Former Monk Builds Mind-Fitness App After Work With MJ

Ashwin Srisailam's life reads like fiction, but it's beautifully real.

At just 13 years old, he entered a monastery in Andhra Pradesh, India, beginning a spiritual journey that would eventually lead him to the private circles of pop icon Michael Jackson and Def Leppard's one-armed drummer Rick Allen. Now 46, Ashwin has channeled those extraordinary experiences into something anyone can access: a mind-fitness app called Ahhaa.

The app was born from an unexpected friendship. In 2012, Ashwin met Diane Bacchus at a speaking event in New York, where both were giving talks. Diane, a spoken-word artist, was immediately captivated by Ashwin's approach to mental wellness.

"I was fascinated when I heard Ashwin talking," Diane recalls. "We soon became friends and started finding ways to propagate mind fitness through technology."

Their shared passions extended beyond mental health. Both loved running marathons and public speaking, finding common ground in pushing physical and mental limits. These connections deepened their partnership and clarified their mission.

By 2017, they had launched Ahhaa together. The app represents decades of Ashwin's spiritual training combined with modern technology, making ancient practices accessible to people navigating today's stressful world.

The Ripple Effect

Ashwin's unusual path demonstrates how diverse life experiences can converge into meaningful impact. His monastic training gave him deep insights into the human mind. His work with high-profile artists showed him how even the most successful people struggle with mental wellness. His friendship with Diane provided the partnership needed to scale these insights through technology.

The app brings mind-fitness tools to users who might never enter a monastery or access private wellness coaches. It democratizes practices that have helped people find peace for centuries, packaging them for the smartphone generation.

Their collaboration proves that innovation often happens at unexpected intersections. A former monk and a spoken-word artist might seem like unlikely business partners, but their combined perspectives created something neither could have built alone.

Ashwin's journey from monastery to Madison Square Garden to Silicon Valley shows that spiritual wisdom and modern technology aren't opposites but partners in progress.