About Youkti
Empowering people to make informed decisions about their health
We help people discover how they can use cannabis and CBD to improve their health whether that’s relief from specific symptoms or simply better overall wellness. Youkti is a free app that helps people take control of their health by tracking their medical cannabis use. Youkti’s intelligence engine creates personalized insights and collective trends.
Our Story
Our founder, Ashish Mehta, is passionate about helping people take their health into their own hands with the use of data and personalized analytics. Ash, who comes from a family of doctors and healers, has integrated his own ten-plus years of experience in the Bay Area’s technology and startup world with his background in biomedical engineering and the healthcare industry to develop the Youkti app with an aim to empower cannabis patients across the U.S.
A few years ago, Ash changed his diet and lifestyle with the help of technology and personal data; in the process, he got healthier, felt better, and gained a new appreciation for highly individualized health care approaches. With his natural curiosity and affinity for innovation, Ash was drawn to the emerging cannabis industry because he believes that cannabis can empower patients on their personal health care journeys.
Why the Name Youkti
Ash’s grandfather, Abhaychandra Mehta, started studying Ayurveda in 1941 ultimately becoming the dean of an Ayurvedic college in India in the 1970s . Ayurveda is an ancient holistic modality that integrates diet, herbs, movement, massage, and other healing practices. Cannabis was well-recognized in traditional Ayurveda to help some of the same conditions treated by medical cannabis users today—such as seizure disorders, wounds, pain, appetite, and mental health issues.
Ash’s grandmother, Arunadevi was a compassionate and caring doctor who served rural communities in India prior to starting her own practice in Jamnagar where she combined both Ayurvedic and Allopathic medicine.
During the British occupation of India, many parts of traditional Indian culture, including Ayurveda, were discouraged. (Isn’t it funny how healing approaches that clearly help people—like Ayurveda and cannabis medicine—are often made illegal at some point or another?) Ash’s grandparents, faced hardships practicing Ayurveda in India, and eventually came to the U.S. Here, they continued to serve their community with the help of Ayurvedic tools; Ash grew up observing how their lifestyle recommendations helped people take charge of their own wellbeing and get healthier.
Youkti is inspired by the Sanskrit word, yukti, which means, “choosing the best medicine based on logical thinking and planning.” Described in the Ayurvedic text, the Charaka Samhita, yukti is one of ten medicinal properties seen as the foundations of healing.
Just as the namesake suggests, the Youkti app helps people use data-driven insights to choose the best cannabis medicine for their unique needs. Youkti is our tribute to Ash’s grandparents—and to their perseverance, belief in holistic medicine, and unwavering commitment to the community.
