NEW YORK, August 25, 2022 - (NASDAQ: MTCH): Today, Hinge proudly announces the inaugural recipients of Mental Health Advocates of Tomorrow, a $100,000 fund for wellness champions committed to ensuring BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities have access to empathetic therapists who can help them build healthy relationships. Launched in May 2022, the initiative was created to address the lack of sufficient mental well-being resources for underrepresented communities and help cover the education costs of ten aspiring therapists and counselors.

Earlier this summer, aspiring mental health providers were encouraged to submit an application and answer two prompts about the mental health and wellness needs of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC people. After reviewing more than 1,000 inspiring applications, Hinge selected 20 finalists to submit a video answering the prompt, “How will winning the Grand Prize support your individual education and career journey?” A judging panel — including Fariha Róisín, the campaign’s ambassador, and Yolo Akili Robinson, the founder of Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM) — selected ten students to receive $10,000 each towards their education costs.

The following Mental Health Advocates of Tomorrow have displayed proven dedication to helping BIPOC and LGBTQA+ daters access the resources they need to have healthy relationships:

• Cindy Chang, Rutgers University
• Francesco Yepez Coello, Palo Alto University
• Gabriel DeLong, Wayne State University College of Education
• Jared Namba, UNC Charlotte
• Jose Rosario, Clark University, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program
• Katrina Rbeiz, Vanderbilt University
• Kenya Crawford, International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy
• Remy Ayo, University at Buffalo
• Raquel E. Rose, New York University
• Shelby Terrell, Hunter’s Silberman School of Social Work
  

Hinge continues to introduce new efforts supporting LGBTQIA+ daters on their journeys of self-expression and finding connection. This August, Hinge launched NFAQ (Not-So-Frequently Asked Questions), an in-app LGBTQIA+ dating and identity guide answering queer daters’ most pressing questions. Earlier this year, with the support of GLAAD, the app also released new Prompts to help LGBTQIA+ users better connect based on similarities, interests, and compatibility.