Shine is one of the many apps capitalizing on the growing self-care trend, and is used by 3 million people. Originally launched as a simple messaging bot that gave out life advice and motivation, Shine has grown over the years to become a larger self-help platform aimed largely at the millennial crowd — and, in particular, millennial women.

Today, Shine’s focus is on personal growth, motivational messaging and other self-improvement topics, which are delivered by way of text and audio. Through short-form audio, users can get help across a number of areas, including things like productivity, mindfulness, focus, stress and anxiety, burn out, acceptance, self-care for online dating, creativity, forgiveness, work frustrations and more.

The co-founders are on a mission to make caring for mental and emotional health easier, more representative, and more inclusive. 

Naomi Hirabayshi and Marah Lidey started Shine because ‘they didn’t see themselves—a Black woman and a half-Japanese woman—and their experiences represented in mainstream “wellness.” Their bodies, skin color, financial access, past traumas—all often felt otherized. They met as coworkers, and the support they found in each other changed everything . They knew they had to help more people cope, process, and heal on a daily basis in a way that worked for them.’