A Healthcare Activist and Entrepreneur, Romm Envisions Opportunities of Scale

Real, the health-tech company reimagining mental health care, announced today that Iyah Romm has joined its Board of Directors.

Romm was the founding CEO and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Cityblock Health, a tech-enabled health services company focused on scalable solutions for marginalized and underserved communities. He ran the Company as CEO for five years, building a category-defining business that is reshaping the way health care is delivered to underserved communities. As a member of Real’s Board of Directors, Romm brings his deep experience in startups and passion to democratize access to high quality, person-centered health care.

“Iyah is a visionary leader in identifying and addressing gaps in our health care system. His experience as a successful entrepreneur, as an expert practitioner in value-based health care delivery, and lived experience as a person grappling with his own mental health, will help us as we continue to build a new mental health platform that is accessible to everyone,” said Real Founder & CEO Ariela Safira.

“Iyah has the perfect background, experience and mindset to take Real to the next level. His work to improve health care delivery and commitment to better mental health will be instrumental to Real as we relaunch service. We are very excited to scale this vision and are grateful for Iyah’s guidance,” said Nicole Quinn, General Partner, Lightspeed.

“I have been impressed with the direction that Ariela has taken Real, giving people the ability to self-direct their own mental health journey,” said Romm. “I see the opportunity to create a new mental health care solution that meets everyone’s needs and that’s always available. I am excited to help the company, and its incredible team, achieve this critical goal.”

Prior to founding Cityblock, Romm worked with Commonwealth Care Alliance as Chief Transformation Officer, where he helped steward more than $1 billion in premiums and care for thousands of Medicaid and Medicare recipients. He also played a significant role in the health care reform efforts in Massachusetts, serving on the founding leadership team of the Health Policy Commission and the Commonwealth’s Department of Public Health.

Real recently relaunched its service, and the current app reflects a new direction for the company, which now offers a monthly membership model. Real brings on-demand therapist-created tools and events in combination with compelling community stories to help members feel both seen and heard in their own experiences, powered by an algorithm that personalizes the Real experience to meet each unique member’s specific needs. Real’s care helps members tackle their everyday challenges, no matter where they are on their mental health journey, preventing crisis.

ABOUT REAL

Real talk, mental health can be tough to manage. We’ve created a place where working on your mental health isn’t…the worst. Real's monthly membership delivers a personalized mental health and wellness journey — members enjoy the benefits of traditional therapy packaged in an on-demand short-form audio format. Real provides therapist-designed tools, events and community stories that humanize the mental health journey and help members tackle their everyday problems. Designed to keep up with any lifestyle and available for download in the Apple and Google Play stores.

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