Why Innovative Mental Health Benefits Are the Future of Work

{
  "id": "PP1162348",
  "track": "Workplace",
  "focus_area": null,
  "category": "Panel",
  "event_id": "PP1162348",
  "event_type": "panel",
  "format": "Panel",
  "genre": null,
  "subgenre": null,
  "name": "Why Innovative Mental Health Benefits Are the Future of Work",
  "presented_by": null,
  "publish_at": "2025-12-01T17:36:00.000-06:00",
  "reservable": true,
  "reservable_id": "PP1162348",
  "reserved": false,
  "date": "2026-03-15",
  "end_time": "2026-03-15T17:00:00.000-05:00",
  "start_time": "2026-03-15T16:00:00.000-05:00",
  "message": null,
  "image": null,
  "credentials": [
    {
      "name": "Platinum Badge",
      "type": "platinum"
    },
    {
      "name": "Innovation Badge",
      "type": "innovation"
    }
  ],
  "contributors": [
    {
      "id": 91020,
      "company": "Clearwater Benefits",
      "credential_types": [
        "innovation"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2253667,
      "name": "Jack Hawthorne",
      "speaker_types": [],
      "title": "Chief Revenue Officer",
      "image": null,
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Jack Hawthorne is a revenue and growth strategist who helps companies turn big vision into measurable results. As Chief Revenue Officer at Clearwater Benefits, Jack designs and executes go-to-market and operational strategies that drive rapid, sustainable growth in the employee benefits space. With a rare background spanning law, psychology, sales, and executive leadership, he brings a systems-level approach to scaling businesses while increasing retention and clarity. Jack has led organizations through complex growth phases and is known for bridging strategy and execution to build companies that scale with intention.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 91019,
      "company": "Zoë Foundry",
      "credential_types": [
        "innovation"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2253666,
      "name": "Jason Andrew",
      "speaker_types": [],
      "title": "COO/CIO & Co-Founder",
      "image": null,
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Jason T. Andrew is an entrepreneur, investor, and advisor dedicated to making the employee benefits system work better for people and businesses alike. As a founder and partner at Zoë Foundry, Jason has spent over 25 years starting, scaling, and advising companies across insurance, health, wellness, and insurtech. He’s known as a bridge-builder who brings together founders, employers, and policymakers to drive meaningful change. Jason has launched four companies, led INC 500–recognized growth organizations, and is passionate about building values-driven cultures where people can thrive at work while doing good in the world.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 79501,
      "company": "Airbnb",
      "credential_types": [
        "innovation"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2240623,
      "name": "Tracy Desmond",
      "speaker_types": [],
      "title": "Head of Global Benefits & Wellbeing",
      "image": null,
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Tracy Desmond is the Head of Global Benefits & Wellbeing at Airbnb, where she leads the design and execution of innovative, inclusive benefits strategies for over 8,000 employees across 23 countries. With over 20 years of experience in Total Rewards, Tracy has shaped mental health and wellbeing programs at some of the world’s most admired companies. She is a sought-after advisor to health tech startups, a mentor through the International Olympic Committee, and an advocate for mental health innovation, access, and equity in the workplace.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 48836,
      "company": "Enthea",
      "credential_types": [
        "innovation"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2204445,
      "name": "Sherry Rais",
      "speaker_types": [],
      "title": "CEO & Co-Founder",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Sherry Rais",
