Transforming culture to empower human flourishing.
We are building a public infrastructure that is overdue: a connective ecosystem of storytellers, researchers, and funders committed to putting what we know about human wellbeing into the stories millions watch every day.
Story is health infrastructure.
In the late 1980s, the Harvard Alcohol Project didn’t wait for new laws to curb drunk driving. They worked with Hollywood writers to slip “designated drivers” into hundreds of TV episodes. Within a decade, alcohol-related traffic fatalities dropped 25%. Not through lectures. Through story.
Today, stories live across streaming, podcasts, games, and creator feeds. The playbook has to evolve, but the core truth hasn’t changed: what we watch shapes how we live. MHSI is the engine built for this media landscape—making sure the science of human thriving has a permanent place in the writer’s room.
Leadership Team
Ashley Kolaya
Executive Director & Founder
A visionary social innovator and strategist operating at the intersection of media, clinical science, and philanthropic systems. Ashley founded MHSI to establish durable infrastructure for cross-sector narrative change.
Anna-Kay Thomas
Director of Media & Impact Partnerships
Leading MHSI’s day-to-day engagement with studio executives, talent agencies, and independent production banners, connecting writers’ rooms with cultural insights.
Marisa Aubin
Associate Director of Operations
Overseeing coalition administration, expert network logistics, signature convenings, and the operational delivery of our rapid-response services.
Funding the roads, not just a car.
Grants to single documentaries or indie shorts create great moments. Investing in MHSI’s shared infrastructure ensures hundreds of writers, creators, and platforms have access to evidence-backed guidance every day:
Tier 01:
Core Field-Building
Scales the core clinical concierge team and maintains coalition governance across 80+ partner organizations.
Tier 02:
Tool & Insight Development
Funds rapid-response insight briefings, public health data translation, and specialized character development toolkits.
Tier 03:
Digital & Creator Expansion
Expands safe messaging infrastructure to YouTube, TikTok, and podcasting networks reaching youth audiences directly.
Tier 04:
Longitudinal Measurement
Powers multi-year content analysis and audience attitude/behavior tracking in partnership with academic research centers.
Institutional Partner Note: MHSI operates as a proud fiscally sponsored project of Moore Impact, a 501(c)(3) public charity. We are supported by forward-thinking philanthropic leaders including Hopelab, Mindful Philanthropy, and the Youth Mental Health Funder Collaborative.