Our
Team
Dr. Zachary Burton, co-founder
​
Zack leads the organization, while serving on boards for Columbia-WHO Center for Global MH, Coalition for Action for Preventive MH in Kenya, and an education NGO in India. He's Editor for a post-traumatic growth storytelling nonprofit, and was advisor to Glenn Close’s mental health nonprofit. Zack earned a PhD from Stanford University and lives with bipolar I disorder.
Debbie Bisno, board of advisors
Debbie is resident producer at McCarter Theatre Center. She has nearly 30 years in theater: Chicago roots (over 20 Jeff Awards) and Broadway, Off Broadway, and West End credits. Highlights include the recent Broadway revival of Frankie & Johnnie in the Clair de Lune, Annie, War Horse (Tony Award), Mothers and Sons, Merchant of Venice (Tony Award), and Through a Glass Darkly.
Debbie Bisno,
board of advisors
Debbie is Resident Producer at McCarter Theatre Center. She has nearly 30 years in theater: Chicago roots (20+ Jeff Awards) and Broadway, Off Broadway, and West End credits. Highlights include the Broadway revival of Frankie & Johnnie in the Clair de Lune, Annie, War Horse (Tony Award), Mothers and Sons, Merchant of Venice (Tony Award), and Through a Glass Darkly.
Kenidra Woods, board of advisors
Kenidra is a mental health advocate, activist, and founded CHEETAH Movement, an organization dedicated to ending mental health stigma. She has been featured on the cover of Teen Vogue, on BET’s Future 40 list, and by dozens of media outlets.
Kenidra Woods,
board of advisors
Kenidra is a nationally and internationally recognized activist and mental health advocate who founded CHEETAH Movement to end mental health stigma. She's been featured on the cover of Teen Vogue, BET's Future 40 list, Cosmopolitan, CNN, Good Morning America, and dozens of other media outlets.
Tom Shroder, board of advisors
Tom has been an award-winning journalist, writer, and editor for some 40 years. As editor of The Washington Post Magazine, he oversaw two Pulitzer Prize-winning stories, and was ghost writer and editor for multiple New York Times bestsellers.
Tom Shroder,
board of advisors
Tom has been an award-winning journalist, writer, and editor for some 40 years. As editor of The Washington Post Magazine, he oversaw two Pulitzer Prize-winning stories, and was ghost writer and editor for multiple New York Times bestsellers.
Dr. Zachary Burton,
co-founder
​
Zack leads the organization, while serving on boards for Columbia-WHO Center for Global MH, Coalition for Action for Preventive MH in Kenya, and an education NGO in India. He's Editor for a post-traumatic growth storytelling nonprofit, and was advisor to Glenn Close’s mental health nonprofit. Zack earned a PhD from Stanford University and lives with bipolar I disorder.
Elisa Hofmeister, co-founder
Elisa is an MD student at University of Minnesota. Before, she was a researcher at Stanford Medicine's Departments of Psychiatry & Medicine and at KAIST in South Korea, and served as advisor to Glenn Close’s mental health nonprofit. She holds a bachelor's degree in Human Biology from Stanford.
Elisa Hofmeister,
co-founder
Elisa is an MD student at University of Minnesota. Before, she was a researcher at Stanford Medicine's Departments of Psychiatry & Medicine and at KAIST in South Korea, and served as advisor to Glenn Close’s mental health nonprofit. She holds a bachelor's degree in Human Biology from Stanford.
Dr. Rona Hu, board of advisors
Rona is Associate Dean and Clinical Professor at Stanford School of Medicine, was Medical Director of the Stanford Hospital acute psychiatric inpatient unit for 20 years, advised season one of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, and founded CHIPAO, a series of vignettes on Asian American mental health.
Dr. Rona Hu,
board of advisors
Rona is Associate Dean and Clinical Professor at Stanford School of Medicine, was Medical Director of the Stanford Hospital acute psychiatric inpatient unit for 20 years, advised season one of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, and founded CHIPAO, a series of vignettes on Asian American mental health.
Victoria Maxwell, board of advisors
Victoria is a performer living with multiple mental illnesses and featured in NYT, CNN, WSJ, and Psychology Today. Her keynote is named a top anti-stigma intervention in Canada. She previously acted alongside Johnny Depp and John Travolta.
Victoria Maxwell,
board of advisors
Victoria is a performer living with multiple mental health conditions and featured in NYT, CNN, WSJ, and Psychology Today. Her keynote is named a top anti-stigma intervention in Canada. In her former career, she acted alongside the likes of Johnny Depp and John Travolta.
Emery Ahoua, head of finance
Emery is an associate at Prudential Financial, an MBA strategy consultant at Mastercard, a Read Ahead junior board member, a Braven leadership coach, and a TEAK mentor. He is an MBA candidate at NYU Stern and has degrees in psychology and in neuroscience from Bowdoin College.
Emery Ahoua,
head of finance
Emery is an associate at Prudential Financial, an MBA strategy consultant at Mastercard, a Read Ahead junior board member, a Braven leadership coach, and a TEAK mentor. He is an MBA candidate at NYU Stern and has degrees in psychology and in neuroscience from Bowdoin College.
Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, board of advisors
Steve is Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley and Professor of Psychiatry at UCSF. He has authored over 350 articles and chapters, and 12 books, including Another Kind of Madness: A Journey through the Stigma and Hope of Mental Illness.
Dr. Seema Yasmin, board of advisors
Seema is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist, medical doctor, and author. She was an officer at the U.S. CDC and is director at Stanford Health Communication Initiative and a clinical assistant professor at Stanford Medicine.
Dr. Seema Yasmin,
board of advisors
Seema is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and Pulitzer finalist, medical doctor, poet, and author. She was a CDC officer, CNN medical analyst, and Dallas Morning News correspondent, and is now director at Stanford Health Communication Initiative and a clinical assistant professor at Stanford Medicine.
Amy Freed, to whom we owe special thanks
Amy is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and highly-awarded playwright.
Amy Freed,
to whom we owe special thanks
Amy is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and highly-awarded playwright.
Dr. Steve Hinshaw,
board of advisors
Steve is Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley and Prof. of Psychiatry, UCSF. He has authored over 350 articles and chapters, and was one of the 10 most productive scholars across the entire field of clinical psychology over the past decade. He has written 12 books, including Another Kind of Madness: A Journey through the Stigma and Hope of Mental Illness.