#88 - _able Partners Founding Partner Amanda Eilian - A Pioneer in Mental Health Investing

Amanda Eilian, Founding Partner of _able Partners joins us to talk all things mental health startup investing. _able Partners is an early-stage VC firm supporting visionary founders in the positive living space. Their investments focus on companies that improve the daily lives of people, making them healthier, happier, and making their lives more meaningful. Some specific investment areas include mental health, addiction, women's health, sexual wellness, wellness broadly, coaching and continued learning, child care, and self-expression. Amanda has led incredible early stage investments in companies like Spring Health, Compass Pathways, ATAI Life Sciences, Alma, Alto Neuroscience, and many others.

You can connect with Amanda here: _able Partners Website, LinkedIn

What If Fellowship: https://whatif.vc/fellowship

HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. Amanda shares her background that led her to venture investing, creating _able Partners, and the focus of _able Partners.
   
   
   
2. We discuss the areas and companies where _able has focused on which have been stigmatized in the past including mental health and addiction.
   
   
   
3. Amanda shares about her team, how they are non-traditional, and what that looks like in terms of their professional interactions as a company.
   
   
   
4. We discuss current themes in the mental health space and where investors should be looking to get involved in this space including accessibility, personalized care, and measurement and monitoring.
   
   
   
5. Amanda shares what type of funding _able is interested in, their focus in early stage investing, and what criteria they look for when choosing who to work with.
   
   
   
6. We talk about why stigma is starting to decrease and the possible causes for this wave of de-stigmatization.
   
   
   
7. We discuss the lack of access, the shortage of psychiatrists across the country, and more issues surrounding mental health care and Amanda shares her ideas for what needs to happen to address these issues.

Connect with the Stigma Podcast in the following ways: What If Fellowship, Website, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Email

Connect with host Stephen Hays here: Stephen Hays Personal Website, Twitter, LinkedIn, What If Ventures (Mental Health Venture Fund)