Seattle-based entrepreneur and former Starbucks executive Kris Engskov has officially unveiled his latest venture: Rippl, a home-based senior behavioral health startup. The company emerged from stealth mode this week with $32 million in seed funding, led by ARCH Venture Partners and General Catalyst, signaling strong investor confidence in Rippl’s mission to address gaps in mental health care for older adults.
Engskov, who teased the debut on Twitter, described Rippl as a company dedicated to solving a pressing problem in the U.S.: the lack of specialized mental health services for seniors.
Addressing Critical Gaps in Senior Mental Health
Older adults face unique challenges when it comes to mental health. According to Rippl, nearly 20% of Americans who die by suicide are seniors, yet only 3% of psychiatric clinicians specialize in seniors. With the U.S. population of older adults at an all-time high, these statistics highlight a growing crisis.
Emergency rooms are currently ill-equipped to provide consistent, long-term behavioral health support for seniors. Rippl, as a senior behavioral health startup, aims to fill this gap by delivering home-based services designed to improve quality of life, cognitive health, and emotional well-being.
“These are the challenges of a generation, and we’re taking it head-on,” the company stated.
Democratizing Next-Gen Behavioral Health for Seniors
Before its public launch, Engskov described Rippl as a company focused on “democratizing next-gen mental and behavioral healthcare” for older adults and their families. By providing services in the home, the senior behavioral health startup helps older adults maintain independence, reduce reliance on institutional care, and receive specialized mental health treatment tailored to their needs.
Rippl also emphasizes supporting older adults with cognitive challenges, depression, and anxiety, creating a more comprehensive model of care than traditional outpatient or ER-based approaches.
Kris Engskov: From the White House to Starbucks to Senior Care
Kris Engskov brings a wealth of experience across public service, corporate leadership, and senior care. He began his career in the Clinton administration and later joined Seattle-based investment firm Madrona Venture Group. From 2003 to 2019, Engskov held executive roles at Starbucks, culminating as executive vice president of global business operations.
After leaving Starbucks, he became president of Aegis Living, a senior living company in Bellevue, Washington, before founding Rippl. His experience in both corporate operations and senior care gives him a unique perspective on the challenges faced by older adults in accessing mental health services.
A Leadership Team with Deep Expertise
Rippl’s team combines expertise in behavioral health, senior care, and corporate operations:
- Inca Dieterich – Co-founder and VP & partner of strategy and innovation at ARCH Venture Partners
- Jim Terry – Vice President of Finance, formerly VP at Starbucks
- Karrie Austin Escobedo – Vice President of Clinical Operations, former regional operations director at DispatchHealth
- Jesse Schlueter – Chief People Officer, formerly Nordstrom HR VP
- Ainsley Gourlay – Director of Culture and Learning, formerly in public education
This strong leadership ensures that the senior behavioral health startup can navigate the complex operational, regulatory, and clinical aspects of providing home-based care.
Regulatory Recognition and Infrastructure
Rippl has been assigned a publicly accessible National Provider Identifier (NPI) under FHCC Inc., a King County, Washington-based community/behavioral health provider organization. This recognition formally establishes Rippl as a legitimate provider and enables the startup to pursue partnerships with insurers, healthcare systems, and community organizations.
Looking Ahead
With $32 million in seed funding and a highly experienced leadership team, Rippl is poised to transform how mental and behavioral health services are delivered to older adults. The senior behavioral health startup addresses a critical shortage of clinicians specialized in elder care, providing home-based solutions that prioritize accessibility, quality, and patient-centered care.
As the company scales, Rippl’s innovative approach could serve as a model for the future of senior mental health care, demonstrating how a senior behavioral health startup can improve outcomes, reduce hospitalizations, and help older adults live longer, healthier lives at home.
The combination of strong financial backing, deep clinical expertise, and visionary leadership positions Rippl as a senior behavioral health startup to watch in the rapidly growing field of elder care. By focusing on next-gen solutions, the company hopes to redefine what it means to support older adults with mental health and cognitive challenges.
