Mental Wellbeing Association

What Mental Wellbeing Association does

Mental Wellbeing Association (MWA) is an initiative of the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 by Lynne and Victor Brick in memory of Victor's brother John, who suffered from schizophrenia. MWA provides mental well-being education, certification, and continuing education programs primarily for fitness professionals — personal trainers, group fitness instructors, gym managers, and fitness facility staff — with planned extensions into K-5 and 6-12 teaching and counseling. The flagship product, the Mental Well-Being Certification for Fitness Professionals, is positioned as the world's first such credential, grounded in evidence-based research across four pillars: exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and connection.

The underlying technology is the Inspire360 learning management system, which delivers self-study certification courses, examinations, membership access, video content, written materials, and continuing education tracking. Course delivery is entirely online and self-serve, with payment processing via PayPal and Stripe through the Inspire360 platform.

MWA's revenue model combines three streams: a one-time certification fee (base price $499, currently $299.40 on 40% promotional pricing) bundled with a one-year association membership; annual membership auto-renewals at $149 providing continuing education courses (CECs), articles, webinars, guided meditations, and a member badge; and biennial certification renewals requiring 20 hours of MWA continuing education credits ($99 for non-members, free for active members). The organization is headquartered in Timonium, Maryland, operates with 11–50 employees, and is supported by a distribution and research partner ecosystem including Planet Fitness, IHRSA, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, UCSF, Chopra Foundation, and the Global Wellness Institute. Founders received the 2020 Global Wellness Summit Debra Simon Award for leadership in furthering mental wellness.

Name

Mental Wellbeing Association

Legal name

John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation

Website

https://mentalwellbeingassociation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mental Wellbeing Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit initiative that delivers the world's first mental well-being certification for fitness professionals, with upcoming extensions for K-12 teachers and counselors, supported by an online learning platform and an annual membership subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Professional Certification

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Meditation Apps, Digital Courses & Online Communities (HSADAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mindfulness, Meditation & Stress Management Education (EDAAAHAD), Mental Wellness & Resilience Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAK), Mindfulness-Based Coaching & Training (MBSR/MBCT-style) (HSADAJAB)

Keywords

• Mental health certification
• Fitness professional training
• Continuing education courses
• Mental wellness education
• Teacher mental wellbeing

Headquarters

HQ city

Timonium

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Certification Sales: One-time purchase of the Mental Well-Being Certification for Fitness Professionals, which includes a 1-year association membership. The certification must be renewed every two years.
2. Annual Membership Subscription: Annual auto-renewing membership providing access to continuing education courses (CECs), articles, webinars, guided meditations, and member badge. Renews at $149/year.
3. Certification Renewal Fees: Certification renewal every two years requires 20 hours of MWA continuing education credits. Members with active membership renew for free; non-members pay $99 renewal fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mental Wellbeing Association sells the world's first mental well-being certification for fitness professionals, delivered as a self-study online program covering exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and connection, paired with a one-year association membership providing access to continuing education courses, articles, webinars, and guided meditations. Certification renews biennially and is pre-approved for continuing education credits by ACE, NASM, AFAA, ISSA, ACSM, canfitpro, and SCW.

Product overview

Mental Wellbeing Association offers a certification-based platform anchored by the Mental Well-Being Certification for Fitness Professionals—the world's first mental well-being certification grounded in evidence-based research and psychological perspectives on exercise, nutrition, connection, and mindfulness. The primary certification is available now, with upcoming modules for Teachers (K-5 and 6-12) currently in development. All certifications include a 1-year membership providing access to continuing education courses (CECs), webinars, meditations, and other resources, which auto-renews annually. The company is an initiative of the John W. Brick Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on mental health research and programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mental Well-Being Certification for Fitness Professionals
• Mental Wellbeing Association Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of peer-reviewed studies affirm positive relationship between physical activity and mental health
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• John W. Brick FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization and initiative founder. A 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on research, collaborations, and programs in the mental health space. Founded in 2015 by Lynne and Victor Brick in memory of Victor's brother John who suffered from schizophrenia.
• Planet FitnesscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor fitness industry partner and supporter of the mental well-being certification initiative.
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and advisory partner providing scientific credibility and expertise in mental health research.
• University of California San Francisco (UCSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner with faculty involved in advisory capacity. Dr. Elissa Epel from UCSF serves as advisor.
• IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal fitness industry association partner representing health clubs and fitness facilities worldwide.
• Chopra FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in mind-body wellness and mindfulness education.
• Global Wellness Institute (Mental Wellness Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerry Bodeker chairs the Mental Wellness Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute. Collaboration on mental wellness research and education.
• MatrixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFitness equipment manufacturer partner.
• Fifth Third BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate wellness partner supporting employee mental health initiatives.
• Inspire360coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform provider for Learning Management System (LMS), membership portal, e-commerce, and course delivery. Handles payment processing including PayPal and Stripe.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Headspace Health: Major meditation and mental wellness platform offering consumer and employer mental health training — comparable as a broader incumbent with overlapping mindfulness/meditation content aimed at fitness-adjacent audiences.
• Calm: Large-scale meditation, sleep, and mental well-being app offering courses and certifications for coaches and trainers — comparable as a broader incumbent in digital mental well-being content that overlaps with MWA's guided meditation and educational curriculum.

Direct peers

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): Scientifically grounded health and fitness certification organization offering credentials and continuing education — directly comparable as MWA's certification is approved for ACSM CECs and both operate evidence-based credentialing for fitness professionals.
• canfitpro: Canadian fitness certification and continuing education provider with broad specialty offerings — directly comparable as MWA's certification is approved for canfitpro CECs and both target trainer professional development.
• American Council on Exercise (ACE): One of the largest fitness certification bodies offering personal trainer and group instructor credentials with continuing education programming — directly comparable because MWA's certification must be approved for ACE CECs to reach the same trainer audience.
• ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association): Online fitness certification company with broad specialty and continuing education catalogs — directly comparable as MWA's certification is approved for ISSA CECs and both compete for self-serve online trainer upskilling.
• SCW Fitness Education: Group fitness and personal training certification/continuing education company — directly comparable as MWA's certification is approved for SCW CECs and both compete for instructor continuing education dollars.
• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM): Leading fitness certification provider with extensive continuing education catalog including wellness and behavior-change content — directly comparable because MWA's mental well-being certification is approved for NASM CECs and competes for the same trainer upskilling spend.
• AFAA (Athletics and Fitness Association of America): Major group fitness and personal training certification body with continuing education offerings — directly comparable as MWA's certification is approved for AFAA CECs and targets the same group fitness instructor persona.

Emerging players

• Wellcoaches: Health and wellness coach certification and school with continuing education for behavior change — comparable because it offers coach-style certification in adjacent wellness domains and competes for similar practitioner segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mwaorgofficial

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mental Wellbeing Association