Sho Balkian

Director of Design

Sho’s love for health and community paved her road to becoming a leader in Silicon Valley, designing technology in the HealthTech and FinTech spaces. A system-level thinker, Sho uses service design to create a holistic product strategy using design facilitation methods to gather information from all levels.

As the Head of User Experience at CommonSpirit Health, Sho built the design team at the largest healthcare system in US. From there, she lead a talented team of Content Designers on the Health and Well-Being team at Meta, helping 50 mm people get one step closer to a COVID-19 vaccine and providing mental health resources for the 3.8 billion during the COVID pandemic. After that, she joined the FinTech team, leading the design of products for businesses and creators that touched over 96% of Meta’s revenue.

As the Executive Producer at Caring.com, Sho managed the content and design team that helped lead the company toward its first acquisition by Bankrate in 2014. Prior to that, she joined Airbnb during its hyper-growth and evolution in the first three years, supporting the global expansion of the product customer service organization.

She earned her Master of Public Health with an emphasis in Nutrition from the Tufts School of Medicine, setting her base for problem solving from a population health lens. A certified yoga teacher and avid salsa dancer, Sho uses her unique background in health, nutrition, and yoga to create multi-modal experiences designing safe, accessible services that make the world a healthier place.

Melanie Sage

Lead Researcher, Digital Mental Health

A respected social work scholar, Dr. Melanie Sage has maintained an exceptional track record of accomplishments in her two decades of clinical practice and academic research. A PhD and licensed clinical social worker, Dr. Sage combines her in-depth knowledge of evidence-based best practices with a strong grasp of how technology can contribute to positive mental health outcomes.

Dr. Sage has raised over $5 million in funding from federal and local agencies for research in well-being, ethical technology application, and community-based interventions. She has authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles and delivered more than 100 conference presentations on topics related to technology and well-being, and has gained significant experience in direct mental health practice.

Her credentials include a professorship at a research university and her role as a senior user experience researcher on the equity team at Meta, establishing her standing as a leading voice at the intersection of mental health and technology.

Dr. Sage's commitment to system improvement and the equitable use of technology stems from her belief in the human-centered approach to treatment. Her advocacy for improved accessibility to mental health services--especially for underserved communities--dovetails with our pledge to combine innovation with inclusivity.

Dr. Sage's dedication, expertise, and successful track record underscores her value to our team, providing robust support for our capability and vision. Her mental health and research expertise support our goal of delivering effective accessible and personalized mental health services on a global scale.

Yana Sakellion

Advisor

Yana Sakellion is something of a contrarian. Occasionally seen with billiard cue in hand or practicing her ballroom dancing moves in moments of introspection, Yana originally majored in accounting. She crunched numbers at a bank by day and heeded her creative calling by drawing and painting up a storm at night. Something had to give.

Yana got her BA in imaging and digital arts from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and earned her MFA in Digital + Media from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She was artist in residence at the digital media center at Johns Hopkins University, and has a collegiate teaching certificate from Brown University.

An associate professor in the graphic program at American University in Washington, D.C., Yana Sakellion works across mediums--graphic design, interactive media and video--and her practice emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to art, with special interest interactive physical interface design and interactive storytelling.

In her ten years of professional experience, she has completed design and media projects for corporate clients as well as non-profit organizations. These include Target Corporation, Johns Hopkins University, the Maryland Historical Society, and the US Postal Service.

Yana has collaborated with classical and contemporary musicians and composers to produce well-received multimedia performances. She’s fluent in English and Russian, and her work has been exhibited and published nationally.

Tom Elder

Advisor

Thomas Elder is currently senior professorial lecturer of graphic design at American University, Washington, DC. This is in line with his childhood aspirations, influenced by his grandmother's career in print and photo development for advertising agencies in Los Angeles. Tom's love for music led him to pursue a degree in broadcasting, but his interests shifted to graphic design once he recognized the creative possibilities of Macintosh computers and the promise of the Internet.

Tom is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and actively participates in tribal elections. He is fiercely proud of being raised by two amazing mothers on indigenous reservation lands in rural Montana, including the Flathead Reservation and the Fort Peck Reservation.

Fond of unique and classic cars, Tom can determine their model years with an astonishing degree of accuracy. His favorite vehicle, however, might be his bicycle. In fact, mountain biking is his first love. A celebrated competitive cyclist, he raced to the title of Idaho State Champion in Cyclocross, participating in national-level Cyclocross races amid challenging snowy and icy conditions. He also excelled in competitive road cycling, completing several 200-mile races, including the grueling LoToJa Classic from Logan, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, traversing two Tour de France-level mountain passes in under eleven hours in the process.

A strong advocate for accessible physical design, Tom played an active role in developing Adventure Island Playground, Settlers Park, Idaho's first inclusive accessible playground (inspired by Hadley's Parkin Potomac, Maryland, one of the first accessible playgrounds in the country). Tom helped create the graphic design elements, thematic signage, and visual representation of the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design (ADASAD) guidelines.

