Mental Health Startup Shows How Artificial Intelligence Is Lowering Barriers for Entrepreneurs
Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a powerful tool for entrepreneurs, and one U.S. startup is demonstrating how AI can dramatically reduce the time and cost required to launch and grow a business.
Here Now Health, a mental health services platform founded by Heather Turner, used AI extensively to accelerate everything from business planning and marketing to software development and operations. The company’s experience highlights how AI is enabling traditional businesses—not just technology firms—to expand more quickly while creating new jobs.
AI Accelerated the Startup Process
Turner launched Here Now Health in January 2025 after transitioning from a career in nonprofit management.
Rather than building a large team immediately, she relied heavily on AI tools to help with:
- Writing business plans
- Creating marketing content
- Developing operational processes
- Researching regulations
- Supporting customer communications
Using AI significantly reduced startup costs and allowed the company to move from concept to operation much faster than would have been possible using traditional methods.
AI Helped Scale a Traditional Business
Unlike many companies associated with artificial intelligence, Here Now Health is not an AI company.
Instead, it provides mental health services while using AI behind the scenes to improve productivity and streamline everyday business operations.
John Bailey, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who advised Turner during the company’s early development, said AI is allowing entrepreneurs to accomplish tasks that previously required significant time, expertise, or financial resources. He argued that AI is empowering founders to build businesses faster while hiring employees as they grow.
Lower Costs Create New Opportunities
According to Bailey, AI is reducing the cost of entrepreneurship by making sophisticated business tools widely accessible.
Tasks that once required specialized consultants or expensive software can now often be completed using AI assistants, enabling founders to focus more on serving customers and expanding their businesses.
This shift is helping small companies compete more effectively with larger organizations despite having fewer resources.
AI’s Impact on Jobs Remains Debated
Public discussion around AI has often focused on concerns that automation could eliminate jobs.
However, Bailey believes AI is more likely to reshape work rather than simply replace workers, similar to previous technological revolutions.
He argues that while certain administrative tasks may become automated, AI also enables businesses to expand more rapidly, potentially creating new employment opportunities as companies grow.
Economists See Entrepreneurship Boost
Some economists believe AI is contributing to an increase in new business creation.
Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, says AI is dramatically lowering the complexity of starting a company by reducing administrative burdens and operational costs.
As these new businesses mature, they could become an important source of future job creation across the economy.
Productivity Without Eliminating Workers
Federal Reserve officials are also studying AI’s long-term labor market impact.
Some business leaders report that AI is helping address labor shortages by allowing existing employees to become more productive rather than replacing them outright.
In industries struggling to recruit skilled workers, AI is increasingly viewed as a tool that complements human labor instead of eliminating it.
Looking Ahead
The experience of Here Now Health illustrates how artificial intelligence is becoming a practical business tool for entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries.
Rather than benefiting only large technology companies, AI is helping small businesses launch faster, operate more efficiently, and scale with fewer resources. While questions remain about AI’s long-term impact on employment, its ability to lower barriers to entrepreneurship is already reshaping how many businesses are built and expanded.
