youth – Obi Felten

Inspiring Women Podcast with Laurie McGraw
4 Feb 2025
Podcast

Can a million peer supporters transform mental health care for 35 million Americans?

Obi Felten, CEO and founder of Flourish Labs, believes it’s possible. In this eye-opening episode of Inspiring Women, host Laurie McGraw delves into Felton’s groundbreaking approach to solving the mental health crisis for youth.

Felten, a former Google X executive, shares her journey from developing moonshot technologies to tackling one of healthcare’s most pressing challenges. Learn how Flourish Labs is revolutionizing mental health support by training young adults with lived experiences to become peer supporters, creating a more diverse and relatable workforce.

Key takeaways:

 The staggering gap in mental health care: 20 million teens and young adults with mental health issues, but only half receive care

 How Flourish Labs is breaking barriers by securing contracts with Medicaid plans

 The power of peer support in addressing critical issues like post-ER care for suicidal youth

 Felten’s vision for scaling peer support to help millions of underserved individuals

Discover how Felten’s unique blend of tech innovation, healthcare expertise, and peer support culture is reshaping the future of mental health care. This episode is a must- listen for anyone interested in mental health, healthcare innovation, or inspiring entrepreneurial journeys.

Watch the recording here:

Milken Institute Future of Health Summit: Surviving or Thriving: Youth Mental Health in America
6 November 2023
Washington, DC
Panel
“Surviving or Thriving: Youth Mental Health in America”

Obi spoke on a panel hosted by William Brangham of PBS NewsHour, alongside Daniel Gillison, CEO of NAMI, Amanda Grigg of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and Kacie Kelly of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.

Children and youths, affected deeply by the COVID-19 crisis, are reckoning with a different kind of epidemic. Pervasive depression and anxiety, rising rates of substance misuse, increasing isolation and loneliness—all are contributors to the sad status quo. Society must find ways to address the needs of younger generations, both outside and inside the classroom, to ensure a healthy and thriving future. Join specialists and advocates to chart a new path with solutions that will prove durable over time.

Watch the recording here:

https://milkeninstitute.org/panel/15029/surviving-or-thriving-youth-mental-health-america