About us

The gold standard of mental health for the Asian community

We’re building the mental healthcare we wished we’d had—culturally-attuned, evidence-based, and built around the lived experience of the people we serve.

Our why

The current mental health system is one-size-fits-all.

Modeled solely on Western-centric approaches, providers can’t properly support individuals raised in multicultural contexts. The cost is real.

4 in 10

people in the Asian community currently experience symptoms of anxiety and depression

1.24×

odds of becoming depressed due to stress related to acculturation

cause of death among Asian young adults is suicide

Yet Asian adults are 3× less likely to seek mental health services compared to the general population

Our beginning

We dreamed up the care we always wished existed.

The name “Anise” pays homage to the star anise—a fruit originating in Asia known for its unique flavor and healing properties. At Anise, we acknowledge and celebrate the diverse experiences and values that make each of us unique, and help our community members heal so they can reach their full potential.

What we stand for

Our vision

A world where mental healthcare reflects the full identity of every person who seeks it. Where everyone feels empowered to live an authentic and flourishing life.

Our mission

To eliminate disparities in mental health outcomes by delivering culturally-attuned care to adults that meets them where they are—clinically, culturally, and personally.

Our values

Be empathetic & respectful of each individual’s values. Act honestly & ethically. Innovate with urgency. Solve real problems for real people. Evidence-driven, always.

Meet the team

Mission-driven, multidisciplinary

100% of Anise Health’s full-time team identify as a person of color. We embrace our intersectional identities in both our professional and personal lives.

Co-founders

Co-founder & CEO

Alice Zhang

“As a 1.5-gen immigrant, I’ve experienced firsthand the feeling of not belonging, the pressure of demanding expectations, and the struggle of being caught between polar opposite cultures. When I finally sought therapy to work through those challenges—inextricably linked to my Asian values and immigrant upbringing—I ended up cycling through multiple therapists, each time feeling more defeated. If finding effective care was that hard even for someone like me with a psychology background, it must be nearly impossible for many others who share my background.”

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Co-founder & COO

Nisha Desai

“Like many children of immigrants, I grew up in a traditional South Asian household where mental health was never talked about. My emotional personality was viewed as ‘weak-hearted.’ It wasn’t until college that I realized it was OK to not always be OK. Unfortunately, my school had a broken mental health system, and many of my classmates weren’t able to get the support they needed. There was a tragic loss of lives—14 suicides—and I noticed many were people of color and people in the Asian community. That rang alarm bells for me and left me asking: if people of color in this country had better treatment options to help process our emotions, could the outcome be different?”

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Leadership

Chief Technology Officer

Randy Wong

2.5-gen Asian American from San Francisco. Seasoned engineering leader and startup co-founder with a track record of building teams that move fast and scale wisely. Holds two Masters degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

Director, Clinical Strategy & Ops

Israa Nasir

Born in Pakistan, raised across the Middle East and Canada. Therapist by training with extensive experience in clinical strategy and bridging gaps in mental health access. Leads program development to redefine how mental health is delivered.

Clinical Operations Manager

Josephine Tseng

Second-gen Chinese-American from the Bay Area. Streamlines and scales clinical ops to deliver personalized care for the BIPOC community. Draws on experience across mental health orgs, including research, hospitals, startups, and psychiatry.

Director of Marketing

Eliana Reyes

Second-gen Filipina splitting time between DC and LA. Brings over a decade of experience building mission-driven brands through comms and content strategies, including health systems, global public health initiatives, and mental health startups.

Staff Engineer

Rachel Peng

Californian-turned-East-Coaster with a Masters in Computer Science from BU with a focus on data computing. Brings her long-time passion for building healthcare software that's personalized to cultural contexts.

Our experience

Our impact

Built for underserved communities

We're a mission-driven healthcare organization built on the principle of serving communities long left out of mainstream care. Our evidence-based clinical care model is culturally-responsive—and the outcomes show it works.

100+

partners with community organizations to build awareness and normalize seeking help

90+

providers representing diverse needs and trained in cultural sensitivity

20K+

culturally-attuned therapy and coaching sessions completed on our digital platform

more effective at keeping clients engaged versus the current standards of care

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