Product Validity

Access & Equity

Labs + Clinical Feedback Loops

Collaborative Labs + Advising Hub

Spot validated tools early or shape how they evolve

Align with inclusive innovation that matters to payers

VP of Regulatory Compliance & Engineering Services, Avania

Acacia Parks is a regulatory consultant specializing in digital health and medical devices, including digital therapeutics, clinical decision support, and digital diagnostics. With expertise spanning U.S. and EU regulatory strategy, evidence generation, and lifecycle research design, she has guided more than 30 companies across 18 indications in the past three years. As VP of Regulatory at Avania, a global MedTech advisory and contract research organization, she leads compliance, engineering, and clinical research strategy to advance innovative digital health solutions.

Principal, Launch & Logic

Aubrey Shick is a digital mental health strategist and former Senior Digital Health Advisor at the FDA’s Digital Health Center of Excellence, where she led initiatives in AI/ML-enabled devices, medical extended reality, and digital mental health. She also helped establish the FDA’s Digital Health Advisory Committee to guide policy on emerging technologies. As Founder of Launch & Logic, Aubrey now advises innovators on aligning product claims, labeling, and evidence with FDA expectations—bridging product strategy, UX, and regulatory policy to advance access and trust.

Executive Director, One Mind Accelerator

Carmine Di Maro is an impact investor and entrepreneur dedicated to advancing mental health innovation. As Executive Director of the One Mind Accelerator, he leads a program supporting early-stage startups developing transformative mental health technologies and services. Since joining in 2022, Carmine has helped the accelerator invest in 37 companies that have collectively raised more than $650 million and improved outcomes for hundreds of thousands of individuals. His background spans venture capital, startup growth, and portfolio leadership at Rock Ventures and Techstars—bridging science, business strategy, and real-world impact.

Deputy Chief of Advocacy for Science & Technology, APA

Corbin Evans is a federal advocacy leader skilled in translating complex scientific and legal issues into actionable policy. As Deputy Chief of Advocacy for Science & Technology at the American Psychological Association, he drives efforts to integrate psychological science into federal decision-making. He regularly engages with Congress and executive agencies on key issues including mental health, the societal impacts of technology, and climate change.

Executive Director, Therapists in Tech

David Cooper, PsyD. is a digital health expert who is currently the Executive Director of Therapists in Tech, the largest organization of clinicians in digital mental health. He has worked with organizations like the US Department of Defense, the AMA and FDA, Teladoc and many top hospitals in the US on their digital health strategies and portfolios.

CEO & Co-Founder, NVOX

David (Shlomi) Grandes is a serial entrepreneur and impact-driven founder who has built 11 companies across technology, education, and health, successfully exiting two. He is the Founder and CEO of NVOX, an AI-powered platform advancing ADHD diagnostics and accessibility—a mission inspired by his own late diagnosis of ADHD and dyslexia. Based in Barcelona, David also leads 1000 Pianos, a nonprofit installing smart concrete pianos in cities worldwide to promote creativity and inclusion among neurodivergent individuals. His work bridges AI, psychology, and advocacy to expand global understanding of ADHD and neurodiversity.

CEO & Co-Founder, Sparrow

Deborah Hanus is the CEO and Co-Founder of Sparrow, a high-tech, high-touch leave management platform that simplifies compliance and helps employers care for their people. Sparrow supports federal, state, and local leave processes, easing the burden for HR, payroll, and employees alike. An MIT engineer and Fulbright Scholar who began her Ph.D. in AI at Harvard, Deborah has led Sparrow’s rapid growth—saving customers over $300 million in payroll costs and improving the leave experience for hundreds of thousands of employees.

Head of Clinical, Blueprint

Dr. Dylan Ross is a nationally recognized leader in behavioral healthcare, clinical innovation, and measurement-based care. A dual-licensed clinician and organizational psychologist, he has driven clinical strategy and digital transformation across major healthcare organizations. As Head of Clinical at Blueprint—the leading AI-driven clinician enablement platform—he oversees the design and scaling of tools that enhance care delivery and provider efficiency. Previously, Dr. Ross served as Vice President of Clinical Innovation at Rogers Behavioral Health and National Senior Director of Clinical Strategy at Optum.

Founder, Sol Health

Gun Young Lim is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sol Health, a digital health startup addressing the Gen Z mental health crisis and nationwide therapist shortage. His work focuses on solving supply-side challenges and expanding access to care through innovative provider pipelines. Gun co-founded Sol Health during his senior year at Stanford, inspired by his own experience with a therapist-in-training and the importance of generational and cultural alignment in mental health care.

