CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Conestoga graduate recognized with award nomination for new business

Juwale, a 2020 School of Business graduate and Conestoga Entrepreneurship Collective alumna, founded bookmytherapy.ca, a web-based platform that connects people with culturally sensitive mental-health support in the client's preferred language.

Conestoga graduate Neha Juwale is nominated for a Greater KW Chamber of Commerce 2025 Business Excellence Award.

Juwale's personal struggle after her grandmother's death during the pandemic sparked a desire to ensure others could find an appropriate professional to address mental health issues. She discovered the value of therapy to manage her grief, but also the barriers stopping many people from seeking the support they need to thrive.

"I realized the power of therapy and also the stigma associated with it," Juwale said.

She was determined to make therapy more accessible and approachable knowing how much it helped her move forward. "It's like reading a good book - you want to share it with someone."

Juwale found invaluable guidance from the Conestoga Entrepreneurship Collective's Venture Lab, which helps founders with early-stage startups in any industry validate and develop their business idea. There Juwale honed her venture, undergoing market research, learning about website development and finding local professionals to include on the platform's roster.

Her targeted efforts at the Venture Lab built on what she learned in the Sustainable Business Management program, which she chose because of the intersection of sustainability and business management.

In April 2023, she officially launched Bookmytherapy. The site allows people to look for a therapist among the list and pick the best fit for their individual needs based on language and issue. Then appointments can be easily booked online, either a complimentary 15-minute virtual consultation or a 50-minute therapy session.

Juwale is honoured by the community recognition. She was also a recipient of a 2024 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Rogers Women of the Year award in the Health & Wellness category for promoting and helping others achieve and promote mental, physical or spiritual well-being in her career or community involvement.

"It's an extremely humbling experience. I have tears in my eyes," Juwale said. "At the same time, it feels like a responsibility which I am more than happy to take that responsibility to serve the community in meaningful ways."

The Waterloo entrepreneur is already planning to expand into different areas to provide a wholistic experience. A passion for promoting well-being drives her forward.

"I found my purpose," Juwale said. "My purpose is to give back to the community from a mental-health perspective. That is what keeps me going."

The Conestoga Entrepreneurship Collective empowers students and alumni to successfully participate in the Waterloo Region entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem by providing multiple pathways for engagement that include starting a new business, becoming a freelancer and training for in demand roles in the innovation economy.