The Human Side of AI: How Sean Wheelock is reimagining mental health support for students

Mental health isn’t just a crisis, it’s a generation-defining challenge. And for Sean Wheelock, Co-Founder and CEO of Inner Peak AI, it’s also personal.

Blending cutting-edge technology with a deeply human mission, Inner Peak AI delivers personalized mental health support for teens and young adults through an AI-powered platform. Designed for high school and college students, Inner Peak helps users build resilience, learn coping skills, and access on-demand support—not to replace human therapists, but to augment and extend care when it’s needed most.

Wheelock, who grew up in Toledo, knows this struggle firsthand. “It was really my time in college when I began experiencing mental health challenges,” he said. “That experience gave me the empathy and drive to dedicate my career to making support more accessible, especially for young people.”

Today, Inner Peak is launching with its first customers: St. John’s Jesuit High School and Notre Dame Academy in Toledo. It makes that mission personal and local for Wheelock from the very start.

From Harvard to HealthTech

After graduating from Harvard with a degree in applied math and psychology, Wheelock began his career in management consulting at Bain & Company in New York. But the structured world of consulting couldn’t quiet his calling.

“I left Bain because I wanted to build something with impact,” he said. That decision led him to Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, where he honed his leadership skills and immersed himself in the intersection of tech and wellness.

Before launching Inner Peak, Wheelock worked at four different startups in the mental health space, gaining experience across strategy, operations, and growth. “Each role helped me understand both the promise and the pitfalls of tech in mental health,” he said.

It was during this time that Wheelock reconnected with a friend from Harvard—Ben Anandappa, a fellow advocate for youth mental health. With shared values and complementary skills, the two joined forces to co-found Inner Peak.

AI That Listens, Not Replaces

Unlike many AI-driven health tools, Inner Peak isn’t about automating therapy. It’s about extending it.

“Students don’t always need a full therapy session. Sometimes they just need a grounding exercise at 2:00 am, or a nudge toward a healthy coping mechanism,” said Wheelock. “Inner Peak is there in those in-between moments. When a student might not know where else to turn.”

The platform offers 24/7 access to skill-building tools, self-guided exercises, and intelligent prompts designed to reinforce positive habits. But behind the code is a clear philosophical stance: technology should facilitate human connection, not replace it.

“We see AI as a way to close the gap between supply and demand. Not as a substitute for therapists,” he said. “This is about giving students the right support at the right time.”

Built for Safety, Designed for Trust

Inner Peak was created with ethical and safe use of AI at its core. The team works closely with clinicians, educators, and researchers to ensure the platform is both effective and responsible. “Trust is everything in mental health,” said Wheelock. “We’ve built Inner Peak to honor that trust, with transparency, empathy, and science-backed design.”

That thoughtful approach is resonating. Schools, parents, and providers are increasingly turning to Inner Peak as part of a broader strategy to support youth mental health.

Building From Ohio for the Future

Although Wheelock’s path took him to Harvard, New York, and Silicon Valley, he’s proud to be building Inner Peak with strong ties to Ohio. “There’s something powerful about starting this journey from where mine began,” he said.

With a mission rooted in personal experience, a product designed with care, and a future focused on scaling smartly, Inner Peak represents a new kind of startup, one that uses technology not to disrupt, but to heal.

“The next frontier for AI isn’t just productivity, it’s emotional support, self-awareness, and connection,” said Wheelock. “At Inner Peak, we’re helping students reach their inner peaks. One moment, and one conversation, at a time.”

To learn more about Inner Peak AI, please visit www.innerpeak.ai