Mental Health for Startups: Expert Panel at EU-Startups Summit 2026

Jan de Vries · 2026-04-10

Let's be real for a second. Building a startup is a wild ride. It's exciting, sure. But it's also a pressure cooker. You're pulling long hours, facing constant uncertainty, making big decisions every day, and trying to lead a team through it all. It takes a toll, doesn't it? On you, and on everyone around you. We're finally talking about wellbeing as a core part of building a sustainable company. Mental health isn't a luxury anymore—it's a necessity for survival. That's why we're bringing this crucial conversation to the stage at the EU-Startups Summit 2026 in Malta. On May 7-8, 2026, we're gathering about 2,500 founders, investors, and leaders for two days of connection and learning. And we're tackling one of the most important topics head-on. ### Meet the Experts on Our Mental Health Panel Our panel, "Mental Health Tips for Entrepreneurs and Startup Teams Under Pressure," is designed to give you real, practical tools. We'll explore how to spot stress before it burns you out, build healthier daily habits, and create a work environment where people can actually thrive. We're cutting through the hype to look at the real challenges in fast-paced startup life. How do you support resilience? Find balance? Protect long-term well-being while you're scaling like crazy? We've got experts who've been in the trenches. - **Irene Anggreeni:** A TEDx speaker and leadership coach from the Netherlands. She teaches leaders how to build high-performing teams that get results without the burnout. Her trauma-informed approach focuses on psychological safety and emotional resilience. - **Karen Tierney:** Former Co-founder of SilverCloud Health, a top digital mental health platform in Europe. Based in Ireland, she helped shape tools that make evidence-based psychological care more accessible. - **Magda Mazloum:** Founder of Brighter Life Psychology. She's a psychotraumatologist who helps individuals and teams build resilience, prevent burnout, and manage stress and anxiety in professional settings. - **Matthew Bartolo:** A psychotherapist and founder of Willingness Malta. He works at the intersection of mental health and leadership, helping organizations build stronger, more supportive workplace cultures.  ### Why This Conversation Matters Now Think about it. We spend so much time optimizing our business models and our marketing funnels. But how much time do we spend optimizing for human sustainability? The people in your company are your most valuable asset. If they're running on empty, the whole machine breaks down. One of our speakers put it well: "You can't pour from an empty cup. Sustainable performance starts with sustainable people." This panel is for every founder who's ever felt the weight of it all. For every team member who's struggled in silence. We're moving past just acknowledging the problem and into the realm of actionable solutions. If you're serious about building a healthier company from the inside out, this session is for you. It's about turning insight into action. We'll give you frameworks you can use on Monday morning. Don't just build a company. Build a company where people can do their best work without sacrificing their well-being. Join us in Malta next May. It's two days that could change how you lead, and how you live, for the better.