ABOUT US
Tandem Community is dedicated to personalizing mental health care for women moms of color and diverse backgrounds with culturally congruent community access while celebrating your lifestyles and values.
Developing care for diversity within diversity
We offer personalized mental health support kits created by our team of clinical psychologists and emotional wellness experts who specialize in multicultural perinatal mental health.
We work with culturally competent healthcare providers to ensure that you have the tools and resources to navigate mental health during pregnancy, postpartum, new motherhood, and beyond as a woman of color.
CORE VALUES
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
We honor and respect the diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences of every woman we support. Our approach is grounded in understanding and appreciating the cultural context of your lived experiences and community.
EMPOWERMENT
Our goal is to personalize mental health care for women through additional resources like advocacy and education; providing guidance that bolsters mental and emotional strength and strengthens trust with health providers.
INCLUSIVITY
We are dedicated to celebrating diverse experiences, family lifestyles and motherhood experiences. By breaking down barriers to mental health support for women of color, and creating accessible solutions we are able to support the spectrum of diverse experiences within each diverse community.
About the Founder
Meet Sheila Pande, Founder of Tandem Community
Since childhood, Sheila has been driven by a passion for understanding the human mind. Growing up as a first-generation Indian American, she recognized the profound impact of culture on mental health, a realization that shaped her educational and professional path.
Sheila's academic pursuits began at The University of Texas, where she earned dual degrees—a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Anthropology. These studies deepened her appreciation for the intricate relationship between culture and mental health. Sheila's desire to make a tangible difference led her to Columbia University, where she obtained a Master of Public Health, focusing on women's and children's mental health. Her academic background laid the groundwork for a career dedicated to bridging cultural insights with scientific understanding.
Sheila’s career includes co-founding a women’s health startup and consulting for digital health solutions, always driven by her belief in a more supportive approach for women of color and diverse cultures.
Despite her extensive knowledge of building and evaluating healthcare programs, Sheila faced significant challenges navigating her own reproductive mental health. Diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), ADHD, and a rare fertility complication, she has experienced firsthand the difficulties in finding appropriate care and support under tight time constraints. These personal experiences underscored the urgent need for a holistic perspective to combine health education and therapy tools with a culturally sensitive approach to women’s mental health, especially when it comes to family building or child bearing.
Her experience navigating a combination of reproductive health and mental health conditions, even with a physician parent by her side, has been similar to many other women’s experiences - overwhelming fear, confusion and perceived pressures of stigma or shame.
By founding Tandem Community, Sheila aspires to reduce disparities in access, care and outcomes, provide a space for women to grow, learn, and share their identities; while providing real evidence based personalized solutions for mental health care that validate their personal health and cultural experiences.
Inspired by a range of scientific, non-fiction and historical literature, her love for swimming, languages, and exploring cultures, Sheila is dedicated to creating impactful, culturally sensitive mental health solutions for women, especially those who live between multiple, competing cultures, languages and health conditions.