# Alex Alvarado

> Alex Alvarado is the co-founder and CEO of Daybreak Health, a school-based teletherapy platform that partners with K-12 school districts to deliver personalized mental health support to students. Inspired by his younger brother's struggle with depression and his family's difficulty finding affordable, accessible care, Alvarado launched Daybreak Health in 2020 through Y Combinator's S20 cohort. The company has since raised $25 million in total funding, serves 100+ school districts, and reaches over 1 million students nationwide - with 81% showing clinical improvements in anxiety and depression assessments. Alvarado grew up in Seattle as the oldest of five children to educator parents, attended Stanford University where he studied economics and public policy, and went on to work at the U.S. Treasury, Kaiser Family Foundation, Oliver Wyman, and Castlight Health before founding Daybreak.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Daybreak Health
- **Organizations:** Daybreak Health, Y Combinator, Kaiser Family Foundation, Oliver Wyman, Castlight Health, Jiff, Box, U.S. Department of the Treasury
- **From:** Seattle, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. Economics, Stanford University, B.A. Public Policy with Healthcare Focus, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Daybreak Health, reaching 1 million+ students across 100+ K-12 school districts, Raised $25 million total funding from Lightspeed, Union Square Ventures, Lux Capital, Maven Ventures, and Y Combinator, Y Combinator S20 cohort participant

## Career timeline

- **2012** — Graduated Stanford University with dual degrees in Economics and Public Policy
- **2012-2014** — Research Fellow at Kaiser Family Foundation
- **2014-2016** — Consultant and Senior Consultant at Oliver Wyman
- **2015-2016** — Role at U.S. Department of the Treasury
- **2016-2017** — Business Development at Box and Jiff (healthcare employee wellness startup)
- **2017** — Head of User Growth & Product Strategy at Castlight Health
- **2019** — Co-founded Daybreak Health with Siddarth Cidambi and Luke Mercado
- **2020** — Daybreak Health launched; admitted to Y Combinator S20 cohort
- **2021-02** — Raised $1.8M seed round led by Maven Ventures
- **2022-04** — Raised $10M Series A led by Lightspeed Venture Partners
- **2023-08** — Raised $13M Series B led by Union Square Ventures
- **2024-05** — Announced Medi-Cal partnership; became California's largest statewide school mental health partner
- **2025** — Daybreak Health serves 100+ school districts and 1M+ students nationally

## Achievements

- Co-founded Daybreak Health, reaching 1 million+ students across 100+ K-12 school districts
- Raised $25 million total funding from Lightspeed, Union Square Ventures, Lux Capital, Maven Ventures, and Y Combinator
- Y Combinator S20 cohort participant
- Achieved 81% clinical improvement rate for students on anxiety and depression assessments
- Named California's largest statewide affiliated partner in the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative
- Established Medi-Cal partnership enabling free therapy for eligible students statewide
- Featured in Crunchbase News 'Something Ventured' diversity series spotlighting Hispanic founders
- Expanded Daybreak Health to North Carolina, Texas, Utah, and multiple California school districts

## Latest updates

- **2024-05** — Daybreak Health announced partnership with California's Medi-Cal program, making therapy free for students with Medicaid coverage.
- **2024-01** — Alvarado launched a Superintendent Interview Series, speaking with school leaders across the country about student mental health, chronic absenteeism, and academic outcomes.
- **2023-08** — Daybreak Health closed a $13M Series B led by Union Square Ventures.
- **2023-06** — Daybreak Health confirmed as the largest statewide affiliated partner in California's CYBHI Fee Schedule.
- **2022-04** — Series A of $10M raised led by Lightspeed Venture Partners.

## Links

- Website: https://daybreakhealth.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexdalvarado/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/alexdalvarado
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/people/Daybreak-Health/100063747575616/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/alex-alvarado
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-27