In a move that highlights its commitment to digital mental health leadership, Headspace has named Tom Pickett as its new Chief Executive Officer. A veteran of high-growth startups and major tech platforms, Pickett brings a strong background in scaling consumer-facing services and building dynamic partnerships—experience that could prove pivotal as Headspace focuses on innovation, scale, and enterprise expansion to provide accessible, lifelong mental health support.
A Proven Leader in Digital Innovation
Tom Pickett joins Headspace after serving as Chief Revenue Officer at DoorDash, where he led business development, sales, and the company’s partnership strategy during a key phase of expansion for the food delivery giant. Prior to DoorDash, Pickett served as CEO of Crunchyroll, a leading streaming platform for anime, which was acquired by AT&T under his leadership. His career also includes key roles at Google, where he helped build out platforms that connected global audiences through technology.
Now, Pickett is turning his attention to a different kind of scale: digital mental health leadership at a global level.
“Addressing complex societal challenges through a combination of technology and human touch has been core to my career,” said Pickett in a statement. “I’m inspired by the impact that Headspace has had on reshaping people’s relationship to their mental health, and am excited to support the company’s growth and scale as we execute our mission to provide everyone with lifelong mental health support.”
A Company Rooted in Mindfulness and Clinical Expertise
Headspace as it stands today was formed in 2021 through a $3 billion merger between Headspace and Ginger, two leaders in the digital mental health space. The merger brought together Headspace’s consumer-facing meditation and mindfulness tools with Ginger’s clinical offerings—therapy, psychiatry, and mental health coaching—creating a comprehensive platform aimed at delivering holistic mental wellness services to individuals and organizations alike.
Today, Headspace serves both direct-to-consumer (D2C) and business-to-business (B2B) audiences, offering a wide range of resources from guided meditation and sleep support to live coaching, clinical therapy, and psychiatric care. The company’s offerings are used by individual consumers as well as major employers and health plans, positioning Headspace as a standout in digital mental health leadership.
Transitioning Leadership at a Pivotal Moment
Pickett’s appointment follows the departure of Russell Glass, who had served as CEO since the merger. Glass originally joined the company as CEO of Ginger and played a key role in the integration and growth of the unified brand. During his tenure, Headspace expanded its reach and made critical investments in care delivery infrastructure. However, like many digital health companies navigating the post-pandemic market, Headspace also faced challenges—including a 15% reduction in workforce in 2023.
Despite these challenges, the company has continued to grow strategically. In 2023, Headspace raised $105 million in debt financing, earmarked for expanding its enterprise offerings, enhancing clinical care capabilities, and bolstering services related to addiction treatment. The company also began rolling out coaching services to individual consumers, a significant shift from its earlier model that reserved coaching exclusively for enterprise clients. These moves highlight the company’s sustained commitment to digital mental health leadership.
Pushing into New Frontiers
One of Headspace’s more notable initiatives over the past year includes a partnership with Uwill, a mental health platform focused on the college population. Announced in June, the partnership aims to better support the unique needs of students, a population increasingly struggling with stress, anxiety, and depression.
By extending services like mental health coaching and mindfulness tools to younger users, Headspace is clearly working to broaden its impact beyond traditional markets. The company’s B2B strategy—partnering with employers, universities, and health plans—remains a strong driver of growth, but its expansion into more personalized, accessible D2C offerings is a clear nod to the changing expectations of mental health consumers. This balance of consumer-focused and enterprise solutions positions Headspace as a model of digital mental health leadership.
The Road Ahead with Tom Pickett
As Headspace looks to the future, Pickett’s experience in building ecosystems, scaling consumer engagement, and developing revenue-generating partnerships could be transformative. His leadership comes at a time when mental health is more in demand than ever, but the landscape is becoming increasingly crowded. With large players, digital startups, and traditional healthcare systems all vying for market share, differentiation and execution will be key.
Pickett’s track record at DoorDash, Crunchyroll, and Google suggests a leadership style grounded in customer-centric innovation and operational excellence. That could be exactly what Headspace needs to navigate both the opportunities and pressures of operating in a space that demands scale, trust, and measurable impact. It’s also another indicator of how digital mental health leadership is evolving—bringing in executives from adjacent industries with experience in scaling high-growth tech operations.
A New Era in Mental Health Innovation
Headspace’s vision has always been about more than just meditation—it’s about transforming the way people engage with their mental well-being. With Tom Pickett at the helm, the company appears poised to evolve once again—potentially becoming not just a wellness brand, but a full-fledged healthcare solution rooted in evidence-based care, accessibility, and ongoing innovation.
Whether through expanding partnerships, deepening clinical services, or reaching new audiences, the next chapter of Headspace will be one to watch closely as it continues working toward its mission: to provide everyone with lifelong mental health support. As the industry continues to grow and mature, Headspace’s trajectory could become a case study in successful digital mental health leadership.
And for companies across the health tech sector, Headspace’s evolution is a clear sign of the future: scalable care, seamless integration between wellness and clinical support, and bold moves in digital mental health leadership. In this rapidly shifting landscape, maintaining excellence in digital mental health leadership will be essential not only for differentiation, but for ensuring that mental health support is truly accessible and impactful for all.
