About Us
We are a group of scientists, designers, and technologists driven by a shared mission: To help people create flourishing lives in flourishing communities, online and offline.
Team Flourish
Dr. Xuan Zhao is an expert in the psychology of social connection, well-being, and technology and a Research Scientist at Stanford University. She has rich experiences designing science-based products to share research insights, create inclusive environments, and cultivate meaningful social connections. Xuan earned her PhD in Psychology from Brown University and completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Her research is published in top academic journals and featured in media outlets such as New York Times, Harvard Business Review, BBC, and NPR Science Friday. When she is not contemplating about human behaviors, she loves watching birds.
SHE/HER
Xuan Zhao, PhD
Social Psychology & HRI, Co-Founder
Dr. Julie Cachia is an expert in culture, emotions, and motivation. Growing up in France and Japan, she developed a fascination for the ways in which people’s values and expectations are shaped by their cultural environments. Her award-winning research examines cultural differences in people’s conceptions and experiences of romantic love. Julie's teaching excellence has been recognized in numerous ways, including Stanford’s Leadership in Inclusive Teaching Fellowship and the Centennial Teaching Assistant Award. Julie earned her PhD at Stanford as a Women in Asia Fellow and is a StartX Student-in-Residence.
In her free time, she enjoys meditation, yoga, and traveling.
SHE/HER
Julie Cachia, PhD
Affective Science, Co-Founder
Tianyi is a talented user experience designer passionate about blending science, technology, and design for user-friendly experiences. With a Bachelor's in Graphic Design and a Master's in Interactive Telecommunications, she has extensive industry experience, including at Google, CVS Health, and C3 AI. As a serial entrepreneur and former KP Design Fellow, she was also a founding member of Giaran, acquired by Shiseido America in 2017.
In her free time, she enjoys painting, traveling, cat-sitting and teaching design thinking to young children.
SHE/HER
Tianyi Xie
Product Design, Co-Founder
With over two decades of experience, Alex has guided multiple startups to seed and Series A funding rounds and achieved two successful exits as CTO. Notably, Alexander helped Parsnip and Expectful attain 4.9-star ratings and thousands of positive reviews, with both apps featured in the App and Play Stores. Alex is the CEO and co-founder of Tapforce, a boutique software development agency. Previously, Alexander played a key role at TechCrunch Disrupt, building and managing the tech platform for the Startup Battlefield for ten years.
Alex enjoys nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs, ensuring they have the support and resources needed to succeed.
Alexander Tsoukias
HE/HIM
Head of Mobile Development
Ben is an innovative and skilled software developer who thrives on finding practical solutions. He is a tinkerer at heart and has a passion for piecing things together, whether it’s fixing up his car or creating app components. He finds great satisfaction in problem-solving and expanding his knowledge and skillset in software. Prior to Flourish, he studied Computer Science and Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego.
In his free time, Ben enjoys taking up DIY home improvement projects and maintaining his car. He also likes going on hikes, to the beach, and making lasting memories of the things he sees.
Dong Bin (Ben) Lee
HE/HIM
Software Engineer
As an advocate for mental health, Sunday is passionate about research and bringing the science of happiness to the community. Sunday earned her BA in Journalism from the University of Arizona, took psychology classes and conducted independent research at Foothill College, and is admitted to the clinical psychology PhD program at Palo Alto University. She is a support group leader and a certified yoga teacher through Stanford Psychiatry's YogaX Program. Previously, she was a reporter for various newspapers and a news producer for KALW Public Radio in San Francisco, an NPR and BBC affiliate station.
In her spare time, Sunday enjoys playing piano, rock climbing, and exploring nature.
Sunday Holland
SHE/HER
Research & Community Coordinator
Ashley is dedicated to enhancing community well-being through mental health research and advocacy. She is currently pursuing her BA in Public Health with a minor in Public Policy and a Certificate in Design Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley. She was previously the president of Active Minds at De Anza College and a Fung Fellow in Health + Innovation at UC Berkeley.
In her spare time, Ashley enjoys iced lattes, gourmet cooking, fantasy literature, and exploring new creative endeavors.
