Listen In: Stories from the Mental Health Equity Catalyze Cohort

May 19, 2026

What does it look like when bold, community-rooted organizations reimagine mental health and wellbeing from the ground up? The Mental Health Equity Catalyze cohort is finding out. These organizations are working at the intersection of mental and behavioral health and the everyday conditions that shape it like education, employment, relationships, and social connection,  and they’re doing it with cultural humility, creativity, and a genuine commitment to systemic change. From leveraging technology and storytelling to driving policy advocacy and peer leadership, each organization brings a distinct approach to a shared vision: healthier communities for everyone.

We invite you to get closer to the cohort below. Watch their stories. Check out our new podcast miniseries, Better Terms, to dive deeper.

The leaders in New Profit’s Mental Health Equity Catalyze cohort are doing work that’s urgent, transformative, and built to last. Hear directly from them about the impact they’re driving today and into the future.

Our new podcast miniseries, Better Terms, goes behind the work — featuring founders and funders exploring the defining moments that shaped why they do this, and what becomes possible when funding grows into true partnership. Listen to the first three episodes and stay tuned for additional episodes later this spring.

  • Episode 3: Stories of Us: Beyond the Grant Portal
    • Our Stories of Us episodes are honest conversations between executive directors and the organizations that support and invest in their work. This episode asks: what does it feel like to lead during a time of shrinking resources and growing need? It explores the emotional toll of constantly proving the value of your work, and the importance of funders listening beyond the grant application. Partnership, not competition, may be the only way forward.
  • Episode 2: Step Into The Gaps
    • In this episode, Reem Aly of the Ohio School-Based Health Alliance and Jordan Lewis of The Confess Project of America reflect on what it takes to build systems of care that last. From school-based healthcare in Ohio to mental health advocacy in barbershops across the country, the conversation explores sustainability, burnout, re-traumatization, and the hidden emotional cost of leading mission-driven work.
  • Episode 1: People Don’t Need To Be Fixed
    • In this episode, Aaron Landrum of Deloitte and Erica Smith of Boys to Men Tucson reflect on the personal experiences that shaped their work in public health and mental health equity. From Aaron’s memories of his grandfather in Boston  to Erica’s work creating healing spaces for Black and brown men in Tucson, the conversation explores masculinity, vulnerability, systems change, and why “systems need to be restructured — people don’t need to be fixed.”
  • Better Terms: Trailer Episode
    • Welcome to Better Terms, a podcast series featuring honest conversations between nonprofit leaders and the people funding their work. Listen to hosts Hassan Hassan (New Profit) and Alex Owens (Be Loud Studios) talk about what inspired the series and the big questions driving each episode. Through personal stories and candid dialogue, the series explores mental health equity, sustainability, and what it takes to build stronger partnerships during uncertain times.