‘Project Healthy Minds’ Taps Trio for Board of Directors (EXCLUSIVE)

Project Healthy Minds, a new mental health non profit startup, announced today the addition of Jacqui Canney, Michael Kassan and Lisa Licht to its new board of directors.

Canney is the newly appointed chief people officer of ServiceNow, the digital workflow company. Kassan is chairman and CEO of MediaLink, a strategic advisory and business development firm for media, advertising and technology companies. Licht is the former CMO of Live Nation and a leading marketing advisor.

More from Variety

• Live Nation to Debut AR Live Stream at Music Midtown Festival

• Live Nation Launches First Web Series, 'The Rider Challenge,' with Ford

• Kid Rock Gives the T-Shirt Off His Back to Cut Ticket Prices

“Stigma is the front-door issue in the mental health fight – which is why we need to borrow the tools and talent of the marketing and media industry and apply them to re-branding mental health. It’s also why we need Corporate American to join the fight. After decades of declining trust in traditional institutions, people increasingly expect business leaders to step up and address our most pressing social issues,” said Phillip Schermer, founder and CEO of Project Healthy Minds. “I can’t think of three better business and marketing titans than Jacqui Canney, Michael Kassan, and Lisa Licht to deliver that mission – bringing their pioneering expertise to this urgent fight.”

The trio of new board members will work with Project Healthy Minds to establish how businesses should support employees and their individual journeys in regards to mental health.

The mental health crisis, which was already a growing epidemic pre-pandemic, is now a center stage issue. In a recent survey done by Project Healthy Minds, 51 percent of respondents said the pandemic made it harder to get mental health services and support. Rates of depressive symptoms in U.S. adults have increased threefold during the pandemic, with one in four young people having contemplated suicide during the pandemic. Experts are projecting a 50 percent increase in total mental health cases post pandemic.

“The mental health crisis is a complex challenge that requires an interdisciplinary approach, a modern toolkit, and an ethos of collaboration that brings together an unprecedented coalition of leaders across industries working together to solve this urgent issue,” said Brian Offutt, board chairman of Project Healthy Minds.

Best of Variety

• Best Gifts, Shoes, Games and Merch to Celebrate 2021 NBA Playoffs

• The Most Unique Chess Sets For Every Type of Pop Culture Junkie

• 29 Books Being Made Into Movies and TV Series That You Should Read Ahead of Their Release

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.