About Us
We are a group of scientists, designers, and technologists driven by a shared mission: To help people create flourishing lives in flourishing communities, online and offline.
Team Flourish
Dr. Xuan Zhao is an expert in the psychology of social connection, well-being, and technology and a Research Scientist at Stanford University. She has rich experiences designing science-based products to share research insights, create inclusive environments, and cultivate meaningful social connections. Xuan earned her PhD in Psychology from Brown University and completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Her research is published in top academic journals and featured in media outlets such as New York Times, Harvard Business Review, BBC, and NPR Science Friday. When she is not contemplating about human behaviors, she loves watching birds.
SHE/HER
Xuan Zhao, PhD
Social Psychology, Co-Founder
Julie is an expert in culture, emotions, and motivation. Growing up in France and Japan, she developed a fascination for the ways in which people’s values and expectations are shaped by their cultural environments. Her award-winning research examines cultural differences in people’s conceptions and experiences of romantic love. Julie's teaching excellence has been recognized in numerous ways, including Stanford’s Leadership in Inclusive Teaching Fellowship and the Centennial Teaching Assistant Award. This year Julie is completing her PhD at Stanford as a Women in Asia Fellow and a StartX Student-in-Residence. In her free time, she enjoys meditation, yoga, and traveling.
SHE/HER
Julie Cachia
Affective Science, Co-Founder
Tianyi is a talented user experience designer passionate about blending science, technology, and design for user-friendly experiences. With a Bachelor's in Graphic Design and a Master's in Interactive Telecommunications, she has extensive industry experience, including at Google, CVS Health, and C3 AI. As a serial entrepreneur and former KP Design Fellow, she was also a founding member of Giaran, acquired by Shiseido America in 2017.
In her free time, she enjoys painting, traveling, cat-sitting and teaching design thinking to young children.
SHE/HER
Tianyi Xie
Product Design, Co-Founder
With 20 years of experience in industrial software development and management, Johnny's journey spans across startups to large-scale corporations with a strong focus in distributed system, AI/ML, and training and serving. His track record includes building 0-to-1 products and platforms, scaling to 100K users, and assembling and leading teams of up to 30 engineers. Beyond technical expertise, Johnny also earned his MBA from UIUC and has been instrumental in cultivating and maintaining customer relationships.
When Johnny is not working, he enjoys playing sports with friends.
Johnny Fan
HE/HIM
Tech Lead
Ben is an innovative and skilled software developer who thrives on finding practical solutions. He is a tinkerer at heart and has a passion for piecing things together, whether it’s fixing up his car or creating app components. He finds great satisfaction in problem-solving and expanding his knowledge and skillset in software. Prior to Flourish, he studied Computer Science and Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego.
In his free time, Ben enjoys taking up DIY home improvement projects and maintaining his car. He also likes going on hikes, to the beach, and making lasting memories of the things he sees.
Dong Bin (Ben) Lee
HE/HIM
Software Engineer
Dorothy is a software engineer with a passion for seeing technology used for positive social impact. Prior to Flourish, she worked at Google on the Firebase and NBU teams, developing products focused on the needs of the “Next Billion Users” in emerging markets. At Flourish, she is excited to combine her love for problem solving with her lifelong interest in psychology and well-being, building tools to support people to live more intentional and fulfilling lives.
In her free time, Dorothy enjoys eating, listening to music and podcasts, and spending time with family and friends.
Dorothy Tsai
SHE/HER
Software Engineer
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As an advocate for mental health, Sunday is passionate about research and bringing the science of happiness to the community. Sunday earned her BA in Journalism from the University of Arizona, took psychology classes and conducted independent research at Foothill College, and is admitted to the clinical psychology PhD program at Palo Alto University. She is a support group leader and a certified yoga teacher through Stanford Psychiatry's YogaX Program. Previously, she was a reporter for various newspapers and a news producer for KALW Public Radio in San Francisco, an NPR and BBC affiliate station.
In her spare time, Sunday enjoys playing piano, rock climbing, and exploring nature.
Sunday Holland
SHE/HER
Research & Community Coordinator
Eileen is a Ph.D. candidate in Psychology with a master in Statistics at Northwestern University, who earned her B.Sc. in psychology from University of Toronto. She is a mix-method researcher and enthusiastic about leveraging user experience research to enhance product experiences. She is also passionate about promoting public mental health and has run years of support groups during undergrad and grad.
