Alison K. Malmon
Alison Malmon is the founder and Executive Director of Active Minds, Inc., the only national organization dedicated to utilizing the student voice to raise mental health awareness on college campuses. Alison started Active Minds following the suicide of her brother, Brian, who had experienced depression and psychosis for three years while in college but had concealed his symptoms and not received the support he needed. On March 24, 2000, as Alison was wrapping up her freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania, Brian ended his life. Recognizing that few students were talking about mental health although many were affected, Alison wanted to change campus culture. She became dedicated to combating the stigma of mental illness by encouraging students to seek help at an early stage, and preventing future tragedies like the one that took her brother’s life.