Lina Lin

Product Designer

Lina's career trajectory is a testament to her versatility and dedication, spanning a diverse range of companies from industry giants like Wells Fargo and Meta to innovative startups such as Remrise and ResilientMoment. Throughout her professional journey, Lina has adeptly navigated various roles as an individual contributor, project lead, and team manager within support operations. She has primarily focused on enhancing the customer experience and mastering project management. She has launched numerous processes and initiatives driven by data, collaboration, and leadership.

As Lina's career progressed, she honed both her hard and soft skills, deepening her expertise in different tools and effectively collaborating with different stakeholders. Over time, she developed a keen interest in design and user experience (UX) and thrives on the challenges of designing, building, and refining positive and intuitive user experiences - finding immense satisfaction in creating solutions that resonate with users.

Lina is passionate about exploring uncharted territories, continuously seeking opportunities to challenge herself and introduce fresh perspectives in her field. Her curiosity and drive extend beyond her professional life; in her spare time, she enjoys picking up new hobbies and has recently ventured into the world of videography. Lina is excited to share her journey and insights through her creative endeavors.

Vadim Snitkovsky

Founder
CEO / CTO

Vadim Snitkovsky, a serial entrepreneur and a tech innovator, has spent his career at the forefront of cutting-edge cloud technologies, mergers and acquisitions, and AI product development.  His knack for innovation, backed by his extensive knowledge in the tech industry, has earned him numerous patents, enhancing his intellectual property portfolio.

His recent tenure at Meta saw him take on a pivotal role as an Engineering Leader in the Community Builders Group, where he contributed to the fusion of Facebook Pages and Groups. Subsequently, within the Product Privacy Group, he led the Privacy Experience Settings Team and supported the Youth Default Settings Engineering Team, underscoring the core principles of Effortless Privacy, Stronger Data and Sharing Control, further solidifying his skills in innovative solutions and team collaboration. His experience ranges from spearheading the creation of robust cloud-based voice platforms at Angel.com to launching pioneering voice interaction tools for IoT device manufacturers at UCIC.io. In Hangzhou, China, Vadim demonstrated his leadership skills, building a technology center from scratch and training and mentoring a competent local engineering division. He further exhibited his expertise in AI and Social Analytics at Genesys, propelling Knowledge Services and Agent Assist AI products into the mainstream of Conversational AI offerings.

Upon co-founding iQabinet, Vadim channeled his expertise into the development of a secure and scalable document management platform, streamlining the way users manage critical personal records. He also leveraged his experience as a CTO and a founding member of FriendTones, a pioneer in the realm of custom mobile ringtones, and e-Agree, where he spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive solution for contract management, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing risk for organizations.

Vadim's passion for innovation and commitment to improving lives led to the creation of Resilient Moment, Inc., the team behind Joyment. This passion is deeply personal, he understands that mental health is not merely an abstract concept, but a crucial element of holistic well-being. His personal ambition is to empower individuals to lead less stressful lives and maintain emotional control. Vadim’s commitment to making mental health care accessible for all, and utilizing technology for the greater good, is highlighted but this innovative approach to use AI to craft personalized affirmations, aiding individuals on their journey to improved mental health and resilience.

His focus on mental health is a cause close to his heart, and it is a testament to what can be achieved when passion, innovation, and empathy converge.  A graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, Vadim holds a B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Human Computer Interaction.

Rosalyn Mahashin

Advisor

Rosalyn Mahashin is a founder and former VP of Marketing and Business Development at Resilient Moment. She is a hands-on executive with in-depth experience in early-stage startups, consumer and enterprise tech. She excels in forging partnerships and scaling companies to reach their full potential.

An early employee at Google, Rosalyn planned and executed marketing campaigns on recruiting and helped launch products and services like Google Grants, Analytics, Maps, and Health. She then managed monetization partnerships at LinkedIn. She directed brand partnerships at GreatNonprofits and Sama, working with HR benefits department heads in close collaboration with Twitter, Google, eBay, and Cartier.

Rosalyn led growth partnerships in the Health team at Meta, collaborating with organizations such as the WHO, Boston Children’s Hospital, and UNICEF to build resources and digital tools made available to two billion people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first ever business development hire at Meta's social impact team, Rosalyn initiated several strategic partnerships and built a global product innovation team from scratch. During her tenure, her team helped community members raise $2 billion for charitable donations and connected over a billion people to resources and aid during disasters.

Rosalyn has a BA in Communication with a concentration in Human Computer Interaction from Stanford University, and a Master of Public Administration with high honors from the University of Washington, where she was awarded the GSEE graduate fellowship. She is a strong advocate for youth mental health and has dedicated herself to leveraging technology for health and well-being.