NAMI SF: Spring Mental Health Startup Pitch Summit
🌉 NAMI SF: Mental Health Tech Pitch Summit
Where Innovation Meets Impact
Join NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), the nation's leading mental health nonprofit, for an exclusive evening as we unite the brightest minds in the Bay Area and beyond.
We highly encourage joining us in person for the networking and community support. Virtual access is available for our global community and those joining from afar.
This isn't just a pitch summit; it's a movement to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and compassionate care.
Whether you’re building a wellness startup, investing in mental health innovation, or supporting others on the front lines, we built this event with you in mind.
We want this to be more than just a "summit". I hope we can:
— Exchange real founder stories, insights and findings. 📖
— Be a sounding board and a patient listener for one another.🦻
— Offer the support (and the hugs) we all need. ⛱️
From the hills of SF to the heart of Silicon Valley, we are bringing together a powerhouse community of investors, founders, and tech professionals to shape the future of wellness.
✨ The Experience
Expect a purpose-driven environment fueled by purpose. We are gathering the most visionary founders to showcase transformative solutions before a live audience and an elite panel of judges.
We’ll have some light food and drinks to keep the energy up while we network and watch the pitches!
For Founders: Gain unparalleled visibility, expert feedback or validation, and the chance to connect with stakeholders across the entire healthcare ecosystem.
We'll select 15 startups for LIVE pitch & feedback. Please look out for the startup Pitch presentation invite starting March 1st. Our application remains open for waitlist considerations.
For Investors: Discover "next big thing" in the rapidly growing mental health tech sector.
For Mental Health Professionals & Advocates: Network with the leaders driving real change and be part of a community dedicated to building a more resilient future.
Sign up for Pitching, Speaking or Judging here: Signup Form we'll reach out if you are selected.
📍 Event Details
Date: March 19, 2026
Location: San Francisco, CA (Final venue will be revealed after registration).
Agenda:
5:00 PM: Opening Networking
5:35 PM: (Official Start)Opening Remarks by NAMI SF Leadership
5:50 PM: Panel Discussion
6:30 PM: The Pitch Competition Begins
8:30 PM: Awards Ceremony & Closing Celebration
✨Recognitions
We will be presenting two prestigious awards at the conclusion of the evening:
Mental Health Vanguard Award
Recognizing innovation, technology breakthroughs and commercial scalability.
Mental Health Luminary Award
Recognizing excellence in community impact and patient-centricity.
📱 Stay Connected
Don't miss a beat! Join our Wellness & Mental Health Tech Community for ongoing event announcements, insights, updates, and a chance to stay connected with your peers in the wellness and mental health space[Join Link] in the future.
🏆 The Judges & Panelists
We have finalized our panel of Judges —a carefully curated group of top-tier mental health-focused venture capitalists, clinical experts, community leaders, and industry icons.
Distinguished Judges:
Matias Serebrinsky — General Partner, PsyMed Ventures
Laura Soto — Investor, Plug & Play
Alli Alford — Operations Manager, One Mind Accelerator
Dr. Michelle Feng — Chief Clinical Officer, Executive Mental Health
Qianwen Chen — Founder, EchoHer
Dr. Renee Schneider — Principal Consultant, BehaviorDx | ex-Clinical Lead at Google’s Mental Health Center of Excellence
Mike Locke — Board of Director, NAMI SF
Panel Discussion: The Pulse of Progress
Personal Conviction & The Mental Health Ecosystem
How do we turn individual passion into systemic change? This discussion explores the missions driving leadership, identifies the "white space" missing in today's mental health landscape, and examines how founders, clinicians, and advocates can collectively drive community impact.
Clinical Perspective: Dr. Michelle Feng, Chief Clinical Officer, Executive Mental Health
Founder Voice: Vivian Lei, CEO, PowerYou.AI
Community Advocacy: NAMI SF
Moderator:
Vincent Mao, Board Member, NAMI SF & Managing Partner, Bouken Capital
Stay tuned—you won’t want to miss who will be sitting in the hot seats.
Pitching Startups
Aidan Sakata, CEO/AKIO AI
Ana Zedginidze, Founder of Therapy Coverage
Anita Chen, Founder/AuraLearn
Anton Bereza, CEO&Co-founder/Medoc AI
Chelsea Borruano, Founder, InsightsOut
Elinor Huang, Founder & CEO/ MEandMine
Emily Huston, Founder, HomeTeam
Fontaine Foxworth, Founder, Pluema
Ila Panik Marchetta, CEO & Founder/ U4U Inc.
Jonathan Wan, CEO/Ironmind.ai
Mike Meaney, CEO/One Small Step
Nora Rodden, CEO/ Nervana
Ran Yang-Chawla, CEO/MedLink Global, Inc.
Rohan Dixit, CEO, Lief Therapeutics
Tanuj Sharma, Co-founder & CEO Kana Health
Yijuan Zhu, Co-Founder, WiseWorld
🚀 Join the Mission
Whether you are here to pitch, invest, or simply support the cause, your presence matters.
NAMI San Francisco (non-profit) is a beacon of hope and expertise, and together, we are building a supportive community where everyone feels understood.
Limited capacity. Early registration is highly recommended to join the elite circle of SF innovators.