Leader Spotlight Series: Zulma Terrones, Founder & CEO of Life Stages

Written By Wild Gift Editor

Jacinta Gordon | April 16, 2025.

Scroll to the bottom to read updates about Zulma & Life Stages!

This month we are highlighting Wild Gift alum Zulma Terrones (she/they)—a visionary leader, wellness entrepreneur, and Founder & CEO of Life Stages. Zulma’s mission is to help individuals create sustainable well-being through hyper-personalized, nature-rooted mental health solutions. With some exciting new launches and a lot of growth, Zulma’s work is moving toward a future where mental health is both accessible and deeply human.

Zulma Terrones (she/they)

Founder & CEO of Life Stages

Wild Gift Class of 2022.

Read on to learn how the Wild Gift Fellowship helped Zulma reconnect with her “why,” what’s launching this spring, and what’s next for Life Stages.

Wild Gift: What is Life Stages’ mission, and what impact does it have?

Zulma: Life Stages is on a mission to solve the increasing $2.5T global mental health crisis by making mental health and personal development easy, sustainable, and hyper-personalized. We support individuals in building a baseline of wellness at every life stage so they can thrive and contribute their unique talents to the world.

WG: What are you currently working on or excited about? What are your recent accomplishments?

Zulma: We’re bringing a few mission-aligned projects to life right now that I’m really proud of:

  1. Wavelength: Female Founder Series – This new year-long personal and professional development initiative supports female founders and leaders in scaling their careers and businesses—and thriving as they do so. Wavelength aims to cultivate connection, visibility, and collective wisdom among purpose-driven female founders navigating growth, innovation, and well-being.

  2. Align App Launch – Our personalized wellness app, Align, is launching its MVP to the public this May! Designed to help users build sustainable mind-body wellness habits through nature-based practices and adaptive support, Align is our next big step toward making evidence-based, accessible wellness more personal—and more human.

WG: How did the Wild Gift Fellowship shape your entrepreneurial journey?

Zulma: The Wild Gift Fellowship was a pivotal part of my journey—it gave me the space, mentorship, and wilderness immersion I didn’t even realize I needed. Being in nature with a group of purpose-driven changemakers helped me reconnect with my "why" on a deeper level. It grounded my entrepreneurial vision in values like sustainability, resilience, and community. The fellowship and the immersion into the wild nurtured inner growth that’s essential for building something truly meaningful and long-lasting.

WG: Did the Fellowship help you find clarity around any specific challenges?

Zulma: The Fellowship helped me regain clarity on my “why” by reconnecting with the transformative power of nature. Immersed in the wilderness, away from the noise and pace of everyday life, I was able to reflect deeply on the kind of impact I want to make and the values I want to lead with. It helped me see more clearly that the challenge I’m truly called to address isn’t simply about building a wellness product—it’s about restoring our relationship with self, community, and the natural world. That clarity continues to shape both my entrepreneurial decisions and the way I show up in my work.

WG: What lessons have stayed with you since the Fellowship?

Zulma: One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since the Fellowship is the importance of building relationships that are truly aligned—with your values, your vision, and your pace. Surrounding myself with people who not only believe in the mission but also support how I want to build it has made all the difference. I’ve also learned that committing to your vision means continually committing to yourself—your growth, your well-being, and your clarity. The path of purpose-driven entrepreneurship isn’t linear, but having a strong support network and staying rooted in your “why” makes it both sustainable and deeply fulfilling.

WG: What’s next for you and Life Stages?

Zulma: In the coming year, we’re focused on growth—with intention. We’re preparing to launch the public MVP of our Align wellness app in May, expanding access to personalized, nature-based mind-body support. We’ll also be deepening our community-building efforts through various partner events and series, including Wavelength—a new, community- and female-first initiative that I co-host with Tallulah Le Merle. Together, we support women founders in scaling their ventures while thriving both professionally and personally. Beyond that, we’re exploring meaningful partnerships, growing our team, and continuing to design tools and services that meet people—especially women and underserved communities—where they are in their mental health and personal growth journeys.

WG: Are there ways the community can support you?

Zulma: We’re currently in an active fundraising stage, and introductions to angel investors, VCs, and fellow health-tech entrepreneurs who’ve been through the process would be deeply appreciated. We’re also seeking experienced advisors and board members with expertise in health, wellness, and AI/deep machine learning to help guide our next stage of growth—warm introductions are very welcome!

We have a growing community of over 500 members across the San Francisco Bay Area, Monterey Bay, and the Pacific Northwest—and we’re excited to expand to Chicago this year! Through our events, wellness workshops, and early product testing, we’ve built strong engagement with women seeking personalized, nature-based mental health and wellness support—we’re excited to build on that momentum!

WG: Where can folks follow your work or get involved?

Updates June 2025:

Align app has officially launched!

  • We've been busy collaborating with old and new partners on some great ways to continue connecting people to their local environment and community members. We've also expanded to Chicago! Below are the upcoming events: 

Thanks for reading the Leader Spotlight segment of the Wild Gift Blog! If you are a Wild Gift Alumni and want to be featured, please email jacinta@wildgift.org.

Wild Gift Editor
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