Team of Experts
At Delphi, we bridge the gap between traditional healthcare and emerging psychedelic therapies. Under the leadership of Lia Mix, LMFT, CPTR, we combine clinical expertise with strategic insight to shape the future of mental healthcare.
Our multidisciplinary team brings together decades of experience across psychedelic research, clinical practice, healthcare systems, and policy development. We partner with organizations to build sustainable, ethical frameworks for psychedelic medicine through strategic planning, professional education, and ecosystem integration.
What sets us apart is our hands-on approach. Rather than simply advising, we work alongside our clients to navigate complex regulatory landscapes, develop evidence-based protocols, and create lasting institutional change. Our commitment to integrity and clinical excellence ensures these powerful medicines are integrated responsibly, safely, and effectively into mainstream healthcare.
Leadership Team
Our executive team of industry leaders and innovators is dedicated to advancing the psychedelic ecosystem.
Our team of experts and advisors supports us. They actively engage with clients, providing hands-on guidance and strategic oversight.
With diverse backgrounds in psychedelics, healthcare, and policy, they enhance our capability to deliver transformative, well-rounded, evidence-based solutions.
Lia Mix | Founder & CEO
Lia Mix is the Founder and CEO of Delphi, a consulting firm dedicated to the healthy growth of the psychedelic movement. With over 20 years of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) and healthcare strategist, she specializes in integrating novel therapies into insurance systems.
Lia is certified in Psychedelic Therapies and Research (CPTR) by the California Institute for Integral Studies and has been instrumental in establishing the core infrastructure for integrating psychedelic-assisted therapy into the US healthcare system. At Delphi, she provides expertise in organizational objectives related to psychedelics, conscious leadership, and project management for leading non-profits, for-profits, foundations, and government bodies.
David Abernathy | CSO
David is an experienced consultant and investor with expertise in market strategy and operational growth.
David has extensive experience in project administration, investment banking, and cannabis industry consulting, leading major initiatives at The Arcview Group.
David Abernathy began his career in project administration and management at a London-based engineering and consulting firm. He then moved to an Australian investment bank, working with the Infrastructure Legal team on financing multi-billion dollar wind farm projects. David has extensive experience in investment due diligence and business administration consulting.
From 2009 to 2012, he operated a financial services and consulting firm focused on the medical cannabis industry, serving clients such as cultivation collectives, dispensaries, equipment manufacturers, and cannabis R&D companies around the State of California.
For the last 11 years, David has been a key figure at The Arcview Group, a leading investment firm in the cannabis industry. At Arcview, he launched and led Arcview Market Research and Arcview Consulting.
David also co-owns a growing miniature golf company, and serves on several boards, including Cat Town, The Arcview Group, Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), and Oaksterdam University, where he teaches courses on the economics of cannabis.
Floris Wolswijk | SPM
Floris is the creator of Blossom, a leading psychedelic research database, bringing psychology and data-driven insights to Delphi.
Floris has built Blossom, the most comprehensive database for psychedelic medicine insights, leveraging deep expertise of the psychedelic ecosystem for societal change.
Floris Wolswijk is a healthcare innovator with a psychology background and a deep understanding of the psychedelic ecosystem. With two years of experience at Delphi, he has been pivotal in advancing healthcare solutions in this emerging field.
Over the past five years, Floris has built Blossom, the most comprehensive database for psychedelic medicine insights.
Passionate about decreasing “world suck,” Floris actively promotes effective altruism. His work exemplifies a commitment to leveraging psychedelics for positive societal impact.
Erica Openden | COO
Erica has a proven track record in operations leadership and team development, with expertise in strategic problem-solving, project management, and process improvement.
With a proven record in operations leadership and team development, Erica brings extensive expertise in strategic problem-solving, project management, and process improvement.
Throughout her career, she has driven impactful initiatives, consistently exceeding revenue goals and optimizing efficiency. Her experience includes spearheading comprehensive onboarding processes, implementing robust CRM and data integration systems, and fostering cross-functional collaboration to achieve business objectives.
She successfully built and managed operations teams during periods of rapid growth and change, integrating new acquisitions seamlessly and enhancing technology to drive operational excellence while providing actionable insights for decision-making. Additionally, she has a strong track record in developing scalable processes, improving workflow automation, and enhancing team performance through strategic leadership and mentorship.
