Amid increased recognition that minority and underserved populations have specific mental health challenges that require cultural understanding, digital mental health provider Headspace Health Announced on Thursday it acquired an app that aims to be inclusive in providing mental health support to all.
Created by a black woman and a half-Japanese woman, the Shine app has more than 45,000 paid subscribers and more than 90 business customers. Headquartered in New York City, Shine has reached more than 6 million people by offering self-guided content, including daily meditations, self-care courses and personalized support, as well as virtual workshops hosted by outside experts.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Headspace Health executives said that with Shine Especially committed to serving those in underserved communities, this acquisition will help Headspace Health advance its diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) efforts.
“By acquiring Shine now, we believe we can significantly advance our DEIB efforts by bringing in an experienced team that has been doing similar work for the last six years and aligns with our vision, mission and values at Headspace Health.” said Head space The executive director of Health, Russ Glass.
Through the agreement, Headspace Health, based in Santa Monica, California, will integrate Shine’s equipment, technology and select content into its platform, which provides mindfulness and meditation tools, therapy, coaching, psychiatry and other resources.
Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Shine, will take on leadership roles at Headspace Health. Lidey will assume a product leadership position and Hirabayashi will join the marketing team.
The two first founded the company in 2016 because of a problem they experienced: They felt white mental health professionals or other mental health apps didn’t understand their bodies, skin color, financial resources, and past experiences.
“We feel (and still feel) that it is essential to ensure that our experiences, the experiences of [people of color] — are better represented in the mental health and wellness space and more reflective of our national population,” Hirabayashi said.
Joining Headspace Health allows Shine to continue its health equity mission, but on a larger scale, Lidey said.
“We believe we can best achieve our mission – to disrupt the traditional world of mental health and wellness with more inclusive support, with the scale and brand recognition of Headspace Health,” Lidey said. “As a combined organization, we will be being able to share our personalized content for underrepresented communities with a wider audience [Black, Indigenous and people of color] community.”
While customers may not see a major change right away, Glass said he anticipates the deal will result in improved service in the future.
“In the long term, Ginger and Headspace members and customers can look forward to an improved member experience, including more inclusive content for members and improved automation within our products,” he said.
Last year, Headspace Health acquired Gingeran AI-powered tool offering $3 billion text-based coaching and teletherapy visits.
Photo: Peter Pencil, Getty Images
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