AURORA Institute launch raises over $8m at inaugural 'Evening of Discovery’ to support mental health causes

As you know, I am very passionate about mental health.

And while I believe that for-profit companies like my atai Life Sciences can solve important parts of the crisis, there will never be a "one size fits all". The mind as beautiful as it is complex, and we need as many solutions as possible.

This is why I am very proud to announce the creation of the AURORA Institute together with my co-founders Louise Tabbiner and Henry Chalhoub.

AURORA’s mandate is to be the first non-profit incubator of its kind, focused on funding the world’s leading individuals and NGOs dedicated to solving our existing global mental health crisis.

The sad reason: More than one billion people suffer from mental health issues around the world and this number is only going to rise as we come out of the Covid-19 pandemic . We want to bring together an ecosystem of global leaders from a range of diverse stakeholder groups to fight the global mental health crisis, head-on.

We do not want to re-invent the wheel: Our goal is to amplify the efforts of those already doing the most impactful work. We offer existing non-profit organizations a platform to raise more money and awareness for themselves. And we want to empower those that could do more - helping them build their own foundations or navigate how to make mental health a core focus in their companies, communities and organizations.

We launched with our inaugural event “Evening of Discovery” last Saturday, July 23rd, in Saint Tropez. It was a one-of-a-kind celebration, focusing on the new science of mental health, mindful meditation, understanding the science behind psychedelics, and exploring the integration of the metaverse and virtual reality in mental health interventions.

We had over 500 international attendees including icons like Robbie Williams, Kevin Love, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Queen Latifah.

(in picture: Giannis Antetokounmpo, his wife Maria and yours truly)

Live performances, presentations and art installations included Kool & The Gang, Tinie Tempah, BLOND:ISH, master mentalist Lior Suchard, Tino Sehgal, Jeppe Hein, Refik Anadol and the “first cyborg” Nathan Copeland.

But most important: Over USD 8m were committed during the evening, which will be both directed to the charities represented by winners of the AURORA Institute Prize on stage and to the ideas brought forward during the "call to action.”

We also honored the first four AURORA Institute Prize winners. They were recognized for their significant contributions to ending the mental health crisis:

• Athlete: Kevin Love. Olympian and NBA All-Star Kevin Love is basketball’s most vocal advocate for mental health. In 2018 he established the Kevin Love Fund to inspire people to live their healthiest lives while providing tools for both mental and physical health.
• Science: Dr. Adam Gazzaley, M.D., PhD. Leading global neuroscientist and founder of the Neuroscape Lab at UC San Francisco, bridging technology and neuroscience to create real-world solutions to enhance brain function.
• Non-profit: The Klitschko Foundation Since 2003, the Klitschko Foundation has taught over 2 million young people in Ukraine to fight for their dreams through its various projects. At the moment, they are focusing to bring a better future for children of Ukraine suffering from various mental health issues because of the devastating war.
• Sports and entertainment: The Weight of Gold. The Weight of Gold is a documentary investigating the connection between elite athleticism and psychological struggle, drawing on the experience of several Olympic competitors including Apolo Anton Ohno, Sasha Cohen, and Shaun White.

?

In response to a call to action made at our event, attendees not only pledged financial support, but also committed to significant actions over the next 12 months. Highlights include:

• Globally renowned entertainer Robbie Williams announced the creation of MIND AID together with us, a global concert series with the purpose of fundraising for and destigmatizing mental health. MIND AID will show the world that it is okay to not be okay, to let people know that help is there if they need it and to support charities and initiatives that will make the world a happier place.
• NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo announced the addition of mental health initiatives to the work of the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation, the social impact foundation that focuses on refugees and immigrants, youth, sport, education, food & shelter, and widows.
• Henrique Dubugras, Pedro Franceschi, founders of fintech leader BREX revealed a USD 3m plan to support their 15,000 customers to create more mental-health friendly workplaces.

One of the most touching moments of the entire evening for me was when the worlds of two legends collided: for the first time Giannis Antetokounmpo opened up publicly about his owns challenges after his meteoric rise to stardom, the pressures associated being seen as the best player of his generation, and also the desire to give back to his community. To Kevin Love’s surprise, Giannis cited Kevin as his role model and guiding star in an emotional speech.

We are already planning our 2023 awards and are committed to raise US$50 million in the next 5 years, while increasing visibility and awareness around the need for global mental health funding and de-stigmatizing of mental health issues.

We deeply believe that by exploring and opening our minds, we can build a healthier, happier, and more inclusive future for all.