Today we’d like to introduce you to Zulma Terrones.

Hi Zulma, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

My journey to founding Life Stages has been shaped by a blend of personal experiences, professional work, and a deep curiosity about what truly supports lasting well-being.
I grew up in urban Chicago, where my understanding of nature included Lake Michigan, city parks, and the vast Midwest cornfields. After earning my undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago in 2012, I spent a few years working for local startups. During that time, however, I struggled with my own mental and behavioral health, questioning my place in the world and what I wanted out of my life.
Taking a leap of faith, I set off on what I thought would be a one-year backpacking trip to reset and rediscover myself. That journey unexpectedly stretched into nearly five years across Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. Along the way, I witnessed firsthand how people from all walks of life—whether locals or fellow travelers—experienced profound transformations through outdoor challenges. I saw how experiential activities in nature could shift mindsets, improve daily functioning, and even alleviate psychiatric symptoms. These experiences sparked my drive to explore the science behind it all.
Motivated to better understand the link between outdoor experiences and mental health, I pursued a master’s degree in Psychology and Education at the University of Cambridge, focusing on outdoor behavioral health. While there, I worked with an outdoor therapeutic education program for adolescents with developmental and behavioral challenges, leading research on the impact outdoor-based interventions had on their personal development and wellbeing. My time in Cambridge reinforced my belief in the power of nature-based interventions. I wanted to apply this knowledge in real-world clinical settings and decided to return to the U.S. to do so.
In 2019, I relocated to Portland, OR and began work as a 24/5 crisis clinician, supporting youth experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms and high-risk safety concerns. Through experiential and evidence-based interventions, I helped young people stabilize and develop healthier coping skills. This work coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which further exposed the gaps in accessible, personalized mental health solutions. I knew we needed something better—something scalable, rooted in science, and adaptable to individuals’ unique needs.
This trajectory led me to create Life Stages in 2022. My vision is to bridge clinical expertise, behavioral science, and experiential wellness into an evidence-based model that helps individuals strengthen their mind-body health at any stage of life. My goal is to redefine and innovate the way we think about overall well-being, outdoor adventure, and human potential—ultimately shaping how we approach mental health, research, and even global health policy.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

Creating and scaling Life Stages has been a journey filled with moments of joy, growth, wins, and challenges. Like any entrepreneurial path, it hasn’t always been smooth. Some of the biggest struggles have been around raising capital, recruiting the right talent, and navigating the complexities of developing a deep-tech solution as a non-technical founder—especially coming from the NGO and academic worlds.

It’s been an incredibly intentional journey, requiring constant learning, adaptation, and problem-solving. At times, it’s felt like building the plane while flying it, but every challenge has been an opportunity to refine our vision and strengthen our approach. These experiences have ultimately allowed Life Stages to grow and scale in a way that stays deeply aligned with our mission and values.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?

Life Stages is a digital health and wellness company dedicated to tackling the $2.5T global mental health crisis by integrating nature, community, science, and technology. We specialize in evidence-based solutions that empower individuals to cultivate sustainable mind-body health.

Our flagship product, Align, is a hyper-personalized wellness app that leverages AI and sex-based differences to provide real-time guidance and gamified wellness interventions. Align helps users build healthier thought and behavior patterns for long-term well-being. Beyond our digital offerings, Life Stages also provides B2B employee wellness services and community-based wellness events, ensuring that well-being is accessible across different settings. What sets us apart is our science-backed, nature-integrated approach, which combines cutting-edge technology with timeless, human-centered wellness practices.

At our core, we are redefining the future of mental health by creating personalized, scalable, and impactful solutions that help people feel more aligned, healthy, and fulfilled in their daily lives.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?

Over the next 5–10 years, the health tech industry will become increasingly personalized, intelligent, and integrative. Solutions will evolve beyond simple data tracking and storage to provide guided, actionable insights that help users build sustainable wellness habits tailored to their unique needs, values, and lifestyles.

In the coming decade, we will be closer than ever to achieving true hyper-personalized AGI for holistic wellness—encompassing mental, physical, and socio-emotional health. AI-driven platforms will not only offer recommendations but will dynamically adapt in real time, providing proactive, preventative, and deeply individualized support. This shift will redefine how we approach well-being, making personalized health optimization more accessible, effective, and seamlessly integrated into daily life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lifestages.us/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifestages.us/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifestages.us
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zulmayt/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lifestages
• Other: https://zyterrones.info/

Image Credits

Einstein Photography BGS
Everardo GF Photo