About us
Our team is on a mission to scale professional mental health peer support with technology to address the mental health crisis.
We expand the mental health workforce by hiring and training young adults with diverse backgrounds to become certified Peer Support Specialists. On Peers.net, our telehealth platform, young adults and teenagers can book a 1 on 1 session with a peer supporter of their choice on demand.
We are building a future of flourishing minds for all: where everyone can be their best self and achieve their potential. Come join our team!
Our founding team has decades of tech, clinical and peer support experience and a passion for good mental health (our own and that of others). We are a fully distributed team, working from San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Boston, New York, Denver and elsewhere!
Our founders
Former product and marketing leader at Google, X, e-commerce startups.
Identifies as a cisgender woman in tech, wife of husband with bipolar, mother of kids with ADHD, first gen immigrant, Berliner (ask me about the wall). Trying to live in the present but often living in the future (ask me about self driving cars and AI in mental healthcare). Happiest when surrounded by family and friends, or by myself paddle-boarding on a lake.
Pediatrician and former Chief Innovation Officer at Kaiser Permanente.
Identifies as a pediatrician, mom, innovator and public health advocate among so much more. Loves connecting with teens and young adults as they navigate their path to adulthood. Loves developing high quality evidence-based programs, grounded in lessons I learned over two decades as a practicing pediatrician, teaching medical students as Associate Clinical Professor at UCSF, and former Chief Healthcare Innovation Officer at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco. How I flourish: I navigate the ups and downs of parenting two gorgeous strong-willed girls and a busy professional life with the support of an engaged and supportive peer network, exercising outdoors, and losing myself in a good book.
Our team
( SHE / HER ) Identifies as a cisgender woman and the oldest sister of 4 girls. Happiest when spending time with friends and family and exploring the outdoors or a new coffee shop, town, or farmers market. Currently exploring somatics, herbalism, and baking with different flour types.
( SHE / HER ) Identifies as a cisgender woman and is in recovery from government employment in behavioral health services. A strong advocate for peer support and a designer of peer support programs for 25 years, Ally is based in Oregon; is a person with lived experience of mental health adventures; a Mom to four grown children; and is most at peace in the woods and on the water with her two fur babies.
( SHE / HER ) I’m a Queer Cis Woman, Infertility Warrior and Solo IVF Mama. I’ve lived most of my life with co-existing conditions, the most recent being a late ADHD diagnosis in my 30s. I love hauling my toddler around on our cargo e-bike, crocheting blankets and amigurumi, and getting my hands dirty in my backyard vegetable garden.
( SHE / HER ) Identifies as a cisgender woman, first gen immigrant, and forever on-the-move soul. Strong New York vibes but even stronger Euro DNA. In recovery from big tech life, but still passionate about using tech to change the world for the better. Fired up by impossible challenges and unplanned adventures. Happiest when dancing at sunrise or randomly roaming around new cities with no map but great music in my headphones (though not always a genius move). Oh, and when cooking+eating with friends and loved ones. Always.
( SHE / HER ) Identifies as a cisgender woman and former competitive athlete. Boston-based (Go Bruins). Motivated by friendly competition and learning what makes people tick (I’ll guess your Enneagram). Happiest when creating, dancing, making music, or squeezing my adorable nieces and nephews.
( SHE / HER ) Identifies as a cishet woman, dog mama, outdoor enthusiast, and big proponent of women in STEM. I’ve spent my entire career focused on expanding access to healthcare services through technology and I’m especially passionate about supporting and empowering people to take control of their mental health. Happiest when endlessly walking through a new and unknown place, eating my weight in Pan-Asian cuisine, cuddling with my pups, making things with my hands, and spending quality time with loved ones.
Our advisors
We are working closely with a multi-disciplinary advisory board who have mental health, peer support, clinical, scientific, digital health and marketplace expertise.
Psychiatrist, DEI strategist, health policy.
Peer Advisory Committee
Alexandria (Alex) is a content creator, digital storyteller, and mental health advocate located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. After making a career pivot from STEM, Alex has devoted her time to building creative and community-oriented solutions to the youth mental health crisis and the lack of culturally competent mental health care.
( SHE / HER ) Amna is a rising freshman at Middlebury College and is a strong advocate for mental health within young adults. She works with many organizations outside of Flourish Labs, such as Active Minds, Youth Era, Good for MEdia, and she started a small business: Simply Distracted. She is happiest when spending time with her friends and travelling! She loves chocolate, sports, and painting. Amna aims to be a change management consultant, entrepreneur, and psychotherapist.
