
For International Men’s Day I wanted to give more insight into how Uplift came to be and my skillsets. For those who don’t know me my name is Ishmael Moreno and I am the co-founder & CEO of CtrlAltFix Tech a software and web development company here in Trinidad and Tobago.
My skillsets are very versatile including Programming, Graphic Design. UI/UX and animation( hobby). I more self learnt the Graphic Design which worked side by side into UI/UX and the animation is more of a hobby with some small projects I hope to revive someday.
The idea of Uplift came during the early onset of COVID especially when most of us were in isolation and filled with anxiety. Mental health, especially among men in Trinidad, tends to be stigmatized. There’s this societal notion that men should always have it together, be tough, and never show vulnerability. But that’s just not real life for anyone.
This societal pressure leads to bottling up issues which can seriously affect relationships and long-term mental well-being.
Before we started working on Uplift we were figuring out the branding of the Company including the logo and visuals. So for the company we ended up going with illustration based branding. The reason for that is because people tend to use humans whether stock images or vice versa which can seem boring. I find with illustrations you can create your visuals and direction.
From there we start working on planning the look/feel and functionality of the app It’s been a journey, evolving over time (maybe a story for another video). Being our first full-fledged app, there were hurdles during development. I had my own health issues that caused some delays, but I kept pushing forward.
Despite it all, the heart of Uplift has always been the same: to raise awareness about mental health in the Caribbean and create a safe space where people can give and receive support anonymously.
To all the men out there feeling like it’s all too much, I hope my story inspires you to prioritize your mental health. It’s okay not to be okay, and seeking help is a strength, not a weakness.
Thanks for tuning in, and remember, taking care of your mental health is a journey worth embarking on.