Patrick Gilligan
Founder + CEO, Somethings
Bio: After overcoming an eating disorder, Patrick studied Product Design and Computer Science at Stanford with a focus on applications in the mental health industry.
Org Info: Somethings is a telehealth platform that connects high-risk teens with 20-28 year old Certified Peer Specialist Mentors and Clinical Providers to drive higher engagement and avoid unnecessary behavioral health spend.
What motivated you to pursue your current work? (i.e., What is your “why”?)
After struggling with an eating disorder as a teenager, I became deeply committed to mental health advocacy. That personal experience shaped my perspective and fuels my passion for supporting others through their own challenges. My goal is always to help people feel better, find hope, and know they’re not alone in what they’re going through.
What distinct value does your work bring to the digital health field?
We really pride ourselves on bringing those with lived experience into the conversation about mental health, because we believe firsthand perspectives are essential for creating real impact. By integrating these voices, we ensure that the support we offer is authentic, relatable, and grounded in reality. We also focus heavily on providing an excellent, consumer-level user experience for our teens and users, so every interaction feels seamless, engaging, and accessible.
How does your work impact your target end-users or stakeholders?
We directly support teens who might otherwise go without any form of mental health treatment, closing gaps in access that leave so many young people without help. Through our approach, we’re able to reach and serve a far greater number of teens than traditional models allow, ensuring that more young people get the care, support, and guidance they need when they need it most.
What is one exciting update or near-term opportunity that you would like to share with the digital health community?
We are releasing a paper soon that demonstrates how our peer support model can have a similar impact to traditional clinical health interventions. This research reinforces what we’ve seen firsthand—that connection, understanding, and shared lived experience can be just as powerful as more conventional treatment approaches, especially for teens seeking accessible and relatable support.
Bio: After overcoming an eating disorder, Patrick studied Product Design and Computer Science at Stanford with a focus on applications in the mental health industry.
Org Info: Somethings is a telehealth platform that connects high-risk teens with 20-28 year old Certified Peer Specialist Mentors and Clinical Providers to drive higher engagement and avoid unnecessary behavioral health spend.
What motivated you to pursue your current work? (i.e., What is your “why”?)
After struggling with an eating disorder as a teenager, I became deeply committed to mental health advocacy. That personal experience shaped my perspective and fuels my passion for supporting others through their own challenges. My goal is always to help people feel better, find hope, and know they’re not alone in what they’re going through.
What distinct value does your work bring to the digital health field?
We really pride ourselves on bringing those with lived experience into the conversation about mental health, because we believe firsthand perspectives are essential for creating real impact. By integrating these voices, we ensure that the support we offer is authentic, relatable, and grounded in reality. We also focus heavily on providing an excellent, consumer-level user experience for our teens and users, so every interaction feels seamless, engaging, and accessible.
How does your work impact your target end-users or stakeholders?
We directly support teens who might otherwise go without any form of mental health treatment, closing gaps in access that leave so many young people without help. Through our approach, we’re able to reach and serve a far greater number of teens than traditional models allow, ensuring that more young people get the care, support, and guidance they need when they need it most.
What is one exciting update or near-term opportunity that you would like to share with the digital health community?
We are releasing a paper soon that demonstrates how our peer support model can have a similar impact to traditional clinical health interventions. This research reinforces what we’ve seen firsthand—that connection, understanding, and shared lived experience can be just as powerful as more conventional treatment approaches, especially for teens seeking accessible and relatable support.