Founder, Backpack

Hafeezah Muhammad is a visionary entrepreneur leveraging technology to transform mental health support for children. As Founder and CEO of Backpack Healthcare, she combines her leadership experience and passion for innovation to make mental wellness more accessible and inclusive. Beyond technology, Hafeezah champions a company culture rooted in empathy, collaboration, and growth—empowering her team to create meaningful, lasting impact in children’s mental health.

Founder & CEO, Therapy Is For Everyone Psychological & Consultation Services, PLLC

Dr. Jessica Jackson has over 15 years of experience transforming conversations about mental health into actionable ecosystems of care. As Founder and CEO of Therapy Is For Everyone, she combines expert clinical practice with health technology consulting to advance equitable and accessible care. Dr. Jackson also serves as Chair of the American Psychological Association’s Mental Health Technology Advisory Committee and advises behavioral health startups and venture firms on building inclusive, scalable solutions. She holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from New Mexico State University and an MA from The George Washington University.

Chief of Ethics, APA

Dr. Lindsay Childress-Beatty is APA’s first Chief of Ethics, leading national and international conversations on psychological and organizational ethics. She has presented on ethics and AI at major venues including the 2025 International Summit on Psychology and Global Health, CES 2024, and the APA Main Stage. A founding member of the Ethics Professionals Network, she previously served as APA’s Deputy General Counsel. Dr. Childress-Beatty is a licensed attorney with a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University, a JD from the University of Michigan, and an MPhil from the University of Cambridge.

Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for Innovation, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute

Lindsey Engelman advances national implementation of innovative, evidence-based mental health policies and practices, with a focus on Medicaid and health equity. As part of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute’s Health Equity Workgroup, she helps ensure equity is centered in policy design and delivery. Previously, Lindsey worked at UT Dell Medical School, supporting community organizations and Medicaid Managed Care Organizations in developing value-based payment models and measurable, community-driven health outcomes.

Neuroscientist and CEO & Co-Founder, Beheld

Dr. Maninder “Mini” Kahlon designs and scales programs that help people live healthier, more dignified lives. She is the Founder and CEO of beheld, a company bringing a mental health–first approach to chronic condition management through an innovative, human-centered workforce model. A behavioral and systems neuroscientist trained at UCSF, Mini was the founding Vice Dean of Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, where she continues to lead community-based clinical trials exploring how food and social connection influence chronic disease.

Chief Revenue Officer, Zeel

Melissa Reilly is a healthcare executive with deep expertise in reimbursement, commercialization, and growth strategy. She has led more than 300 innovation projects across payers, startups, and employers to advance access and care delivery. Formerly Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at Evernorth Behavioral Health, she has also held leadership roles at UnitedHealth, Aetna, Optum, and Optum Ventures. Now Chief Revenue Officer at Zeel, she drives strategic partnerships and scalable business models that bridge innovation with real-world impact.

VP & Venture Builder, Evio

Nick Ganopoulos is a venture builder and investor focused on scaling evidence-based behavioral health companies. As VP at Evio Venture Capital, he partners with founders to design, fund, and grow category-defining ventures, including Sway Health—the first telehealth platform dedicated to bipolar disorder. Previously, he founded Viveo, a performance marketing studio for behavioral health, and created MentalHealthInvestors.com. His work integrates payer strategy, outcomes measurement, and ethical data governance, grounded in lived experience that shapes both his investments and approach to growth.

Senior Director, Child and Adolescent Learning and Well-Being, APA

Dr. Nicole Barnes leads national efforts at APA to apply psychological science in improving youth mental health, learning, and well-being across schools, families, and communities. A former 5th-grade teacher turned educational psychologist, she brings a lifelong commitment to equity and innovation in education. Before joining APA, she was a tenured professor and senior doctoral faculty member at Montclair State University. An accomplished scholar, Dr. Barnes has authored four books, published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, and delivered more than 200 presentations worldwide.

CEO & Co-Founder, Tenor Therapy

Olivia Chen combines a decade of experience in product innovation with a background in psychotherapy to design ethical, evidence-informed tools for mental health care. Before transitioning into the field, she helped scale Faire—a marketplace for small businesses—to a $12B valuation. A trained clinician with an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling from NYU, Olivia now focuses on the responsible use of AI in mental health, creating technologies that amplify clinical expertise while safeguarding trust, privacy, and humanity.

