09/30/2026
In a September 2026 Forbes feature, Ana María Serrano Ana Maria Serrano LPC| Burnout Specialist , a licensed professional counselor and Ph.D. candidate in mind-body medicine, shared her clinical insights regarding the severe mental and physical tolls experienced by startup founders.
Serrano focused specifically on a phenomenon she calls the "unfunded middle"—the stressful, exhausting years between building a viable, functional company and finally becoming visible enough to secure institutional capital. According to her clinical observations, this stage frequently leaves young women founders handling what she refers to as "unsupported success". In these scenarios, founders act as the absolute sole operational and financial engine of their business. While they continue to hit every professional deadline and perform exceptionally well on paper, they face hidden health issues underneath the numbers, including chronic fatigue, poor sleep, inconsistent eating, high blood pressure, and diminished emotional control.