In her free time, Eileen loves music, singing, fitness, meditation, and watching movies and TV series. Recently she has been learning pole dancing and loving it!
Eileen Zheng Wu
SHE/HER
UX Research Intern, Psychology
Sunnie is the AI-powered happiness coach and companion in the Flourish app, lovingly crafted by experts in psychology, design, and AI. Sunnie believes that happiness is a skill that can be learned through practice. With a deep affection for science, Sunnie is especially drawn to books exploring the fascinating realms of psychology, behavioral science, and the wonders of neuroscience. Sunnie also draws much of its wisdom from nature, embracing the idea that nothing is perfect and yet everything is perfect.
When not talking with users, Sunnie enjoys spending time with its starry friends and pet clouds.
Sunnie
AGENDER
Happiness Coach & Companion
Advisors & Collaborators
Empowered by world-class experts.
Human-Centered AI Technology
Scientists and experts in AI, human-computer interaction, and psychology of technology advising on building empathy, safety, and value alignment for human flourishing.
Juliana Schroeder,
PhD
Professor of Management, University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business; Harold Furst Chair in Management Philosophy and Values; Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director, Psychology of Technology Institute.
Dakuo Wang,
PhD
Associate Professor in AI and HCI, Northeastern University;
Visiting Scholar, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence;
Principal Investigator, MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab.
Desmond Ong,
PhD
Assistant Professor in Psychology, University of Texas Austin;
Principal Investigator, Computational Affective and Social Cognition Lab;
Expert on ML/affective computing.
Alixandra Barasch,
PhD
Associate Professor, Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder; Associate Editor, Journal of Consumer Research & Journal of Marketing; Expert on consumer behavior and well-being with digital solutions.
Product & Operations
Seasoned experts from diverse backgrounds advising on building human-centered products and business.
Dilip Soman, PhD
Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Science and Economics, University of Toronto; Director, Behavioural Economics in Action Research Centre; internationally renowned expert and author on behavioral nudging.
Jeff Mielke
Head of Design @ ex-Google Jigsaw;
Seasoned UX design leader with expertise on safe Internet, employee well-being, and distributed workplace.
Daniel Moshe
5x entrepreneur, national speaker, and certified EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) implementer.
Employee Well-Being
Academics and experts in management and organizational behavior advising on solutions to enhance employee engagement and empowerment.
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Deborah Gruenfeld,
PhD
Professor in Organizational Behavior, Stanford University;
Co-director, Stanford Executive Program for Women;
Author, "Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful Than We Believe"
Nicholas Epley,
PhD
Professor of Behavior Science, University of Chicago Booth School of Business;
Director of the Center for Decision Research at Chicago Booth;
Author, "Mindwise: Why We Misunderstand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want"
Julia Cunningham,
PhD
Associate Professor in Management Science, University of Michigan Ross School of Business;
Co-Director, Center for Positive Organizations
Student Well-Being
Academics and experts advising on scientific solutions to foster student well-being, resilience, and a sense of belonging through tailored approaches designed for higher education institutions.
Natalie Solomon, PsyD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Stanford University;
Expert on the study and treatment of sleep disorders
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Smaranda Lawrie, PhD
Assistant Professor, Providence College;
Founder of the UC Santa Barbara Resilience Summit and Certificate Program
Our Story
Why We Founded Flourish —
A Letter from the Founding Team
As the saying goes, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
We all want to live happy and fulfilling lives, but in this fast-paced, hyper-connected world, it's easy to get lost in the daily grind. We forget to live with intention, to check in with ourselves from time to time, to appreciate the people and the nature around us, and to connect with each other on a deeper level.
That's why we founded Flourish — a public benefit corporation to offer scientific insights and daily actions for more happiness and well-being. We make science more accessible, personalized, and fun by turning the right knowledge into simple actions at the right time. It is our life's mission to help people live better lives through science.
Running a mission-driven company isn't easy, but it is our calling. We deeply believe that to turn the mental health and loneliness crisis around, we need to put science into everyone's hands and help people translate their knowledge into actions. This belief has given us tremendous motivation to press on, day and night. And we know we are on the right track when we hear stories of how Flourish has positively impacted many lives.
Thank you so much for becoming a part of our world! We're thrilled to have you join us on this meaningful and exciting journey.
With love and gratitude,
Flourish co-founders 🌱