Mitch
Wallis

Mitch Wallis is an emerging leader in the Millennial generation with a lifelong mission to empower others to overcome suffering and reimagine the healing power of the mind through the power of storytelling, community and technology.

Current Work

In May 2017, Mitch founded what is now known as one of the fastest growing online mental health initiatives in the world - Heart On My Sleeve. What started as one man’s story is now a viral social media movement providing a platform for people all over the world to remove the unnecessary shame of emotional suffering.

Within a week, the movement reached over 1 million people on Facebook alone. News outlets (including Channel 10’s The Project), celebrities and influencers got on board to support the cause.

We watched in awe as individuals from across the globe wore their heart on their sleeve (many even tattooing it on their body), to inspire others and free themselves from their own demons.

The movement was founded on the belief that it’s time to flip the conversation from thinking or being told “it’s OK to talk”, to actually believing it, owning our story, and sharing it when it may be helpful for others or yourself to do so. Our current solution is focused on raising awareness - when we already know how bad the problem is. Asking people if they are OK is only half the solution. We need to empower the experiencer to own their journey to wellness - safely and with impact.

His intention was to harness the scale, comfort and safety that technology provides, whilst democratising self-expression, in an environment where authenticity is valued over perfection or being 'fixed'. He wanted to use social media as a weapon for good, and leverage the accessibility and relevance it provides as a influential vehicle to mainstream culture. Mitch’s ultimate belief and thesis is that being REAL and living from our true self, without the guilt or shame of being 'broken' or not being 'enough', is the key to overcoming the stigma associated with mental health.

Heart On My Sleeve has now evolved and matured toward a bold global vision of humanising mental health…one heart felt story at a time and aims to become the most inspiring collection of mental health stories on the internet.

Previous experience

Microsoft: He spent 7 years at Microsoft leading some of the company’s biggest launches in Australia and the United States. He travelled across the world working on everything from the NFL, managing a partnership with Vogue, and even hosting private meetings with Robert Downey Junior. But his life wasn’t the perfect Instagram moment.

Mental Health: Mitch recently underwent an enormous life change and now devotes himself fulltime to mental health advocacy and social entrepreneurship. After lifelong battles with anxiety, OCD, panic attacks and somatic disorders from the age of 7, Mitch decided to use his experience in marketing to help solve the single biggest issue facing his generation.

Education: Mitch has a Bachelor of Commerce from Sydney University and is finalising his thesis for a Masters of Psychology from Columbia University New York.