SHFT Behavioral Health is reimagining outpatient mental health care

By Genia Yovankin ’13 MBA and Holley Brandchaft-White ’23 MBA

It’s late at night. A teenager is experiencing a mental health crisis, and their parents are terrified, unsure where to turn. The only immediate option is the emergency room, a place designed for trauma care, not for vulnerable conversations about stress, fear or despair. Families like this often leave emergency rooms without clear answers, still searching for support that feels personal and practical. This scenario is all too common.

Over the past five years, the national conversation around mental health has accelerated, spurred in part by the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve made progress in normalizing discussions about anxiety, depression and trauma, especially with young people. But this broader awareness has not solved the issue of access. Meaningful support often remains out of reach.

More than 60% of mental health–related emergency room visits do not require hospitalization. What they reveal instead is a lack of alternatives, with families and individuals simply having nowhere else to turn in the moments they need help most.

We founded SHFT to change that. Our mission is to make it easier to find someone to talk to, whether in a crisis, a moment of uncertainty or a season of ongoing growth.

The SHFT difference 

Opening in October 2025, SHFT will be Chicago’s first outpatient mental health center to offer both routine and urgent care, with the option to walk in or schedule ahead.

We designed our center to feel warm and restorative, not clinical. Now, more than ever, in-person connection is vital, especially for the people we serve, and we wanted our space to reflect this.

Our approach emphasizes clarity and progress. The goal is to help individuals and families navigate options with straightforward guidance, while measuring outcomes to ensure therapy is effective and moving forward.

And because not every moment calls for ongoing therapy, we introduced Chats. These are brief, confidential conversations with a licensed professional to get advice or reset without any commitment. 

The power of the Kellogg network 

SHFT is truly a testament to the enduring value of the Kellogg community. Although we graduated a decade apart, we connected on LinkedIn after leaving Kellogg and quickly discovered a shared vision for rethinking mental health care. 

Throughout the journey, the Kellogg network has been invaluable. We leaned on professors both familiar and new, each generous with their time and expertise. Faculty offered subject matter guidance, made introductions during fundraising and provided mentorship at pivotal moments. One professor even chose to invest personally, a gesture that gave us both confidence and momentum. 

Beyond faculty support, the mindset and education we gained at Kellogg shaped SHFT’s foundation. Courses in innovation, leadership and venture building gave us the tools to approach this complex problem thoughtfully and sustainably.  

Adjunct lecturer Andrew Razeghi’s venture creation course, centered on the Business Model Canvas, was pivotal for SHFT. It helped us pinpoint the real pain point — not just offering an alternative to the emergency department but making it easier than ever for young people and families to find someone to talk to. Using this foundation, we designed SHFT to offer a full spectrum of entry points, from simple chats and consultations to standard evaluations and crisis assessments.  

Razeghi’s course also underscored the need to balance mission, revenue and feasibility. Passion and purpose matter, but they must be grounded in practical considerations, delivering value in a way that is both financially viable and operationally sustainable. Guided by these lessons, we built SHFT’s model to provide both urgent and routine care, striking a balance between accessibility for clients and predictability for our team. 

Professor Harry Kraemer’s leadership class further shaped our approach, especially the idea that feedback is the greatest gift. One lesson that stuck with us is that leaders don’t need to have all the answers. Their real responsibility is to surround themselves with people who bring diverse perspectives, listen carefully and chart the path forward together. This mindset reinforced our commitment to building SHFT not in isolation, but with a trusted team of advisors, clinicians and partners who help guide the organization’s direction.  

Simply put, SHFT would not exist in its current form without the education, mentorship and connections Kellogg provided.

Looking ahead 

Our goal is to open more SHFT locations around Chicago and beyond, reaching as many young people and families as we can. 

For us, SHFT is more than a business. It is an opportunity to redefine what outpatient mental health care can be with humanity at its core, powered by the education and network that Kellogg made possible. 

Read next: 5 entrepreneurial lessons about building a business during an MBA