The History of One Mind
Founding One Mind
In 1995, the Staglin family came to a crossroads. Five years earlier, then-18-year-old undergraduate Brandon Staglin, son of corporate and healthcare leaders Shari and Garen Staglin and brother to Shannon Staglin, had received a dreaded diagnosis: schizophrenia. Brandon’s family’s support and his determination had enabled him to begin a successful recovery, but they knew too many other families experiencing similar struggles to rest in satisfaction. Shari, Garen, Brandon and Shannon Staglin realized for people everywhere to heal, they would need to elevate the science and dismantle the stigma. The Staglin family committed to “run toward the problem”—launching One Mind with the inaugural, inspirational Music Festival for Brain Health, a fundraiser to fuel mental health science initiatives.
Since then, One Mind has grown into an international leader, with science as our cornerstone and people at the heart of all we do. The journey has revealed startling discoveries and amazing innovations to help people thrive. Come along on a quick tour of One Mind’s remarkable history.
1998 TO PRESENT
Jumpstarting Science Leadership
Brilliant discoveries–and visionary leadership–spring from fresh perspectives. From the start, One Mind has supported the curiosity and drive of the most promising early career scientists, enabling stunning breakthroughs and launching their careers as leaders. In 2005, One Mind formalized this strategy launching the Rising Star Awards program. Among our 48 Awardees are such luminaries as:
- Joshua Gordon: NIMH Director 2017 – 2024.
- Kafui Dzirasa: Brain pacemaker pioneer and health equity advocate.
- Susanne Ahmari: Director of the $50M Wellcome Leap depression research program.
2003 – 2024
Pioneering Team Science for Precision Care
After five years supporting individual scientists, we realized that advancing research with the reach and urgency needed to effectively address the mental health crisis would require pioneering team science. With that in mind, we began to partner with federal research agencies to convene cooperative projects across dozens of institutions, studying thousands of participants at once. These studies have collectively discovered over 200 biomarkers to enable early, precise diagnosis of brain illness and injury–laying the groundwork to develop life-saving early treatments.
- Preventing and Treating Psychosis
- Healing the Invisible Wounds of War
2017 TO PRESENT
Improving Workforce Mental Health
Given One Mind’s aspiration to prevent mental illnesses and improve mental health at scale, we soon recognized that since most adults spend about a third of their lives at work, partnering with employers would be essential to rapidly spread evidence-based solutions and support human thriving. In 2017, thanks to a founding contribution from Johnson & Johnson, One Mind first convened a global coalition of leaders to share best practices in workplace mental health and officially launched One Mind at Work.
Today, One Mind at Work translates science to build workplace best practices that drive measurable impact on workforce mental health and employee well-being, leading to better outcomes for individuals and organizations alike. We partner with employers of all industries, geographies, and sizes that recognize that a healthy workforce is at the heart of a high-performing organization.
2020 TO PRESENT
Amplifying Lived Experience to Foster Hope and Trust in Science
When the pandemic ravaged the world, mental health conversations dominated the zeitgeist, and the moment was ripe to elevate the dialogue through sharing both authentic lived experience-based wisdom and science-anchored knowledge. One Mind Media, launched in 2020, through its numerous hard-hitting documentaries and webcasts, has reached over 20 million viewers and has proven to leave impressions that change hearts, minds, and policies.
In 2024, One Mind built on this record to launch its Lived Experience Initiative, convening a Council of advocates with personal and professional experiences of mental illness to transform mental health systems from the ground up—through the lens of firsthand perspectives.
2023 TO PRESENT
Shaping a Hopeful Future through Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Riding the wave of mental health investment with the rampant, pandemic-borne surge of uncertainty and despair that continues to wrack our society, One Mind embraced private-sector innovation through the One Mind Accelerator. Since its launch in 2023, the One Mind Accelerator has reached over 860,000 lives in just two years through vital support for 21 of the most innovative mental health startups. With 16 new companies participating in the 2025 program, the One Mind Accelerator portfolio has grown to a total of 37 companies thus far.
A Legacy of Progress
Over the past three decades, One Mind has grown from a family’s vision into a global leader in mental health innovation.
Our history is defined by pioneering projects and initiatives that have advanced the field and improved the lives of more than 30 million people. As we look to the future, we remain committed to our founding mission: to accelerate the discovery of treatments and cures for brain health disorders and to ensure that everyone has access to the mental health care they need.
