Launchpad meet the teams: The Wellbeing Game

The Wellbeing Game's Phil Harper and Carsten Grimm. Photo / Mark Tantrum

Launchpad is the social enterprise incubator where eleven fledgling businesses are prepared for market.

This month Element readers decide on the 'People's Choice' from the 11 social enterprises in the Launchpad accelerator, thereby deciding who receives the $20,000 prize from Contact to help further their endeavours. Social enterprises are purpose-driven organisations that trade to deliver social or environmental impact. Click below to access the voting form, and click on each team's name to learn more.
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The Wellbeing Game

Rosie Bosworth: Describe what the Wellbeing Game (TWBG) is and does?

Carsten Grimm: Every workplace we know says their most valuable resource is their staff but many find it difficult to know where to start when it comes to staff wellbeing. The Wellbeing Game is a fun, online activity game that not only promotes staff wellbeing, but helps people feel more connected to one another.

RB: Tell us about the brains behind TWBG?

CG: TWBG spun out of NZ's Mental Health Foundation. On the team are Philip Harper, our director of operations, Hugh Norriss, director of development and policy, and me - the development lead. We are passionate advocates for mental wellbeing and collectively we bring a breath of experience from the Mental Health Foundation and previous academic, educational, health, and service delivery roles.

RB: Tell us about the "aha" moment that bought TWBG to life?

CG: The Wellbeing Game was originally developed as a joint initiative with Community and Public Health in response to the Canterbury earthquakes. The Game has been run over three consecutive years during Mental Health Awareness Week.

RB: What gaps does TWBG fill?

CG: We spend so much time at work and experience ever increasing stress. We know that helping people remain mentally healthy is vital to workplace success but an accessible e-based service that addresses mental wellbeing is still currently something missing from business and society.

RB: Describe what society will look like 10 years from now because of TWBG?

CG: New technologies will be having a profound impact on mental health and many e-mental initiatives like TWBG will be being used. In the near future we also see passive data collection, through smartphones and wearable technologies, enabling a more nuanced understanding of how wellbeing varies over time and how to influence it. The Mental Health Foundation (and TWBG) will be at the leading edge of global thinking around how technology will help people.

RB: Do you see TWBG evolving into additional areas?

CG: We aim to keep improving TWBG as new and novel solutions come online. We are really keen to see the potential of the Game fully realised, especially as we have evidence that it works to improve wellbeing. New Zealand workplaces and communities are where we'd like to start, but there is also interest in the Game from overseas.

Check out Te Radar's interview with Carsten Grimm and the Wellbeing Game team.

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