October 9, 2025 at 10:00 am PT/1:00 pm ET

In It Together: Tackling Loneliness and Creating Connection (A World Mental Health Day Conversation)

a group of people are shown on a blue and white background

Cell phones. Social media. Messaging apps. Videoconferencing. Email. Human beings have more opportunities to connect than ever before. So why are so many feeling disconnected? 

According to Cigna’s Loneliness in America 2025 report, more than half of US workers (~52%) are feeling lonely–and it’s taking a toll on both individuals and organizations. Loneliness isn’t just a bad feeling; it is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. Furthermore, an employee who feels lonely is up to five times more likely to miss work due to stress and twice as likely to consider quitting. 

The cost of letting loneliness go unaddressed is high–It’s time to invest in building stronger communities and fostering meaningful relationships that last.

In honor of World Mental Health Day, join Calm as we celebrate being In It Together with a powerful conversation featuring psychologist and caregiving scientist Dr. Allison Applebaum, psychologist Juli Fraga, Calm CEO David Ko, and retired Navy SEAL commander turned mindfulness coach Jon Macaskill.

You’ll learn:

  • The impact of loneliness on our physical and mental health
  • Strategies for creating lasting connections in our personal and professional lives
  • Practical advice for supporting those who may be struggling with loneliness 
  • How organizations can take a multi-pronged approach to support employees

Speakers

Allison Applebaum, PhD, FAPOS

Director, Steven S. Elbaum Family Center for Caregiving

Dr. Allison Applebaum is a caregiving scientist, writer, researcher, speaker, and advocate. She is a Professor of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine and the Director of the Steven S. Elbaum Family Center for Caregiving at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She was previously the Founding Director of the Caregivers Clinic at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the first program of its kind in the United States to provide comprehensive psychosocial care to family members and friends of patients who are in the caregiving role. Dr. Applebaum’s program of research focuses on the development and dissemination of supportive services for family caregivers. She has published over 100 articles, reviews, and book chapters on these topics, and is the editor of the textbook Cancer Caregivers (Oxford University Press, 2019). Dr. Applebaum has received competitive funding for her research, including awards from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Nursing Research, and the American Cancer Society. She is also the author of the recently published narrative nonfiction book, Stand By Me: A Guide to Navigating Modern, Meaningful Caregiving (Simon Element, 2024).

a woman with long hair in a circle

Juli Fraga, Psy.D

Psychologist, Author, Parent Educator

Dr. Fraga is a psychologist + content creator + writer in San Francisco. In her clinical practice, she focuses on health concerns, primarily related to maternal mental health, parenting, infertility, and menopause. Dr. Fraga also writes service-related wellness stories for the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, WIRED, Parents, Real Simple, Glamour, InStyle, SELF, and TIME.

Trained in mindfulness-based practices, Dr. Fraga incorporates mind/body tools into her clinical work and believes this integrative approach is key to healing. 

She’s also developed women’s health workshops for UCSF Hospital in San Francisco, where she also supervises psychiatry residents. Dr. Fraga has also written/created content for health and wellness companies, including Calm, Cleo, Clue, Millie, PsychCentral, Modern Fertility, and Healthline. She is also on the medical board for Baby Center.

a man in a suit smiling for a picture

David Ko

CEO, Calm

David Ko is the CEO and serves on the Board of Directors of Calm, the leading app for sleep, meditation and mindfulness.  Before founding his own company that was acquired by Calm, David spent over a decade as a leading executive in healthcare.  He has been featured in TIME’s Leadership Brief,  named a LinkedIn “Top Voice” and one of RockHealth’s “Top 50 Leaders in Digital Health.”  

David was also the COO at Zynga, which he helped take public in December 2011. Prior to his work at Zynga, he spent 10 years at Yahoo! and currently serves on various boards at his alma mater, New York University Stern School of Business.

a man in a suit smiling for the camera

Jon Macaskill

Founder, Frogman Mindfulness

Jon Macaskill is a retired Navy SEAL Commander turned mindfulness teacher and leadership coach. During his 24-year Navy career, he served in multiple highly dynamic leadership positions, from the battlefield to the operations center and the board room. Jon’s unconventional yet highly effective style of teaching leadership is fueled by his passion for helping people and organizations become the best versions of themselves. He takes what helped him excel in his professional life and heal in his personal life and now shares this through mindfulness coaching, resilience training, and keynote speaking, all to help others achieve their full potential.