Meet Abigayle Peterson | Founder & CEO at Magnify Wellness

We had the good fortune of connecting with Abigayle Peterson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Abigayle, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I currently reside in Poulsbo, Washington, but attend Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington for my studies in Computer Science and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. However, I actually was not born in the suburbs. At only 10 months old, my mother and father traveled to Hunan, China and adopted me as a little baby. Growing up, my mom put me in private Chinese lessons, attended Lunar New Year festnavls with other families who also adopted internationally, and I even tried acting in Chinese plays. All of this happiness covered the immense confusion I felt inside. On one hand, I felt like I needed to prove myself as a Chinese woman who understood their culture like the back of my hand, but another part of me said I needed to fully accept being an American citizen. I felt this need to constantly wait for someone to tell me how to feel about my dilemma. This dynamic of being “stuck in the middle” has been a weight I carried all throughout my life until the impact of my leadership at Magnify Wellness happened in 2020. After finishing coding the world’s first iOS mental health app that includes a full-fledged arcade game and AI-driven chatbot in one app, I realize that I do not need to wait for someone to tell me what to do. From cold-emaling a professor which lead to a published machine-learning research paper, teaching myself over a dozen programming languages to winning over $20,000+ in scholarships on my own, I believe in the power of self-starting. You do not need to wait for others to tell you what to do, how to feel, or what to say. The creation of the Magnify Wellness app truly helped me feel unstuck and confused about where I fit in and what I’m designed to do in this world. However, I can confidently say that I’m equipped to use my gifts and talents to empower others to build and innovate in the dark.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m most excited about the diverse and compassionate community that I have created through my mental health advocacy work at Magnify Wellness. In as short as 6 months, I brought 400+ people throughout the world into an online group chat in the Slack app, actively talking about taking care of their mental health, share new opportunities, and of course, Notion workspace templates. However, the root of the community group lies in the significance of our official logo whose name goes by Maggie. Her bright smile and soft edges represent my personal brand of taking a closer look at those who feel unloved, unnoticed, or powerless. She is a beacon of hope that lights up the dark reminding us that there is help available to those who really need the support. This tangent of the personal brand forever will remidn me of the aching feeling of homesickness and scarity of close connections when I moved away to Hawai’i in the middle my sophomore year of high school back in 2017. Despite the beautiful weather and new cultural experiences, I felt lonely inside, knowing my closest friendships and family were behind me in a new chapter. I hated change and felt scared of my future for my mother became deeply ill during our giant move. After attending the prestigious Nalukai Startup Academy and meeting bright, drive, and compasionate students just like me, I finally felt like I had a second home. Through the significance of a magnifying glass, I desire to magnify hope, accessible resources, wellness education, quality care, encouragement, and a warm community to the individuals, who are the immediate reflection who I once was 4 years ago.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My best friend lives back in my hometown in Poulsbo. She would need to visit me in Bellingham. Our shared love of coffee, cats, and Christ allowed me to seamlessly pick the best spots in Bellingham! For a week-long trip, we would stay at an Airbnb close to the bay. On the very first morning, we would grab a quick bite at Cafe Adajio (their butternut squash soups are to die for) and a 16oz hazelnut latte. Then, we would travel over to walk around Boulevard Park which offers gorgeous sunshine, open fields, and a boardwalk overlooking the Salish Sea. Next, my favorite lunchtime spot is Skylark’s Cafe in the downtown district which features an array of cute, hippie activities. Afterward, our love for cats does not go unnoticed as we pay the $10 fee for a 1-hour visit at the Cat Cafe. For nighttime events, Bellingham is known for its music scene so I and my best friend need to watch the music nights at the downtown performing arts center. Throughout the week depending on the weather, we would travel to Locust Beach, Waypoint Park, Mt. Baker, Larabee State Park, Woods Coffee, and the Mi Rachos Meat Market which offer a perfect blend of nature appreciation, breathtaking mountain views, and yummy $1 tacos, I can not wait to make this fake itnerary a reality someday.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout my programming and entpreneurship mentor, Auston Stewart, who reminded me that we are never alone in our mental health struggles. As someone who could potentially relate to a few of my hardships, I felt comforted in the similar story of past strife leading to resilience and success in pursuing our passion. As for organization, Superposition deserves my fullest support. They are a fiscally sponsored nonprofit on a mission to close the gender gap for women in the STEM fields through their all-female hackathon, Uber mentorship program, Chapters, and free online events. Thanks to them, I finally felt like I had a safe community in the sea of competition, opportunities, and perhaps internal self-doubt.

Website: Magnify Wellness: https://www.magnifywellness.org/ Personal: abigayle.tech

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magnifywellnessapp/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigayle-peterson-8a8467168/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MagnifyWellness

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/magnifywellnessapp/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xqfnq91_H3nKbs65_kgSQ

Other: Download Magnify Wellness for iOS devices: bit.ly/magnifyget
Blog: https://magnifywellnessblog.wordpress.com
Become an Ambassador: https://yun43q3087e.typeform.com/to/hMDWYzJG
Become a Magnify You Chapter Leader: https://forms.gle/tJa5J7BJoYrmYpmL9 Join our HQ Team: https://forms.gle/jzyyWHUBUSVYc8JS6
Donation link: https://bank.hackclub.com/donations/start/magnify-wellness

Image Credits
Microsoft Photo: Nathan Evans Me showing phone to investor and me looking at a computer: Gabrielle Navalta Screenshot of ZAGG grant: Stephanie Su