        "credit": "",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/5GLfS_VsWhzG12LMI3Dtljiysic=/0x185:1280x1465/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/4a95dce4-589a-4420-af5b-ce58a3f0a347/pcid-1548639"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Sherry Rais is the CEO and Co-Founder of Enthea, which provides the most innovative, evidence-based mental health solutions through employee benefit plans - ensuring safe, affordable access to treatments that actually work. Under her leadership, Enthea has grown from a pilot program to serving over 300,000 covered lives nationwide, delivering unmatched outcomes for depression, anxiety, and PTSD - while helping employers reduce costs, improve retention, and boost workforce well-being. She has worked in over 35 countries with the United Nations and the World Bank. A sought-after speaker at events like HLTH, BenefitsPRO, and SXSW, Sherry shares how forward-thinking employers can transform mental health benefits to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and boost workforce well-being.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    }
  ],
  "venue": {
    "accessible": false,
    "age_policy": null,
    "floor": "4",
    "id": "V0373",
    "indoor_outdoor": "INDOOR",
    "name": "Salon B",
    "parent_id": "V0365",
    "parent_venue_name": "Hilton Austin Downtown",
    "venue_entry_info": null,
    "formats": null,
    "location": {
      "address": "500 E 4th St.",
      "lat_lon": [
        30.2651364,
        -97.7381904
      ],
      "city": "Austin",
      "postal_code": "78701",
      "state": "TX",
      "name": "Hilton Austin Downtown"
    },
    "root": {
      "accessible": null,
      "age_policy": null,
      "floor": null,
      "id": "V0365",
      "indoor_outdoor": null,
      "name": "Hilton Austin Downtown",
      "parent_id": null,
      "parent_venue_name": null,
      "venue_entry_info": null,
      "formats": null
    },
    "events": "[omitted 5 venue events]"
  },
  "description": "Mental health is now a make-or-break factor in workforce productivity, retention, and culture. But traditional offerings - meditation apps, and EAPS - aren’t cutting it. This panel explores bold, evidence-backed solutions like ketamine-assisted therapy, stellate ganglion block, and emerging psychedelic treatments. Hear from leading researchers and forward-thinking employers who are reshaping mental health support to drive performance, reduce costs, and keep their people thriving.",
  "experience_level": "Intermediate",
  "accessibility": [],
  "accessible_venue": false,
  "add_bcl_url": false,
  "add_slido": false,
  "age_policy": null,
  "american_sign_language": false,
  "apple_url": null,
  "audio_description": false,
  "caption_url": null,
  "closed_captioned": false,
  "cpe_credit": false,
  "has_subtitles": false,
  "hash_tags": [],
  "high_sensory_experience": false,
  "live": false,
  "long_description": "Mental health is now a make-or-break factor in workforce productivity, retention, and culture. But traditional offerings - meditation apps, and EAPS - aren’t cutting it. This panel explores bold, evidence-backed solutions like ketamine-assisted therapy, stellate ganglion block, and emerging psychedelic treatments. Hear from leading researchers and forward-thinking employers who are reshaping mental health support to drive performance, reduce costs, and keep their people thriving.",
  "meeting_url": null,
  "meeting_url_live": false,
  "mentorly_url": null,
  "mobile_audio_url": null,
  "open_captioned": false,
  "playlist_tag": null,
  "rebroadcast": false,
  "recommended_ids": [],
  "search_conversions": null,
  "short_program": false,
  "slido_url": null,
  "sort": "WHY INNOVATIVE MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS ARE THE FUTURE OF WORK",
  "source": "Official",
  "squad_up_url": null,
  "stream_embed": null,
  "stream_id": null,
  "stream_url": null,
  "strobe_warning": false,
  "subdiscipline": null,
  "summit": null,
  "summit_display_name": null,
  "tags": [
    {
      "id": 2134,
      "name": "Mental Health",
      "created_at": "2020-02-03T17:19:28.811-06:00",
      "updated_at": "2026-02-17T20:47:34.482-06:00",
      "sort": "MENTAL HEALTH",
      "alpha": "M"
    }
  ],
  "talent_attending": null,
  "title_only": false,
  "track_display_name": "Workplace track sponsored by University of Cincinnati",
  "trailer_id": null,
  "trailer_url": null,
  "video_on_demand": null,
  "vimeo_id": null,
  "vod": false,
  "xr_project_type": null,
  "youtube_id": null,
  "related_sales_client": null
}