NEW YORK, NY - Headstream, a SecondMuse initiative aimed at enhancing the mental well-being of adolescents in marginalized communities, today announced the members of its 2026 Residency and Accelerator cohorts, a program supported by Pivotal Ventures. Over the next 16 weeks, these founders will build, grow, and shape what’s next for youth mental well-being. The Headstream program provides a unique opportunity to work with youth co-creators on messaging, user experience, and retention.
This year’s Residency founder group welcomes six companies:
- Shelby Robbins of Antelope Recovery, providing virtual OP & IOP services to justice-involved youth across the entire justice continuum, specializing in criminogenic needs.
- Michelle Turner of Here Now Health, the first virtual healthcare company purpose built for children and young adults impacted by the child welfare system.
- Julia Belt of Navi, helping teens create action plans to navigate challenges through self-guided mini activities, backed by 10 years of clinical research.
- Gregory Milnarik of Koomba, an athlete development infrastructure for youth and college sports, connecting athletes to credentialed coaches in mental performance and sport nutrition.
- Jasmine Schembri-Stothar of luna, the trusted companion for adolescence that teens love and parents trust; a big sister in your pocket for mental health, body image, periods and more.
- Micah Friedland of Navicare, connecting anyone to mental health care in 15 minutes — regardless of insurance, age, condition, location, or background.
Four of this year’s Residency companies are graduates of the 2025 Accelerator program.
Fifteen companies will participate in the 2026 Accelerator program. Two thirds of this year’s startups are founded by individuals who identify as women and 87% who identify as BIPOC+. The Accelerator provides participants with $30,000 in non-dilutive funding, virtual programming led by industry experts, a network of fellow founders and supporters, coaching tailored to individual well-being, a curriculum shaped around the cohort’s needs, collaboration opportunities with the Youth Co-Creator Club, and a fully funded in-person gathering to kick off the program.
Members of the 2026 cohort include:
- Asher Herbstman of Clear30, the first evidence-based platform addressing the growing cannabis crisis. Clear30 delivers education, intervention, and assessment to the millions struggling with no support.
- Mahmoud Khedr of Healers Health, AI-powered social care navigation that matches and enrolls teens and families to the jobs, benefits, mental health resources, and community programs that help them thrive.
- Olivia DeRamus of Communia, the first social network specifically designed as a health tool, focusing on women and non-binary people. Communia is currently developing an emotional safety algorithm both for its own platform, and to license to other communities and social networks.
- Dr. T.M. Robison-Mosley of The Playbook, a B2B SaaS platform that tracks athlete well-being in real time, helping teams detect risks early, provide actionable plans, and prioritize mental health and safety at scale.
- Dr. Xuan Zhao of Flourish Science, a clinically validated AI-powered mental well-being platform helping Gen Z build resilience, manage stress, and develop healthy habits through personalized, science-based guidance.
Additional companies selected for this year’s Accelerator program are: Agents of Influence, apgard ai, Circuit Breaker Labs, Enrichly Health Technologies, Inner Peak, KindEd, MindMode AI, Psyflo, Sensory Toolbox, and We Do it 4 the Culture™.
“Since Headstream began, we've supported nearly 100 ventures, reaching more than 51 million youth and caring adults through the products our entrepreneurs have built, and engaged 140 youth co-creators to help shape technologies that better meet young people's needs,” said David Ball, Head of Well-being at SecondMuse and Co-Founder of Headstream. “The startup founders we are welcoming into our programs this year are some of the brightest and most creative problem solvers in the mental health field. We're energized to help them build on that momentum and scale their work to reach even more young people.”
“Driven by a commitment to improve the well-being of future generations, this year’s entrepreneurs are leading the way in developing impactful, youth-centered technologies,” said Sidrah Durrani, Program Manager. “Informed by their own lived experiences, each founding team brings fresh perspectives that celebrate diversity and push the boundaries of what’s possible in mental health care.”
Since its inception, Headstream has supported 95+ edtech, well-being, and social tech startups, reached 51M youth and caring adults, and engaged 140 youth co-creators in its programming. If you are interested in partnering or collaborating with Headstream to scale these innovations, please contact us at hello@headstreaminnovation.com
About Headstream
Headstream, an innovation program by SecondMuse, exists to improve the mental well-being of adolescents, with a focus on systemically excluded communities including BIPOC, Latino, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. Headstream reshapes how the health, education, and social tech systems prioritize youth mental health.
About SecondMuse
SecondMuse is a leading innovation firm dedicated to creating economic value through market-driven solutions that generate lasting impact. We work with clients to fuel sustainable growth while delivering measurable benefits for businesses, communities, and the planet. For over 15 years, we have designed, developed, and implemented innovative programs and financial solutions that unlock new opportunities, expand access to capital, and drive economic transformation. Our work spans 190+ countries and territories. Learn more at secondmuse.com
Media Contact
Molly Galler, Public Relations
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