Too often, people recognize the importance of mental health only when it's too late - when a loved one has been silently suffering, and suddenly, they are gone.

This is something I share with Jono Kupferberg Wilde, a friend and founder of The Good Life Movement. My struggle with mental health began at age 14, when I lost my mother to suicide. In my 14-year-old world, conversations and awareness around these struggles were rare. While I was too young to understand it then, the staggering truth is that mental health challenges personally affect one in five Americans - nearly 68 million people. I'm fortunate to have survived adolescence and early adulthood as I share my mother's predisposition for less-than-ideal mental health. For some of us, the fight against our internal mental health demons never completely goes away.

"Too often, people recognize the importance of mental health only when it's too late."

As my career progressed, I sought ways to honor my mother's memory. The creation of Object Pharma was driven by a desire to prevent future generations from enduring the same pain - children losing parents, parents losing children, partners losing life companions, and friends losing friends. It's time to break this cycle.

As founder and CEO, I've made it our mission to help people, minimize suffering, and follow the science. With this mission, we can focus on long-term solutions.

Many people are unaware of the profound economic and social toll of mental health crises and suicide. That's where The Good Life Movement makes a difference. As an advocacy organization, it transcends gender, age, and background to promote the importance of mental health and well-being with the goal of driving legislation built on eight pillars: equal treatment under the law, fair access to care, dignified patient rights, youth protections, and meaningful accountability. Think of it as a grassroots movement for mental health - much like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) transformed public awareness around drinking and driving.

We are proud sponsors and partners of The Good Life Movement because addressing the mental health epidemic requires a holistic approach. There is no single solution. Medication alone will never be enough.

Real change demands laws that protect those who are suffering, education and compassion from families and communities, advocates who raise their voices, therapy that heals, and digital tools that extend support. When these elements come together, we can begin to see real, measurable progress.

I invite you to join me in supporting Jono and The Good Life Movement. You can make an impact through a donation of any size, by volunteering to launch a local chapter, or simply by having more open conversations about mental health and overall well-being with your friends, family, and social circles.