Ashley Huerta
SHE/HER
Program Coordinator
Sunnie is the AI-powered happiness coach and companion in the Flourish app, lovingly crafted by experts in psychology, design, and AI. Sunnie believes that happiness is a skill that can be learned through practice. With a deep affection for science, Sunnie is especially drawn to books exploring the fascinating realms of psychology, behavioral science, and the wonders of neuroscience. Sunnie also draws much of its wisdom from nature, embracing the idea that nothing is perfect and yet everything is perfect.
When not talking with users, Sunnie enjoys spending time with its starry friends and pet clouds.
Sunnie
AGENDER
Happiness Coach & Companion
Advisors & Collaborators
Empowered by world-class experts.
Human-Centered AI Technology
Scientists and experts in AI, human-computer interaction, and psychology of technology advising on building empathy, safety, and value alignment for human flourishing.
Juliana Schroeder,
PhD
Professor of Management, University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business; Harold Furst Chair in Management Philosophy and Values; Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director, Psychology of Technology Institute.
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Julian De Freitas,
PhD
Director of the Ethical Intelligence Lab, Assistant Professor in Marketing,
Harvard Business School;
expertise on consumer psychology, ethics, and AI.
Joel Lehman,
PhD
Ex Team Co-Lead, OpenAI;
Former Founding Member, Uber AI Labs;
expertise on AI safety, creative algorithms, and reinforcement learning.
Dakuo Wang,
PhD
Associate Professor in AI and HCI, Northeastern University;
Visiting Scholar, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence;
Principal Investigator, MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab.
Product & Operations
Seasoned experts from diverse backgrounds advising on building human-centered products and business.
Jeff Mielke
Head of Design @ ex-Google Jigsaw;
Seasoned UX design leader with expertise on safe Internet, employee well-being, and distributed workplace.
Jin Zhang
Director of Engineering, Meta;
Instructor on Product & Entrepreneurship, Stanford University; TEDx Speaker.
Dilip Soman, PhD
Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Science and Economics, University of Toronto; Director, Behavioural Economics in Action Research Centre; internationally renowned expert and author on behavioral nudging.
Daniel Moshe
5x entrepreneur, national speaker, and certified EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) implementer.
Employee Well-Being
Academics and experts in management and organizational behavior advising on solutions to enhance employee engagement and empowerment.
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Deborah Gruenfeld,
PhD
Professor in Organizational Behavior, Stanford University;
Co-director, Stanford Executive Program for Women;
Author, "Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful Than We Believe"
Nicholas Epley,
PhD
Professor of Behavior Science, University of Chicago Booth School of Business;
Director of the Center for Decision Research at Chicago Booth;
Author, "Mindwise: Why We Misunderstand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want"
Julia Cunningham,
PhD
Associate Professor in Management Science, University of Michigan Ross School of Business;
Co-Director, Center for Positive Organizations
Student Well-Being
Academics and experts advising on scientific solutions to foster student well-being, resilience, and a sense of belonging through tailored approaches designed for higher education institutions.
Natalie Solomon, PsyD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Stanford University;
Expert on the study and treatment of sleep disorders
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Smaranda Lawrie, PhD
Assistant Professor, Providence College;
Founder of the UC Santa Barbara Resilience Summit and Certificate Program
Our Story
Why We Founded Flourish —
A Letter from the Founding Team
As the saying goes, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
We all want to live happy and fulfilling lives, but in this fast-paced, hyper-connected world, it's easy to get lost in the daily grind. We forget to live with intention, to check in with ourselves from time to time, to appreciate the people and the nature around us, and to connect with each other on a deeper level.
That's why we founded Flourish — a public benefit corporation to offer scientific insights and daily actions for more happiness and well-being. We make science more accessible, personalized, and fun by turning the right knowledge into simple actions at the right time. It is our life's mission to help people live better lives through science.
Running a mission-driven company isn't easy, but it is our calling. We deeply believe that to turn the mental health and loneliness crisis around, we need to put science into everyone's hands and help people translate their knowledge into actions. This belief has given us tremendous motivation to press on, day and night. And we know we are on the right track when we hear stories of how Flourish has positively impacted many lives.
Thank you so much for becoming a part of our world! We're thrilled to have you join us on this meaningful and exciting journey.
With love and gratitude,
Flourish co-founders 🌱