools, we aim to empower up-and-coming counselors, enabling them to reach their full potential and become exceptional caregivers. By leveraging AI and digital health experiences, our platform provides personalized training experiences, helping counselors hone their skills, foster meaningful connections with clients, and navigate complex therapeutic scenarios with confidence.
Having obtained a certification in Artificial Intelligence from MIT, how are you integrating AI and machine learning technologies at Keel Digital Solutions to enhance healthcare delivery and training?
As Artificial intelligence involves, we’re leveraging AI and machine learning technologies to transform healthcare delivery and training. By integrating cutting-edge tools like face recognition, voice recognition, and key swipes, we’re striving for a more personalized approach to patient care and training experiences at Keel. These innovations enable us to understand patients and trainees on a deeper level, leading to tailored interactions and continuous improvement. Our commitment to innovation ensures that we’re at the forefront of shaping the future of healthcare delivery and training.
Machine learning algorithms power our matching system, which pairs individuals seeking care with mental health professionals ensuring timely access to support while fulfilling clinical training requirements. This approach not only addresses the shortage of mental health professionals but also provides invaluable real-world experience for trainees.
What are some of the key challenges you’ve encountered in developing and deploying digital healthcare solutions, and how have you addressed them?
Developing and deploying Keel Mind has been an exciting yet challenging journey. AI in healthcare is relatively new and complex, requiring us to navigate various regulatory and ethical considerations. To combat this, we prioritize regulatory compliance and collaborating frequently with experts in AI and healthcare. By partnering with leading minds in healthcare technology and leveraging their insights and expertise, we’ve fostered a more cohesive approach. This approach has enabled us to leverage collective expertise, streamline development processes, and deliver solutions that meet the evolving needs of healthcare providers and patients effectively.
We knew how important securing patient data and privacy was from the onset of Keel Mind and took proactive measures to address this. We are proud to say that we are SOC2 and PIPEDA compliant, adhering to stringent standards for data protection and privacy in healthcare. Overall, by staying committed to data security, privacy compliance, and collaborating with experts, we have successfully addressed key challenges in developing and deploying Keel Mind. Our platform now stands as a reliable and effective tool for supporting the training of counselors and ultimately enhancing the quality of mental health care delivery.
How does your background in behavioral health and psychology inform the development of Keel Digital Solutions’ healthcare technologies, particularly in ensuring they meet the nuanced needs of patients and healthcare providers?
After working in the mental health field and collaborating with numerous healthcare professionals, our mission is twofold: to address the immediate needs of patients and to empower healthcare providers with innovative tools for delivering personalized and effective care.
Drawing from personal experience, Keel prioritizes the understanding of human behavior, emotions, and cognitive processes in our technological solutions. This deep understanding allows us to focus on the design of our platforms which are not only user-friendly but also sensitive to the diverse needs and preferences of individuals within healthcare. By integrating principles from behavioral health and psychology into our technology development process, we strive to create solutions that foster trust, engagement, and positive outcomes for all users involved.
Looking ahead, what innovations or trends do you foresee shaping the future of digital health solutions, and how is Keel Digital Solutions positioning itself to lead in these areas?
We foresee a significant trend in the utilization of AI for collecting patient data, predicting health trends, and enhancing patient experiences. One key innovation we anticipate is the integration of Language Model AI Systems (LLMS) into mental health platforms. LLMS enable more natural and personalized interactions between patients and our platform, allowing for tailored guidance and support. Additionally, facial recognition technologies hold promise for enhancing patient identification and improving user engagement by analyzing facial expressions for emotional cues.
We are dedicated to harnessing the power of AI to provide innovative and effective solutions that empower individuals to manage their mental well-being proactively. Through continuous research, development, and collaboration with industry experts, we are committed to shaping the future of digital mental health care.
