History

Rede Autoestima-se was born in 2020, in the city of Conceição do Almeida, in the Recôncavo Baiano region, from the mobilization of activist and social entrepreneur Mariana Nunes, current executive director and president of the organization, who started the initiative at the age of 17 with the purpose of broadening access to mental health care in Brazil.

What began as in-person conversation circles about mental health, self-esteem, self-knowledge and emotional support quickly expanded to the digital environment, reaching people from different regions of the country. From this evolution, the Network consolidated a model of operation based on technology, mobilization of volunteer psychologists, online psychological care and communication strategies to democratize access to mental health.

Throughout its trajectory, the organization has achieved important national and international recognitions. In 2021, it became part of the Ashoka Global Network, strengthening its presence in the social innovation ecosystem. In 2022, it received support from Open Society Foundations for institutional strengthening and represented Brazil at the UN Youth Assembly. In 2024, it was recognized by Folha de S.Paulo with the Social Entrepreneur Award in the Young Transformers category.

Today, Rede Autoestima-se operates through two complementary arms: the philanthropic front, which offers emotional support and free psychological care for audiences in situations of vulnerability, especially women, young people and young activists; and the impact business arm, which develops solutions for companies, organizations and institutions committed to mental health, well-being, prevention of psychosocial risks and corporate social responsibility.

In its work with companies, Rede Autoestima-se supports organizations in building healthier, more human and sustainable work environments, offering services related to mental health, emotional care, illness prevention, psychosocial risk management, lectures, training, awareness actions and social impact strategies. This front allows companies to invest in their teams' well-being and, at the same time, directly contribute to the sustainability of the organization's philanthropic social strategy.