Blake attends Ithaca College with a psychology major and minor in counseling, with plans to attend graduate school in Fall 2024. He is a mental health advocate with previous experience in various nonprofits, including Active Minds, The JED Foundation, American Trans Resource Hub, CoachArt, Ramapo for Children, as well as his own nonprofit: Mission Music Foundation. Blake has lived experience with mental health and uses his recovery to support others. He has recently completed research on Developmental Predictors of Suicidal Ideation, Self-Injury, and Substance Use, which he plans to publish.
Dennis is the co-founder of AMBIV Collective, a social impact agency that empowers disability and neurodivergent communities to live a meaningful and fulfilling life powered by research and events. He also serves as Co-Executive Director of the Asian Americans with Disabilities Initiative (AADI), an organization that uplifts the voices of disabled Asian Americans. He's passionate about advocating for others and creating spaces for people to come together! Aside from AMBIV and AADI, Dennis is also a DEIA Speaker and Consultant, a Certified Peer Supporter on Peers.net, and a Co-Host of Dear Disabled Asians, formerly Asian Lifing Podcast.
( HE / HIM ) Isaac is a youth wellbeing advocate, lived experience researcher, peer support program designer, and proud father to an eight-year old Yorkie. Leveraging his lived experience with mental health challenges, Isaac's early career focused on peer support program development and youth mental health advocacy. In his role as a Research Assistant at the Mental Health for All Lab at Harvard Medical School, Isaac leads the EMPOWER Peer Support Initiative. Additionally, as a Youth Mental Health Consultant, Isaac guides Stanford Medicine’s allcove initiative and their youth peer support service stream. A graduate of the University of California, San Diego, Isaac is passionate about mentorship — always happy to connect with other young professionals.
Jorge is a mental health advocate, social impact strategist, and creator. Jorge combines his education in public health with his own experiences of mental illness — applying community-centered and intersectional approaches to mental health advocacy. He highlights BIPOC youth voices and also ensures that culturally-sensitive solutions acknowledge the ways in which mental health is connected to other social determinants of health. Jorge has previously spoken at The White House, Comic Con, and around the country on these topics while also consulting various corporations and nonprofits alike on social impact strategy.
( SHE / HER ) Julia a medical student based in Vancouver, Canada. She loves peer support and volunteered with her university's peer support service throughout her undergraduate studies. During her master's degree in Population and Public Health, she conducted a research group developing a mental health app for students. For her thesis Julia researched the disparities in access to mental health treatment among college students. In her spare time she loves biking along the Vancouver seawall, spending time in the mountains, and cooking/baking elaborate recipes for loved ones!
Kim is the co-founder of AMBIV Collective (a social impact agency that empowers disability and neurodivergent communities to live a meaningful and fulfilling life with research-powered support) and the Co-Executive Director of the Asian Americans with Disabilities Initiative (AADI). Kim is also a graphic designer, driven by a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. She advocates for designs that are not only visually compelling but also considerate of diverse needs and perspectives.
( HE / HIM ) Samuel identifies as a cisgender male and community advocate! Currently a graduate student studying Law and Public Administration, he obtained a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. His hobbies include training jiu-jitsu, gaming, and going to the gym. He is passionate about providing a voice for those in-need!
Sarah is an incoming master's student, fueled by a passion for mental health advocacy and on a mission to shake up the status quo — from shedding light on addiction and eating disorders, to shouting out the unsung heroes in mental health support: siblings. As a proud Latina, she is about smashing barriers and making sure everyone gets a fair shot at mental health resources, especially in underserved communities or when English is not the primary language. When not diving deep into advocacy, you'll find her soaring high in the aerial arts or losing herself in a dance class. Peer support isn't just a role for Sarah; it's a heartfelt calling to uplift, inspire, and make a difference — one step, one twirl, one compassionate act at a time.
( SHE / HER ) Sophia is a cisgender woman studying Neuroscience on the pre-med track. Originally from California, she is experiencing seasons for the first time in the Midwest! Sophia worked with the Flourish Labs team for two summers as an intern and loved learning about the mental health space — now she's eager to use her own experiences to continue improving access to mental health care for young people. Sophia is happiest and most relaxed when reading a good book or baking for her family!
( SHE / HER ) Vidya is an undergraduate senior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Anthropology, minoring in English Literature and Chemistry, and completing a Global Health Certificate. Outside of the university, she engages in multiple nonprofit and governmental board positions, such as Queens Gambit, Radiant Hall, and the City-County Task Force for People with Disabilities. She experiences chronic pain and hopes to be a disability advocate for those experiencing physical and psychological symptoms.
We’re growing!
We’re on a mission to make mental health support accessible to all by empowering people to support each other. Help us bring mental health support to everyone who needs it.
