Prince Harry Has a New Job at Mental Health Startup BetterUp

By Emily Dixon

Mar 24, 2021

Prince Harry has a new job: chief impact officer at Silicon Valley mental health startup BetterUp.
It's his first official role at a private company since he and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals.
BetterUp provides professional coaching, mentorship, and mental health support to employees, with clients including Nasa and Mars.
All staff at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Archewell Foundation have access to BetterUp coaching, Harry said.

Prince Harry has accepted his first official job at a private company since stepping down as a senior royal last year, joining Silicon Valley mental health startup BetterUp as chief impact officer. As the Guardian reports, BetterUp provides professional coaching, mentorship, and mental health support to employees, with clients including Nasa, Mars, Hilton, and Chevron.

Harry, who has made mental health a central focus of his public platform, will reportedly focus on building mental health awareness and advocacy, as well as guiding product strategy and advising on charitable collaborations.

In a press release, he said, "I firmly believe that focusing on and prioritising our mental fitness unlocks potential and opportunity that we never knew we had inside of us. As the Royal Marine Commandos say, ‘It’s a state of mind.’ We all have it in us."

"What I’ve learned in my own life is the power of transforming pain into purpose," he continued. "As BetterUp’s first Chief Impact Officer, my goal is to lift up critical dialogues around mental health, build supportive and compassionate communities, and foster an environment for honest and vulnerable conversations. And my hope is to help people develop their inner strength, resilience, and confidence."

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All staff at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Archewell Foundation have access to BetterUp coaching, Harry said.

BetterUp, based in San Francisco, is valued at $1.7 billion, making it a "unicorn"—a startup valued at over $1 billion. According to the website, the company aims to "[change] the world by bringing the power of transformation to each and every person."

In a press release, BetterUP CEO and co-founder Alexi Robichaux applauded Prince Harry's previous work in founding the Invictus Games, a competition for injured service personnel and veterans that promotes sport as a tool for physical and psychological recovery, and Sentebale, which offers mental health and wellbeing support to children and young people affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana.

"We are energized by his model of inspiration and impact through action," Robichaux said. "As a member of the BetterUp executive team, Prince Harry will expand on the work he’s been doing for years, as he educates and inspires our community and champions the importance of focusing on preventative mental fitness and human potential worldwide."