Suggestions
Danish Munir
Mental Health - VC - Builder
I like building things. My most recent creation is a VC platform that hopes to catalyze innovation in mental health by empowering hundreds of entrepreneurs working in the space, by giving them the tools, resources, networks and capital they need to build better.
In the past, I've enjoyed building in a variety of spaces: from building one of the first telepsychiatry companies in the country to scale (later acquired by Optum), to building online safety solutions that use data science & machine learning to combat phishing, malware, spam & pornography, to building campaigns that mobilize minority voters in swing states, to off-shore and on-shore engineering teams.
I believe our purpose in life is to use our gifts to serve. I'm working hard to continue to serve that purpose better.
Highlights
I cannot believe we're only a week away from our HealthNext Summit 2024! Last year, we brought together some of the leading experts across academia, payors, startups, government and investors to talk about the future of mental health innovation.
This year, our focus is Healthcare meets AI, and we couldn't be more proud of the amazing speakers who are joining us to share their insights, teach us something new, and help shift our frame.
From leading payor executives like Patrick Conway, who are thinking about the future of AI at companies like OptumRx to senior executives at Microsoft and Nuance Communications like David Rhew, M.D. and Rebecca Schechter to public sector leaders like Susan Coller Monarez from ARPA-H, to investors like Chelsea Clinton (Metrodora) & Daisy Wolf (a16z) - we have some of the leading thinkers in their respective fields, and expect a wide-ranging set of conversations.
I'm excited to see that many of you are already planning to be there. And if you haven't made a decision yet, you can check out our program & the rest of the incredible speakers here: https://lnkd.in/dmf5SQcb
Who likes data?
Are you a data junkie? If yes, you may find some of these statistics interesting. If not, let me teach you today the definition of an outlier. Let's follow along:
Journalism is recognized as a profession that is both critical to the functioning of modern society, and a profession that comes with some hazards.
According to data reported by Statista, on average, 65 journalists are killed around the world, annually from 1995 - 2020. And the trend is not a happy one:
1995-1999 - Average 37.8 worldwide 2000-2009 - Average 56.6 worldwide 2010-2019 - Average 94.5 worldwide
Source: https://lnkd.in/d74YV78A
Unfortunately 2023 (and 2024) is now set to blow past those averages, as Israel alone is responsible for the killing of 109 journalists in Gaza in the last 3 months. Many of these have been highly targeted strikes, in designated safe zones, ear-marked by the Israeli government.
https://lnkd.in/dmEhTKpD
By comparison, 17 journalists have been killed in conflict between Russia and Ukraine SINCE 2014 ( https://lnkd.in/dhhvyNd8 ).
Journalists are the lifeblood of democracy. We were rightfully, extremely upset when Jamal Khashoggi of the Washington post was assassinated by the Saudi government a few years ago. There was worldwide outrage and condemnation, especially by the US congresspersons and Senators (although Donald Trump refused to do so and defended Saudi Arabia). Within 2 months of the assassination, the US Senate voted by a majority to stop all military aid to Saudi Arabia, an ally, where the US has had major military bases for decades.
The US has taken similar positions when other countries have demonstrably clamped down on journalism and free press, or have taken action against journalists.
As such, as a data junkie, you might define the number of concentrated deaths of journalists in one tiny strip of land in a short period of time, as an outlier. You might also call, the complete US silence on the killing of 109 journalists so far by Israel an outlier.
