LISBON, PORTUGAL – NOVEMBER 08: Megan Jones Bell, Headspace, at the HealthConf stage during day … [+] three of Web Summit 2018 at the Altice Arena on November 8, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal. In 2018, more than 70,000 attendees from over 170 countries will fly to Lisbon for Web Summit, including over 1,500 startups, 1,200 speakers and 2,600 international journalists. (Photo by David Fitzgerald /Web Summit via Getty Images)

Web Summit via Getty Images

Megan Jones Bell, who previously served as the Chief Strategy and Science Officer at Headspace, is joining Google. 

In a blog post shared on LinkedIn, Bell cited the company’s ongoing work in expanding accessibility to mental health resources as one of the reasons she’s joining Google. Bell is no stranger to Google, as she previously served as a “Mental Health Advisor Panelist” for the company since last year. 

“I believe technology has a major role to play in improving the quality, accessibility, and affordability of mental healthcare. I’ve focused much of my career on exactly this issue — and that’s why I’m thrilled to join the team at Google,” she wrote. 

Earlier this year, healthcare industry professionals believed the search giant was refocusing its healthcare initiatives on consumer products, including Fitbit. 

Meditation apps have been having their moment. The latest insights from Sensor Tower show the most popular meditation apps grew 52% year-over-year in 2019, accounting for roughly $195 million. It is very likely that figure has exponentially grown amid the pandemic. 

In terms of meditation app popularity, Calm leads the pack, followed by Headspace. But more tech companies have shown interest in growing their meditation-focused content. Peloton offers meditation in their digital fitness and health platform. Apple has also recently added meditation content to its Fitness + platform. 

Bell’s departure from Headspace comes weeks after the meditation app officially closed its merger with on-demand mental healthcare company Ginger. 

BRAZIL – 2020/02/17: In this photo illustration the Headspace logo seen displayed on a smartphone. … [+] (Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

“We know there are great opportunities to bring mental health into the everyday: whether that is reinforcing daily routines that support mental and physical wellbeing every day, or seeing YouTube creators create mental health resources that millions use and benefit from,” she wrote. 

Bell’…….

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johanmoreno/2021/10/29/google-hires-ex-headspace-executive-amid-ongoing-digital-health-push/