In celebration of San Diego Startup Week, we asked a few local female entrepreneurs to tell the story of how their business got started.

At age 20, Remy Meraz watched an episode of Oprah that changed her life. Back then, the now 47-year-old entrepreneur was stuck in a toxic relationship and desperately trying to find a way out. A child psychologist on the show spoke about what happens to children growing up in dysfunctional environments, and how not getting help early on can make them susceptible to anxiety, depression, or addiction.

“That Oprah moment changed my life forever. Not only was the content enlightening, but also extremely empowering,” she says. “Learning that my life situation was textbook, some of the shame and embarrassment for getting help melted away.”

It was the leg up Meraz needed to get out of her relationship, as well as empowering others in similar situations. She did this by starting Me Tyme Network, an online self-help marketplace that produces video content designed to “help people think and feel better, anytime, anywhere.” You could call it edutainment with a side of psychotherapy. With depression and suicide rates on the rise, Meraz believes that not enough is being done to help those who are struggling mentally and emotionally.

“People are opting for a Band-Aid solution instead of a long-term healthy resolution. Clearly people need and want help,” Meraz says. “As a society we focus so much attention on intelligence (IQ), job skills, and physical health, but not enough on emotional intelligence (EQ).”

Her goal with Me Tyme Network is to grow a global brand and help put an end to the stigma surrounding mental health.

“If we want to change the game, we need to step up our game and create our own ecosystem. We need to be the employers, employees, and investors.”

“Part of my initial fear in starting my own business revolved around warnings from friends who cautioned against having employees, but I see it differently now,” she says. “Me Tyme Network is an opportunity to be a job creator in my hometown and impact lives locally.”

But launching a tech startup hasn’t been free from challenges. On top of typical issues such as funding and personal sacrifices, as a Latina woman in an industry largely dominated by white men, Remy Meraz has perhaps faced more gender related obstacles than most. But she is optimistic, proposing a solution that is specific to San Diego’s startup community, where, as she puts it, there’s a “genuine desire to help each other succeed.”

“San Diego has a very giving community. I know many women who donate and volunteer for charities,” she says. “Imagine if we could get a third of those women to learn how to become angel investors or have them mentor female entrepreneurs. Imagine what that would do for the women-owned business community.”

Empowering other women to make a difference is a recurring theme with Remy Meraz: “If we want to change the game, we need to step up our game and create our own ecosystem. We need to be the employers, employees, and investors.”

San Diego Startup Week is June 13-17. Catch the panel on Female Founders on June 15.

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