Fello is an innovative peer support platform for the loneliness epidemic. It connects anyone seeking connection and guidance to people who can help them because they have gone through the same struggle. The company is led by former Uber Eats executive Alyssa Pollack, who co-founded and co-led Uber Eats on its path from zero to $15 billion in revenue. Fello announced it has raised $10.4 million to date, including a seed investment from Glen Tullman’s 62Ventures, The Fellowship Fund of Capital Factory, Katalyst Capital, and Offline Ventures.
Fello’s goal is to give everyone access to peer support – regardless of what they’re going through. There are tens of millions of Americans who are struggling with uncertainty, anxiety, and addiction and trying to manage these problems entirely on their own. And the CDC reported that one-third of adults say they feel lonely, a health problem that the US surgeon general cites as having the same impact as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Plus, tens of millions are struggling with mental health challenges without any help. Even though therapy has become more mainstream in the last several decades, traditional therapy is more than what many can afford and cannot scale to serve all those who need support.
Fello is transforming how people get support with a virtual marketplace where everyday people can turn their lived experiences into a way of helping struggling people. The app launched this fall with coverage across four areas: relationships, parenting, drug use, and alcohol use. The company plans to expand to additional topics in the coming months.
Fellos are trained in pairing the wisdom of lived experiences with the knowledge of active listening by undergoing vetting and training processes developed with a team of leading clinicians led by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Thekla Ross and Fello’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Adam Glasofer.
By sharing their wisdom, Fellos can earn up to $56/hour. And for Finders – or those seeking support – a 30-minute video check-in with a Fello is an affordable alternative to traditional therapy, costing just $40. Support is accessible through virtual check-ins, which can be scheduled at any time and from anywhere in the U.S. All Fellos go through a process that includes background and reference checks, completion of training modules, and an assessment before they can begin offering check-ins.
Fello is building on this movement and modernizing it. Its goal is to enable everyone to have access to peer support—regardless of what they’re going through. It provides support that’s more affordable, available, accessible, and approachable.
Fello was conceived by Jeff Werring and Pete Kadens as part of their personal journeys seeking help from addiction and finding sobriety. And Kadens, a seasoned entrepreneur and renowned philanthropist who currently serves as founder of Hope Chicago (one of the country’s largest scholarship funds) and previously served as CEO and cofounder of Green Thumb Industries and SoCore Energy (now Engie Solar), later tapped ex-Uber Eats exec Alyssa Pollack to join as a co-founder and CEO of Fello. The team’s leadership includes Chief Marketing Officer Meg Donovan (MasterClass, Uber), Chief Medical Officer Dr. Adam Glasofer (Amazon, Virtua Health), Chief Experience Officer Carlin Park (Homeward, Livongo), Clinical Advisor Dr. Thekla Ross (Kaiser Permanente), Head of Product & Analytics Samir Lakhani (Upwork, Coinbase), Regulatory Advisor Brian Vandenberg (Livongo, American Medical Association).
Fello’s co-founders realized they needed a modern-day version of a peer-to-peer support community based on their own challenges. And after struggling with addiction and finding that outlets like rehab and Alcoholics Anonymous were incomplete solutions for long-term recovery success, Fello co-founder Jeff Werring approached longtime friend Pete Kadens (who is 17 years sober) to partner on a solution.
KEY QUOTES:
“Telling the growing number of people struggling with loneliness that traditional therapy is their only option is like sending everyone with a stubbed toe to the emergency room. Fello is here to bridge the widening gap for those seeking help from others who have successfully navigated similar challenges—whether it’s the stress of parenting or the struggle of addiction. Utilizing the technology and rapid growth operations that built the gig economy, we are creating a platform that makes it easy to connect and get support from someone who’s been in your shoes.”
– CEO and co-founder Alyssa Pollack
“When Fello co-founder Jeff Werring came to me with this idea, I knew we had to do something to change the way people help and heal – and make it both affordable and accessible. This is not just another mental health app. We have built a platform for getting experience-based peer support where people can turn their most valuable and largely underutilized asset – their lived experience – into a superpower. Like Uber did for drivers with cars, Airbnb did for dwellings, and Taskrabbit did for handyman skill.”
– Pete Kadens
