Ashamed, Aneela Idnani grew up hiding a disorder of compulsive hair pulling (trichotillomania) and is now an outspoken mental health advocate, raising awareness of this very common, yet little known condition. Turning this pain into purpose, Aneela co-founded HabitAware and co-invented HabitAware’s Keen2 smart bracelet that uses patented gesture detection to bring awareness to unwanted Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) including hair pulling (trichotillomania), skin picking (dermatillomania) & nail biting (onychophagia). Awareness empowers you to retrain your brain to healthier soothing mechanisms.

Aneela is a TEDx speaker, professor of Entrepreneurship, author, and “40 under 40.” HabitAware is a TIME Magazine Best Invention with research grants from the National Institute of Mental Health & the National Science Foundation.

She founded BFRB Changemakers in 2023 to fill the giant hole made in the community during and post COVID. She serves on the Board and as the Executive Director without compensation to advance the mission of BFRB Awareness, Compassion and Healing.

Through her journey with trichotillomania, losing her dad to leukemia and her own dance with breast cancer, Aneela has learned that pain has purpose and meeting life’s challenges with love is the greatest accomplishment.