SHEO Diaries
The Rebuilding of Self — A Story of Starting Over at 60
This is a story of resilience, courage and reinvention. In this episode of SHEO Diaries, I sit down with Dr. Mandy Salomon — scientist, tech founder, and living proof that it is never too late to start over. At 57, Mandy's marriage fell apart and the ground disappeared beneath her. Most people would have stopped there. Instead she went back to university, earned her PhD, packed up her life in Australia and moved to Silicon Valley at 60 to launch Mentia Health — a dementia care tech startup that has since won three highly competitive NIH grants and is fundamentally changing how the world thinks about aging, dignity and cognitive decline. But this episode is not just about building a company. It is about what happens when everything you thought was permanent suddenly isn't — and how you find the courage to rebuild not just your business, but yourself. In this episode we talk about: — How a devastating divorce in her late 50s became the unlikely launchpad for her biggest ambition — Why she walked away from a career in the creative industries to become a scientist — The moment inside a gaming world that gave her the idea to transform dementia care — Why the tech world has been lazy about designing for people with cognitive decline — and what she is doing about it — What winning three NIH grants really takes — and why it is not for the faint-hearted — The unfiltered reality of launching a startup in your 60s in a country that is not your own — The male ally who convinced her Silicon Valley was worth the leap — Her one bold step for every woman who thinks she has missed her window Mandy's bold step for you this week: Transitions bring growth. The hardest moments of your life are not the end of your story — they are the propeller. Whatever ground has collapsed beneath you right now, your inner strength is already there. Trust it and take one step forward. This week's takeaway: A life without hurdles, without loss, without grief is not a life well lived. Those are the moments that will ground you, grow you and bring everything you have learned to your next bold chapter. It is never too late. Mandy is proof. --- Learn more about Mentia Health: https://www.mentia.me/ Follow SHEO Diaries on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheo_diaries/ --- If this episode moved you — share it with every woman in your life who feels like she missed her window. You might just change everything for her. And subscribe to SHEO Diaries so you never miss a conversation that matters. #SHEODiaries #MandySalomon #MentiaHealth #NeverTooLate #WomenEntrepreneurs #AgeTech #DementiaCare #WomenFounders #BoldAmbition #WomenOver50 #Reinvention #WomenInTech #Resilience #StartupLife #NIH #Podcast #WomenInScience #Courage
