Featured Columnists
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When Speed Hurts: Why We Built Our Behavioral Health Solution the Hard Way
Our booth at the AI Show @ GSV + ASU was tiny—just 3×3. We were flanked by past winners of the Tools Competition, NewSchools, and Fast Forward—programs we’re now going through ourselves. It was inspiring to be among them—but I’ll admit, I had a moment of doubt. Had I waited too long? Most startup advice…
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Monumental (but not in the way you think)
This week is monumental for me. Not because of some achievement or award (don’t worry, no humblebrags here 😉), but because—for the first time in 16.5 years—I have five consecutive days to myself. No caregiving. No rushing from one in-person meeting to the next. Just… me. It’s the first time since before my children were…
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Parenting Is Hard. The Advice Is Confusing. What’s the Real Solution?
Parenting: A Life-Diminishing Factor? I couldn’t believe it when a colleague told me that research suggests parenting is one of the most stressful roles an adult can take on. It made me pause—how could something so deeply meaningful also be so exhausting? But then I looked around: parents today are juggling work, life, guiding kids…
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Leaning In on Nonprofits in Uncertain Times
Sometimes, the world just sucks. Jobs disappear overnight, bills skyrocket, and each day seems to usher in a new crisis. I’ve witnessed firsthand how these harsh realities—the uncertainty of 2025—can knock the wind out of families and erode our sense of hope. But I’m not here to wallow. It’s clear people need help, and our…
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The Hardest Thing to Build: An Ecosystem Where People Stay
During my interview with Twilio for Transform Together, I was asked “What metrics tell you that you are succeeding at your mission?” I had metrics that should impress: All of that matters. Each of our team operates with quantifiable metrics—OKRs, KPIs, and data-driven goals that ensure we aren’t just doing good work, but the most…
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Unlocking Better Behavioral Support: How AI is Transforming Functional Behavior Assessments
Imagine a child struggling with severe emotional outbursts in school, a teen engaging in self-injurious behaviors, or an adult with autism experiencing daily frustration due to communication barriers. Families and educators often feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to help, leading to trial and error approaches that can frequently cause more harm than good. This…
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Unlocking Functional Behavior Assessments Funding
A mother once told me she felt like she was fighting battles on multiple fronts, barely holding on. Her 11-year-old son, bright and curious, had been labeled ‘disruptive’ at school. He wasn’t misbehaving on purpose—he just couldn’t sit still or follow directions like his classmates. When he pushed or shoved, she had to leave work…
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Breakthrough in AI for Behavioral Health
In a world where demand for mental and behavioral health services is at an all-time high, access to qualified care remains a significant barrier, particularly outside North America. With only about 4.7% of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)—specialized practitioners who assess and treat behavioral challenges—practicing outside the United States and Canada, millions of individuals, families,…
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Breaking the Entry-Level Hiring Cycle:
A Call for Employers and Young Professionals to Collaborate We have a system that isn’t set up for the benefit of either job seekers or employers. On the one hand, recent graduates are desperate for a foot in the door; on the other, employers face a deluge of applications and quiet quitting, and without a…
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The Waiting Game of Ghost Networks in Behavioral Healthcare
There’s an unspoken game all the rage in behavioral healthcare–ghost networks. It is a silent crisis that is largely overlooked but causing real damage to families seeking care. Despite assurances that behavioral healthcare is accessible, these ghost networks make it nearly impossible to get the help we need. Two years ago, my family was hit…
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Launching MyCuraJOY: Behind the Scenes
My daughter just came back from a summer at UC Berkeley. It was the first time that she stayed in a more metropolitan area where she wasn’t as sheltered. She asked me to buy her pepper spray. In fact, she carried one in each hand whenever she went out. A homeless person came up to…
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I love you. How Asian Parents Express Love.
One of our volunteers thanked me for believing in her and “I love you.” I was taken aback for a moment because she’s Asian, and we Asians don’t tell each other, “I love you!” 😭 Only Westerners and movies do that mushy emotional stuff. We only dream about it. Asian parents give kids food…
