Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Reid.
Hi Natalie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story is a bit unconventional. I’m a 20+ year educator with a decade in the classroom — mostly middle and high school (in three different states – NYC post 9/11, New Orleans post Katrina, and Florida)— and another decade in ed-tech, helping schools nationwide integrate technology. The funny part is, teaching was never the dream. What I always said I wanted was to help people become their best selves.
When I was laid off from my corporate role, I decided for the first time to bet on myself and go back to that original passion — but this time, with a clear focus: tweens, teens, and young adults. What I loved most in the classroom was the transformation moment — watching a young person with a tough background, low self-esteem, depression, and more, realize that once they believed in themselves, they could do anything. That moment was my joy in education, and it’s exactly what I built YMerge for: to provide a solution that helps mitigate teen depression through purpose, strategy, and vision.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Robert Frost wrote about taking the road less traveled, and that line has followed me since I was young, navigating a community shaped by hopelessness, violence, and depression. Within my neighborhood, the hope I held onto came from the remnants — stories of a once-thriving community, or the people who “made it” out of the area. I watched so much potential get lost to survival. Early on, I made a conscious decision to persevere anyway — and I’ve had a lot of “in spite ofs” along the way.
One of the most recent obstacles I’ve faced — and one most tech founders share — is that no one has a playbook. No roadmap comes attached to a big vision. You build the product, then you’re figuring out legalities, marketing, everything, as a team of one. Do I want to give up sometimes? Absolutely. But I keep coming back to this: what YMerge offers teens is bigger than me. It has the power to shift trajectories — with support, something I often longed for in spaces where even the people closest to me couldn’t help me navigate it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about YMerge Inc.?
YMerge Inc. is a game changer. A 2026 Gallup/Walton Family Foundation study found 45% of Gen Z report lacking a sense of meaning or purpose in their lives, and CDC data show that 1 in 5 high school students seriously considered attempting suicide in 2023 alone. YMerge exists to change that trajectory for teens who feel hopeless.
It’s not a miracle app. We’re rooted in CASEL standards, with social-emotional wellness at the center of everything we build. We’re not just helping teens understand who they are — we’re equipping their trusted advocate, whether that’s a parent, mentor, or counselor, to be part of the transformation. That’s what sets us apart: we don’t believe a teen needs technology or an assessment. A teen needs a team.
YMerge makes me proud because it’s where all my worlds finally met—the once at-risk teen, the educator, the ed-tech executive, and now the mother of teens. I understand this journey from more angles than most. Our children are our legacy, and as a parent, I’d invest in my own teens’ wellness without a second thought — because it means everything.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
YMerge is a new company, but not a new idea — the founder brings 20+ years of hands-on experience to the work. Beyond the app, we offer tiered services for families, schools, and organizations nationwide.
There’s a reason the butterfly runs through everything I build. The Butterfly Coach guides the journey inside YMerge, and it’s intentionally not just AI — it’s a coach that creates a better path for the teen to emerge, shaped by their interactions with the coach, their assessments, and input from a trusted advocate. The belief underneath all of it is simple: whatever a teen carries in will, over time, come out as something absolutely beautiful. That’s the transformation I watched happen in my classroom, and it’s the same one YMerge is built to guide — cocoon to emergence, at scale.
Pricing:
- Only $35 per month for a monthly subscription, which includes a team of 3 (Trusted adult over 18 – teen – optional)
- $395 (which includes one free month and the same 3 person person option)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://YMerge.app
- Instagram: @ymergeapp
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61593381550968
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ymergeacademy