Erica holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, underpinning her analytical approach and commitment to driving business success through operational excellence. She is passionate about creating collaborative environments that empower teams to achieve and exceed their goals while delivering exceptional client satisfaction.
She thrives in dynamic environments where innovation and continuous improvement are paramount, and she is committed to driving sustainable growth and operational excellence in everything she does.
When Erica is not focusing on Delphi, she is watching her two boys play baseball or spend time in the mountains golfing, hiking, and skiing with her family.
Experts
Amy Aukema
Public-Private Partnerships
Amy Aukema is a public-interest strategist and PPP architect who translates policy and research into real-world programs across HHS, VA, DoD, and allied agencies.
Amy spent nearly two decades at MITRE, where she became a recognized leader in multi-sector collaborations and complex change. She helped architect and launch federal public-private partnerships, developed PPP capabilities adopted by two dozen-plus teams, and led high-performing groups that turned emerging policy and evidence into implementation, spanning payment reform, real-world safety initiatives, and large-scale fraud-prevention efforts. Her portfolio includes work with HHS, VA, DoD, Transportation, IRS, NOAA, FDA, and more, grounded in a practical, systems-engineering approach to national-scale challenges.
With an MPP from Harvard Kennedy School and an MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and early service in the U.S. Air Force, Amy now focuses on accelerating system change to address the mental health crisis. She partners with high-integrity leaders to design, pilot, and scale collaborative solutions that make innovative treatments accessible and financially sustainable.
Devin Atherton
Research Associate
Stanford-trained clinical research professional supporting Delphi’s evidence synthesis, trial mapping, and data operations in psychedelic medicine.
Devin is an Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator at the Stanford University School of Medicine (Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; Public Mental Health & Population Sciences), where she supports protocol execution, participant coordination, and data quality across community-based studies focused on addiction and substance use disorders. She previously served as a Research Assistant with the Osilla Lab, contributing to projects that evaluate and mitigate SUD from a population-health perspective.
At Delphi, Devin applies that rigor to psychedelic research. She helps build and maintain structured datasets for trials and real-world studies, streamlines intake from registries and publications, and contributes to rapid evidence reviews that inform provider protocols, payer engagement, and policy briefs. Her background in data and contact management, along with hands-on study operations, gives our clients a practical bridge between academic research and implementation in care settings.
Eric Bailly
Behavioral Health & Payment Innovation
Eric Bailly, LPC, LADC is a person in long-term recovery, vested in working with substance use treatment, recovery, prevention, and policy.
Eric has learned that balancing lived experience and a solid education in counseling psychology is paramount. Eric is the founder of NorthStar Behavioral Health Advisory, which provides strategic advisory services for organizations seeking to enhance their ability to deliver quality behavioral health services through optimized workflows, revenue diversification, and payment innovation.
Eric is also a Resident Scholar at the Concordia College, School of Health Professions in Moorhead, MN where he designs curriculum and teaches Healthcare Systems to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in healthcare.
Additionally, Eric serves on a variety of boards and committees tied to organizations who are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of those who live with mental health and substance use issues. Eric earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN in 1993, and a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1996. Eric is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of ND and CO and is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor in the state of MN.
Julia Mande
Facilitator & Project Advisor
Julia Mande is a facilitator & project advisor who partners with founding teams to grow organizations for meaningful impact.
With a passion for regenerative systems, Julia has advanced movements in soil health, plant medicine, and conscious leadership through stakeholder engagement and systems design. As a Co-Founder of Common Field, a nonprofit establishing Indigenous-informed frameworks for access and benefit sharing under the Nagoya Protocol, Julia stewards interconnection between traditional and modern practices through a practice of bridge-building.
Julia focuses on process, dimensional health, relationships, and sustainable growth. Her direct impact includes designing and implementing Los Angeles’s compost collection infrastructure and educational programs through L.A. Compost, co-creating a digital broadcast advocating for food sovereignty with A Growing Culture, and as the former Managing Director of the North Star Project, developed a principles-based community of practice for ethical business.
Recognized as a Zagat 30 Under 30 awardee for “redefining the industry,” Julia has contributed to creating more equitable and nourishing systems for wellbeing. Her approach to leadership and sustainability is informed by her upbringing in Zimbabwe and her academic background, including a degree in Organizational Sciences from George Washington University and certifications in Regenerative Organizational Design, Systems Constellations, and Environmental Sustainability. Julia envisions systems of mutual regeneration for both people and the planet.
