Affect Therapeutics is a team of passionate people who are changing the way the world treats mental health and addiction.
Drug overdose deaths have reached record levels in the US, and depression and anxiety are at an all time high. And yet, the standard of care for mental health is largely based on decades-old approaches with generally poor patient outcomes. By thoughtfully innovating with sound research, data, and well-proven engagement techniques, we can change all of that.
We are a team of mental health advocates and experts who are relentless in developing innovative, evidence-based solutions that we deliver with extraordinary care and empathy.
Spotlight On Our Care Team
Saleem Malik
“I have been in recovery from crystal meth addiction for over 10 years. I love music, martial arts, and cooking. I am a single dad and I have been a counselor for almost 8 years.
“I believe as people we should be constantly striving to improve our mental, physical and spiritual health. To do this in the behavioral health field we need to find adaptive ways to deliver effective solutions to our members and this is why I value our approach at Affect Therapeutics. When you are green you grow and when you are ripe you rot.”
Taylor Randolph
“I have worked in the field of addiction treatment since 2019. The reason I am passionate about it is because I witnessed many friends and family members struggle with addiction and lose their fight. I believe that it is possible to win the fight of addiction with the proper treatment and support.
It’s not an easy fight to win, but with our approach and our wonderful team of counselors here at Affect Therapeutics, we help to show people that they can truly achieve anything. One of the aspects of my work in this field that I enjoy the most is seeing the light turn on in someone’s eyes and the life return back into them.”
Executive Team
Kristin Muhlner, CEO
As CEO, Kristin brings a depth of expertise in building digital technology companies across both the business and consumer landscapes, with a particular passion for driving the innovative use of data and analytics to solve real-world problems. Prior leadership roles include President of Framebridge, EVP of Sales for Sprinklr (NYSE:CXM), CEO of newBrandAnalytics (acquired by Sprinklr), and EVP of Engineering at webMethods (acquired by Software AG). She loves science fiction, crossword puzzles, and bulldogs, and she will happily play anyone anytime at Scrabble.
Jon Peeples, MD
As Chief Medical Officer, Jon brings his clinical and administrative experience as a board-certified psychiatrist having worked in nonprofit health systems; government health systems; and startups. Prior to joining Affect, Jon was the Chief of Psychiatry and Interim Chief of Behavioral Health at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington. He also served as Medical Director of Telepsychiatry for Wellstar Health System, where he helped launch 24/7 psychiatric consultative services across eight hospitals and developed numerous process improvements for delivering high-quality, evidence-based care for people seeking substance use disorder treatment.
Bryan Prout
Bryan serves as the company’s Chief Operating Officer and has responsibility for business operations within Affect. He brings his significant experience building customer-centric organizations to the domain of mental health. Bryan enjoys discovering new music, cheering on a variety of mostly bad sports franchises, chasing his three young children around the Blue Ridge Mountains, and deploying arcane movie references.
Natalie Pitcher Clark
Natalie brings her passion for storytelling, customer empathy, and data to Affect as its Chief Customer Officer. Prior to Affect, Natalie has led marketing functions at consumer and B2B startups (Stardog, Starry Internet, Mapbox). She has her MBA from MIT Sloan and in a former life was a documentary television producer, working on shows like How The States Got Their Shapes, Modern Marvels, and Monster Squid.
Russell Osborne
Russell brings his love of technology and great design to Affect in his role as the company’s Chief Technology Officer. He has dedicated the last fifteen years to building software for the healthcare, e-commerce, and manufacturing industries in order to help those around him. He is the father of three children, a car guy, and a complete and utter goofball.
Bayla Weick
Bayla serves as Head of Product, where she leads product strategy with a focus on building scalable, data-driven solutions to improve clinical outcomes. She brings a strong technical foundation from her time as a Forward Deployed Engineer at Palantir and deep healthcare experience from her product work at Cedar, where she led efforts to reimagine the patient billing experience. Outside of work, she enjoys competitive pickleball, immersive RPGs, and beach volleyball.
Advisors and Board Members
Haden Blackman
Haden is a highly celebrated writer and game designer, having authored the award winning series Batwoman and written well-known video games including Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Mafia III. He brings his storytelling and design expertise to Affect and advises the company in the development of engaging products.
Thomas McLellan
Dr. McLellan is one of the most published researchers in the field of substance use disorder treatments. He served as Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and in 2003 was awarded the Life Achievement Award by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He brings his depth of expertise to help guide Affect in the development of its treatment programs.
Stuart Peterson
Stuart Peterson founded Artis Ventures in 2005. He led early stage investments for the firm in media giant YouTube and targeted cancer therapeutics leader StemCentrx among others. He sits on the board of many innovative companies working to revolutionize healthcare through cutting-edge research and technology, including Affect’s.
Jeff Rinehart
Jeff is a partner at City Light, which invests in companies that drive social impact. Prior to joining City Light, Jeff was a senior marketing executive at a number of highly successful companies including Capital One and 2U. He serves on the board of directors for Affect.
Jeff DeFlavio
Jeff co-founded Affect Therapeutics and is an entrepreneur in residence at AlleyCorp. A physician by training, Jeff has dedicated his career to broadening access to healthcare and driving clinical innovation in addiction treatment. Dr. De Flavio was the founding CEO of Groups: Recover Together, which is now the largest value-based opioid addiction treatment provider in the United States. He is also a co-founder of Tempest, an online alcohol addiction treatment program.
Let’s get started getting better. We’re here for you.