Join us on the Sports Philanthropy Podcast as host Roy Kessel welcomes Adam Nemer, founder of Simple Mental Health. Adam opens up about his path from an active, sports-filled childhood and executive leadership at Kaiser Permanente to the deeply personal losses that reshaped his purpose. He shares the story of navigating years of undiagnosed depression and anxiety, the life-altering conversation that set him on a journey of healing, and how those experiences led to the creation of Simple Mental Health. This inspiring episode explores how the organization equips leaders to spot warning signs, respond with empathy, and connect people to critical resources like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — making mental health first aid as essential as CPR and proving that one conversation truly can save a life.
Adam Nemer
Adam Nemer is the founder of Simple Mental Health, a leadership consulting firm dedicated to transforming the way organizations address mental well-being. Drawing on more than two decades of executive leadership experience, including his tenure as CFO at Kaiser Permanente, Adam blends professional expertise with a deeply personal mission to normalize conversations around mental health in the workplace. His vision is to equip leaders with practical tools that build psychological safety, resilience, and empathy across teams.
Adam’s journey is rooted in lived experience. Despite his professional success, he endured years of undiagnosed depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. A pivotal moment came when a colleague simply asked, “How are you doing?” — a conversation that helped him seek support and redirected his life’s purpose. From that turning point, Adam committed himself to ensuring that leaders everywhere have the awareness and confidence to engage with colleagues who may be struggling.
Today, through Simple Mental Health, Adam works with organizations worldwide to help leaders spot signs of distress, engage in meaningful dialogue, and connect individuals with the resources they need. His approach reframes mental health as a leadership skill as essential as communication or strategy. By championing open conversations and reducing stigma, Adam empowers leaders to create healthier, more connected workplaces where people and performance can thrive together.
Simple Mental Health
Simple Mental Health is a leadership consulting and training organization committed to transforming workplace culture by making mental health literacy as fundamental as technical or strategic skills. The firm partners with organizations to create stigma-free environments that support psychological safety and employee well-being. Their services include keynotes, consulting, coaching, and educational resources—all designed for leaders who want to foster more compassionate, resilient, and high-performing teams.
At the heart of their work is the concept of the “Isolation Cycle”—the idea that myths, stigma, and shame around mental health instill silence, which then fuels deteriorating distress. Simple Mental Health helps break that cycle by educating leaders and teams to recognize signs of emotional struggle, approach conversations with empathy (not judgment), and build structures that embed mental wellness into everyday workflow. Their consulting model moves organizations through phases of enlighten, educate, and empower so that mental health becomes woven into the cultural fabric—not treated as an “add-on.”
Over time, Simple Mental Health has become a trusted advisor for companies looking to improve retention, productivity, engagement, and overall workplace satisfaction. The organization emphasizes that mental well-being and business outcomes are deeply interconnected: when people feel seen, safe, and supported, they show up more fully, bring their best ideas forward, and help sustain healthier, more trusting cultures.
0:10 – Introduction of Adam Nemer: Roy Kessel welcomes Adam Nemer, founder of Simple Mental Health, and sets the stage for a discussion about sports, leadership, and mental health.
0:50 – Childhood sports passion: Adam recalls growing up in Oregon, playing multiple sports year-round, and developing a deep love for skiing on weekends.
2:00 – Early skiing memories: Adam describes joining the “Powder Hounds” ski bus as a child, ski racing through high school, and how skiing became a lifelong passion shared with his own kids.
4:11 – Moving to Denver and college years: He explains how relocating to Colorado deepened his connection to skiing, though he stepped away during college before rekindling his passion later in life.
7:20 – Working with his father: Adam shares his dream of working alongside his father in the family business, calling it a joyful and formative experience before tragedy struck.
8:24 – Father’s suicide and lack of support:
He recounts losing his father to suicide at age 29, the stigma around mental illness at the time, and how he didn’t receive the help he needed.
9:00 – Career at Kaiser Permanente and silent struggles:
Adam discusses his 20-year executive career while simultaneously battling undiagnosed depression, anxiety, and PTSD from his father’s death.
11:14 – The five-minute conversation that changed everything: A senior leader, recently trained in mental health first aid, approached Adam with empathy, handed him a resource card, and set him on the path to recovery.
14:07 – Founding Simple Mental Health: Adam connects this experience to the creation of Simple Mental Health, an organization teaching leaders how to notice signs, engage with care, and normalize mental health conversations.
22:35 – Introducing the 988 Lifeline:
He emphasizes the importance of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, encouraging everyone to store it in their phones and use it proactively before crises escalate.
