Our Team
Meet the clinicians, educators, and technologists shaping PepperChat’s mission to deliver ethical AI for mental health.
Misti Storie, LPC, MAC
Psychotherapist at Misti Storie Counseling and Mental Health Consultant
Jay Park
Technical Founder at PepperChat — Giving Kitchen National Advisory Council; (Former) Conversational AI Lead at Toast Inc.
Kate Swanson
Technical Founder at PepperChat — MSCS Stanford University
Kan Guvensel, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator, Georgia State University
Amy Robbins, LPC, CPCS
Clinical Director at Amy Robbins Counseling
Jonathan Orr, PhD
Clinician, Trainer, Supervisor, and Clinical Assistant Professor at Georgia State University
Mark Flanagan, LCSW, MPH, MA, RYT-200
Therapist, Researcher, Entrepreneur, and Advocate
Margaret Gaddis, LMSW
Therapist at Key Counseling
Michelle Shlafman, PhD, LCP, ACS
Founder and Clinical Director of Origins Holistic Psychotherapy
Our mission and values
We believe ethical AI should preserve therapist autonomy, protect client privacy, and enhance care quality — not compromise it. Our team merges clinical expertise with rigorous engineering to build a better workflow for mental health professionals.
- Privacy‑first by design (HIPAA‑aligned, BAA‑backed partners)
- Therapist‑centered product decisions that respect the therapeutic alliance
- Practical AI that helps with documentation and insight — never replaces human judgment
Built for real therapists
We partner with practicing clinicians and academic leaders to design tools that fit real‑world needs and uphold the field’s standards.