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Ariela Safira

Founder & CEO of Real; Expert in Digital Mental Health and Product Design

Ariela Safira is the Founder and CEO of Real, a company dedicated to transforming mental health care through innovative digital platforms and in-person experiences. Under her leadership since September 2019, Real aims to prioritize mental wellness by integrating empathy, design, and progressive care into their services, moving beyond merely normalizing mental health discussions to actively celebrating and improving the quality of care provided.13

Background and Education

Ariela holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computational Science from Stanford University, where she was recognized with multiple honors, including the Dean's Award for Academic Excellence. She also pursued a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology at Columbia University but left to focus on founding Real. Prior to her current role, she gained experience in various health-related positions, including product and operations at Cityblock Health and design roles at IDEO, where she worked on initiatives to reduce depression in the U.S..13

Mission and Advocacy

At Real, Safira emphasizes the importance of mental wellness as a critical component of overall well-being. She has been vocal about the intersection of mental health and bodily autonomy, particularly in light of recent political changes affecting reproductive rights, advocating for comprehensive healthcare access for all.23

Highlights

May 8 · TechCrunch
How one founder is building a sustainable platform for proactive mental health care - TechCrunch
How one founder is building a sustainable platform for proactive mental health care - TechCrunch
Feb 28 · Fortune
Employees need more. This company wants to serve as your ‘Chief Well-Being Officer’ - Fortune
Employees need more. This company wants to serve as your ‘Chief Well-Being Officer’ - Fortune

Related Questions

What inspired Ariela Safira to start Real?
How did Ariela Safira's experience at IDEO influence her work at Real?
What are some key achievements of Real under Ariela Safira's leadership?
How does Real integrate empathy and design into its mental health care platform?
What challenges has Ariela Safira faced in her career, and how did she overcome them?
Ariela Safira
Ariela Safira, photo 1
Ariela Safira, photo 2
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Experience

Founder & CEO at Real (September 2019 - Present)
Product & Operations at Cityblock Health (January 2018 - September 2018); Design at IDEO (September 2016 - September 2017); Research at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust (June 2016 - September 2016); Design & Research at Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (d.school) (March 2014 - August 2016)

Education

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mathematics and Computational Science from Stanford University; Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University in the City of New York

Location

New York, New York