Founder, Healthesphere

Ozair Bajwa is the Founder and CEO of Healthesphere, a FHIR-native digital health platform unifying behavioral and physical health data to advance precision mental health and whole-person care. With over two decades in health IT and interoperability, he has led efforts to integrate EMR, wearable, and AI-driven insights into clinical workflows. A lived-experience advocate for OCD and ADHD, Ozair serves on NCQA’s Behavioral Health Measurement Advisory Panel and DiMe’s Core Measures for Mental Health initiative. His work centers on building ethical, AI-enabled systems grounded in data integrity and human-centered design.

Founder, Arcade Therapeutics

Raj Amin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Arcade Therapeutics, where he merges neuroscience and gaming to create innovative digital interventions for mental health. Arcade’s first product, StarStarter for Anxiety, is now available as a non-prescription treatment, and the company recently received a $3.8M NIMH grant with UT Austin to advance clinical trials for depression. Raj is also the Founding Partner at Teem Ventures, advising global brands like Bayer, Roche, and Hospital for Special Surgery. A serial entrepreneur, his previous ventures include Mana Health and HealthiNation, both leaders in digital health innovation.

Co-Founder, Alderman+Ward

Sam Ward has over 25 years of experience designing meaningful, human-centered experiences across education, science, and philanthropy. He has worked with organizations including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, The Smithsonian, and The Exploratorium to create impactful educational products. As Co-Founder and Head of Product at AldermanWard, a service-design and communications studio in Oakland, he blends behavioral science, strategic foresight, and storytelling to drive innovation. His work has earned honors including an Emmy nomination, a MUSE Award, and an Edgar R. Murrow Award.

Co-Founder & CEO, Resolve Together

Dr. Shiri Sharvit is a clinical psychologist, Distinguished Professor of Research at Palo Alto University, and Co-Founder and CEO of Resolve Together, an AI-powered chronic health company. Her work bridges evidence-based care and emerging technology, focusing on how AI can enhance empathy, trust, and connection in healthcare. With extensive experience developing AI-enabled tools used by thousands of clinicians, Dr. Sharvit brings a unique perspective on designing ethical, equitable, and clinically grounded digital health innovations.

Founder, GIMBHI

Shivan Bhavnani is a healthcare investor shaping the future of mental health innovation. As Partner at Evio Venture Capital, he invests in early-stage mental, behavioral, and brain health startups. He is also the founder of GIMBHI, a research and consulting firm whose insights have been featured by Nature, Axios, Business Insider, and Entrepreneur. With over a decade of experience across venture capital, biotech, and credit, Shivan has led investments in digital health and AI-driven psychiatry, working with leaders including former World Bank President Dr. Jim Yong Kim.

Program Manager, SecondMuse

Sidrah Durrani is a Program Manager at SecondMuse, where she leads innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives in youth mental health. She oversees the Headstream Accelerator and Youth Co-Creator Club, helping early-stage companies scale impactful digital solutions alongside young people. With a master’s degree in developmental psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, Sidrah applies her research background to advance evidence-based, youth-centered technologies.

Partner, Aligned Health Law

Simone is passionate about the intersection of technology, health, and consumer experience—helping innovators shape the future of healthcare through ethical, tech-enabled solutions. As a Partner at AHL, she advises digital health and biotechnology companies, AI-driven enterprises, and institutional investors on navigating complex legal and regulatory landscapes. With a decade of experience structuring transactions and guiding compliance for healthcare organizations, Simone specializes in areas including licensure, privacy, corporate practice of medicine, and healthcare fraud and abuse.

Assistant Director of Innovation Strategy, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute

Lindsey Engelman advances national implementation of innovative, evidence-based mental health policies and practices, with a focus on Medicaid and health equity. As part of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute’s Health Equity Workgroup, she helps ensure equity is centered in policy design and delivery. Previously, Lindsey worked at UT Dell Medical School, supporting community organizations and Medicaid Managed Care Organizations in developing value-based payment models and measurable, community-driven health outcomes.

Co-Founder & Partner, Manos Health

Rishab Shah is the Co-Founder and Partner of Manos Health, where he helps healthcare innovators turn breakthrough ideas into market success. His firm has guided more than 40 products through commercialization—spanning research, clinical trials, and go-to-market strategy—generating over $97 million in pipeline revenue. Previously, Rishab served as Head of Product at a $4B health-tech unicorn, advised C-suite leaders across 22 health systems and life sciences companies, and led investments at Johns Hopkins Innovation. He also lectures at Yale, Johns Hopkins, and globally on scaling healthcare innovation.

Want more details or ready to secure a sponsorship?

Contact Hayley Buck, Head of Marketing & Sales at hbuck@apa.org or 202-218-3594