We had the good fortune of connecting with Trish Bautista and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Trish, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Pursuing a startup is not for the faint of heart—it is all risk, and no guarantee. And so in taking risks, to me, it has come down to the question: “how badly do you want this?” What am I willing to give up to pursue this?

It was a big risk to quit my 9-5 job in marketing to pursue business. To work at a restaurant part-time while getting my startup off the ground. But, at the end of the day, I am grateful and at peace knowing that I am living life on my own terms. To measure success and progress on my own terms. I think to myself, isn’t it beautiful to believe in something so fiercely that you are willing to give up so much to give it a shot? And when I would choose this life of uncertainty over comfort any day, as long as it means I get to pursue this dream, that’s how I know I am doing right by me, and that I am exactly where I need to be. That, to me, is taking risks.

What should our readers know about your business?
Unprude is a sex therapy-based app offering a self-paced therapy program, tailored to your background and goals. Think Headspace meets Masterclass, but for intimacy and relationships.

What’s most important to us is that Unprude is culturally-grounded: the app challenges cultural taboos, especially in Asian societies, where sex is often stigmatized. Everything you see on Unprude is based on the research of Dr. Rica Cruz (CEO & Founder), who is actually the only practicing sex therapist in the Philippines, where we piloted the startup.

Unprude provides a platform that embraces and respects the diverse cultural nuances of intimacy. This not only makes the app more relatable for users with Asian backgrounds, but also contributes to a global shift in recognizing the importance of cultural inclusivity in sexual and mental wellness.

We offer an accessible alternative or supplement to sex therapy, which can often be limited, costly, and intimidating. The app is useful for those who might not be ready to commit to one-on-one therapy just yet, or those who want to supplement their therapy work and incorporate it into their everyday life.

During a painful breakup years ago, I realized that many of my relationships ended the same way: I always had my guard up and anticipated their failure before it would even happen. I finally sought therapy when, during this breakup, I was so desperate for guidance I started googling, “should we break up?” Unsurprisingly, I didn’t find answers online. Because there’s no one way to go about a relationship — the answers had to come from within me. Not too long after, Unprude was created.

Being a first-time app co-founder, it definitely hasn’t been easy to take on what to me feels like a huge challenge. But at the end of the day, what keeps me going is how personal Unprude is to me, and to our community. We all have a story of love, intimacy, and heartbreak, and we see how the app resonates with our community.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When I moved to LA 8 years ago from Manila, Philippines, I first came to San Fernando Valley, so I will always have a soft spot for the valley. I would show them my favorite food spots: Salsa & Beer, a taco truck I go to, another pupusa stand I love, my favorite pho spot called Pho So 1. There’s also Casa Vega, Bacari, Firefly, and so many great restaurants here. Fight me! Lol.

Outside of the valley, I would take them to some of my favorite beaches in Malibu. I also went to UCLA, so I would give them a tour of the UCLA campus and check out the Hammer Museum.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My community back home in Manila has been incredibly supportive of me even from thousands of miles away: my friends and collaborators who hype me up anytime they see Unprude show up on their feed, my family who always checks in on me, and even strangers on the Internet who have become friends cheering me on. I feel so lucky.

To my partner Andt, who has been so encouraging of me through this often winding road; and my mother, who taught me how to dream.

And of course, this wouldn’t be possible without my co-founder and CEO Dr. Rica Cruz. Sometimes, she and I would end our daily meetings in brief silence while staring into space, heavy with the weight of the things that this little team has to do. And then we’d burst out laughing. We don’t have to say why, we just know: “we’re crazy for doing this, but we’ll keep doing it anyway.”

Website: unprude.com

Instagram: @unprude and @patriciahaha

Facebook: @unprude

Other: You can also find me posting on TikTok more often at @trish_bautista

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.