Hear from Ryan Bell of Tech Balance on the Made in Essex Podcast. How Tech Balance Is Tackling the Student Mental Health Crisis
When Ryan Bell launched Tech Balance, his goal was clear: to create an app that transforms the way students approach their mental and physical wellbeing. With University dropout rates at an all-time high and student mental health becoming an increasingly critical issue, Ryan’s vision couldn’t be timelier.
Tackling the student mental health crisis is no easy task. In this episode of Made in Essex, Jill Willis speaks with Ryan, diving into his journey of innovation, the challenges of addressing student mental health, and what it means to achieve Essex’s Ambitious Tech 50 status
How Tech Balance Is Tackling the Student Mental Health Crisis. Enjoy the full conversation here.
Learning from Challenges to Drive Success
Every entrepreneur faces obstacles, and for Ryan, one of the toughest lessons was understanding the difference between having a great product and getting it in front of the right people. “You can’t just build it and expect people to come,” he admits. “It’s about understanding your audience and iterating based on their needs.”
From early conversations with students to testing app concepts using basic tools, Ryan learned to prioritise customer engagement over perfection. This approach has helped Tech Balance secure funding, refine its features, and continuously improve the user experience, one step at a time.
Made In Essex Ryan Bell Tech Balance
Building Strong Partnerships
For Tech Balance, forming meaningful relationships with universities has been a cornerstone of its success. Ryan Bell emphasises how these partnerships go beyond simply introducing the app. “Universities care deeply about what students think, and by involving them in the co-design process, we’ve created something that truly resonates with both sides.”
Ryan shares how working with universities like Kingston has helped refine the app and expand its reach. From pilot programmes to collaborative research studies, these partnerships not only enhance the app’s credibility but also ensure it integrates seamlessly into university wellbeing solutions.
Innovate Early and Often
Launching a tech product is never straightforward, but Ryan’s strategy has been to test early and refine often. “We did small launches before even building the app—testing concepts with spreadsheets and simple Google Meet sessions,” he explains.
This iterative approach allowed Tech Balance to learn quickly, adapt its features, and avoid unnecessary costs. By gathering feedback throughout the process, Ryan ensured the app stayed aligned with user needs while remaining agile in a competitive market. “The sooner you start testing, the faster you’ll uncover valuable insights,” he advises—a philosophy that has driven Tech Balance’s steady growth.
Ryan Bell was talking to Jill Willis, Director of Attract & Engage and host of the Made in Essex Podcast.
Catch the full episode here or listen wherever you get your podcasts.👇
Keep your eyes peeled for more episodes as Jill invites the county’s most tenacious and successful business leaders to lift the bonnet on their entrepreneurial stories.
How Tech Balance Is Tackling the Student Mental Health Crisis – Made in Essex – The Podcast With Ryan Bell
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