Jake Hoskins
For-Profit Strategy & Fundraising
Jake Hoskins, our strategic advisor, is leveraging his extensive experience in fundraising and business development to support for-profit and non-profit fundraising efforts.
Jake Hoskins is currently the CEO of Tripgrid, a travel software company, where he personally managed the fundraising of over $7M while taking the business from concept to growth stage. For the past 4 years, Jake has been a Strategic Advisor to for-profit startups and growth stage companies as well as multiple non-profit entities in various industries including tech, real estate / store fronts, outdoor gear, online education, healthcare, & plant medicine.
Currently, his main focus is building fundraising strategies that support for-profit companies in the plant medicine space as well as non-profit fundraising efforts for research, and he is currently involved in supporting strategic fundraising efforts totaling $23M across three entities.
Jake is also interested in constructing unique investment opportunities for companies building or expanding their footprint with new physical locations. He has an extensive network of investors whose contributions range from $25k to $2M.
Kenneth Tupper
Psychedelic Policy & Education
A policy consultant, scholar, and educator, Dr. Tupper provides guidance on public health and transformative education, with a particular focus on mental health, substance use, and psychedelic therapies.
He is currently a Collaborating Scientist with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and an Adjunct Professor (School of Child and Youth Care) at the University of Victoria.
He has previously held an adjunct appointment at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, as well as leadership roles with the British Columbia Ministry of Health and the BC Centre on Substance Use.
His publications, talks, and advisory work focus on evidence-informed psychedelic policy, education, and stewardship for innovation across healthcare systems and communities.
Martha Hammel
Community Engagement & Grant Writing
Martha Hammel is an advocate, activist, and educator in the psychedelic space.
She is the co-founder and executive director of the Aspen Psychedelic Resource Center, the Colorado strategist for the National Psychedelic Association, and is a trained integration coach.
She is passionate about shifting cultural understanding around psychedelics to increase the reverence and respect for psychedelic medicine.
When she isn’t focusing her energy on various projects, you can find her in the mountains; skiing, hiking, running, biking, climbing, playing on the river, or simply watching the stars.
Mike Emerson
Chief Business Advisor
Senior behavioral-health operator who builds revenue engines, partnerships, and accountable systems for providers and growth-stage organizations.
Mike is Vice President of Business Development at AllHealth Network, a community behavioral-health nonprofit providing outpatient, inpatient, SUD, integrated care, extensive telehealth, and pharmacy services to tens of thousands of clients annually. He leads creation of new revenue streams, develops referral partnerships with forward-thinking health systems, and works with internal clinical and medical teams to boost program utilization and launch new offerings that improve outcomes and profitability.
As Managing Partner at E2 Elevate, Mike serves as a fractional executive to startups and scale-ups, driving product/market fit, standing up first-generation operating systems and metrics, building KPI scorecards and business transparency, and aligning teams through EOS-style integrator leadership. He has deep experience in multi-year strategic planning, resource optimization, M&A and integrations, capital raising, diligence prep, and exit support.
At Delphi, he advises on provider-network strategy, growth architecture, and the operational playbooks required to integrate psychedelic-enabled care within existing delivery systems.
Patrick Whitaker
Healthcare Strategy, Innovation, & Growth Leader
Healthcare strategy, innovation, and growth leader on a mission to expand access to breakthrough mental health care.
Patrick is a strategic growth leader with two decades of experience building and scaling healthcare ventures. He is passionate about developing sustainable partnerships and business models that improve healthcare, reduce suffering, and create lasting impact.
After starting his career in M&A and healthcare consulting, Patrick transitioned to building seed-stage healthcare ventures within corporate incubators at PwC and Aon. In between, Patrick was instrumental in scaling transformative companies like Remedy Partners and Signify Health from early stages through mergers and IPOs.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Patrick enjoys outdoor adventures with his wife, two daughters, and dog. He loves finding flow states through snowboarding, mountain biking, and immersing himself in nature with friends and family.
How We Use AI
Delphi uses AI to enhance human intelligence and improve efficiency, without compromising accuracy or the real-world relevance of our work. AI-generated content is reviewed and approved by the appropriate Delphi expert(s) before being shared. We caution against over-reliance on AI without verification, especially in novel and emerging industries such as psychedelics.
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