The CTO Show with Mehmet Gonullu #507 Telehealth, AI, and Growth: Corey Hart’s Playbook for Mental Health Startups
In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Corey Hart, Senior Director of Growth at Mentavi Health. Corey shares his journey from the entertainment industry to scaling telehealth and mental health startups, his lessons from driving 800% growth in behavioral health, and how AI-driven personalization (“B2Me”) is reshaping healthcare marketing and patient care.
We also dive into the Midwest startup ecosystem, the importance of community building through Startup Grind, and why startups must return to first principles when crafting go-to-market strategies.
🔑 Key Takeaways
• Telehealth’s Transformation: How COVID-19 accelerated adoption and normalized mental health care globally.
• The Mentavi Innovation: Decoupling diagnosis from treatment to reduce costs and increase accessibility.
• AI in Healthcare Marketing: Why “B2Me” personalization is becoming the new standard.
• Growth Lessons: Why many founders give up on successful tactics too early.
• Midwest Advantage: Strong margins, undervalued startups, and overlooked innovation outside Silicon Valley.
• Community Matters: How Startup Grind’s ethos of “give before you take” creates real impact.
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📚 What You’ll Learn
• Why mental health startups need purpose and curiosity to succeed
• How to scale healthcare services while navigating regulation and compliance
• The difference between AI as a tool vs. AI as a crutch in GTM strategy
• Why founders must think in first principles rather than copying playbooks
• How innovation is thriving in the Midwest — and why investors should pay attention
👤 About Corey Hart
Corey Hart is the Senior Director of Growth at Mentavi Health, a pioneering telehealth company specializing in ADHD diagnosis and mental health services. He previously scaled a behavioral health startup by 800% and led large-scale public sector initiatives in New York. Corey also teaches Business 101 at a local university, runs the Grand Rapids chapter of Startup Grind, and was named Global Chapter Director of the Year (2021).
Episode Highlights
00:00 – Introduction and Corey’s background
04:30 – Why he pivoted from entertainment to healthcare
07:30 – The core innovation behind Mentavi Health
11:00 – Telehealth adoption post-COVID
18:00 – Healthcare marketing philosophy & personalization (“B2Me”)
23:00 – Using AI in GTM the right way vs. “spray and pray”
29:00 – The most misunderstood growth lever in startups
36:00 – What makes a healthcare startup investible in 2025
38:30 – Why the Midwest is an underestimated startup hub
44:00 – Building global communities through Startup Grind
47:00 – The power of human connection and giving back