Lian Zeitz

associate director

Lian is a community mental health and healing expert with 10+ years of experience working at the intersection of mental health, human flourishing, youth development, collective healing, and contemplative wisdom. He believes in aligning strategic, political, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of practice to achieve transformation in the world. He is a trained facilitator, chaplain, and mental health first responder that blends healing-informed practice with systems thinking.

Most recently, he co-founded of the Climate Mental Health Network, a non-profit focused on addressing the mental health consequences of the climate crises and received a Master of Divinity degree at Naropa University where he studied contemplative wisdom, bioethics, youth mental health, and community healing. He was previously the Global Director of Love and Compassion for citiesRISE, a global platform working to transform mental health policy and practice in cities across the world. In this role Lian supported the design and scale-up of mental health programs for young people across the United States, Colombia, India, and Kenya. He has also worked internationally on areas such as community-based peer support, suicide prevention, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse in Bhutan, Indonesia, and Zambia. Lian recently published the article, Learning From the Climate-Mental Health Convergence, in Stanford Social Innovation Review. In 2023, he received a Young Innovator in Behavioral Health Award for his contributions to mental health and wellbeing in the United States.

Lian’s work centers on his commitment to make sure all people are supported with love and dignity. He has an active spiritual practice that focuses on nature connection and social justice. His time away from work is spent climbing mountains, playing in forests, and going on adventures with his wife Erica and dog Korra Water Princess.