Hot on the tails of his tell-all interview with Oprah, Prince Harry has made yet another surprise announcement about his new life in Los Angeles: he’s a tech start-up bro now.
Following his and Meghan Markle’s split from the royal family back in 2020, the Duke of Sussex officially has a new job and title, announcing that he has accepted the role of chief impact officer at billion-dollar coaching and mental health company BetterUp, that offers professional mental health coaching.
In a blog post on the company’s website, Harry expressed his excitement to be joining the business, referencing his own military background when talking about how much he values resilience and emotional fitness.
He also shared why he signed on with the company, which has a network of more than 2,000 coaches across the United States working with companies and organisations such as Hilton Worldwide, Chevron, NASA, and Salesforce Ventures.
“I firmly believe that focusing on and prioritising our mental fitness unlocks potential and opportunity that we never knew we had inside of us. As the Royal Marine Commandos say, ‘It’s a state of mind.’ We all have it in us.”
He continued, “Being attuned with your mind, and having a support structure around you, are critical to finding your own version of peak performance. What I’ve learned in my own life is the power of transforming pain into purpose.”
“During my decade in the military, I learned that we don’t just need to build physical resilience, but also mental resilience. And in the years since, my understanding of what resilience means—and how we can build it—has been shaped by the thousands of people and experts I’ve been fortunate to meet and learn from.”
BetterUp’s mobile-first learning platform connects workers with professionals in coaching, counselling, and mentorship on a one-to-one basis via phone, text, or video chat. In fact, Harry even revealed that he had connected with one of the company’s coaches before officially taking on the role.
“I was matched with a truly awesome coach who has given me sound advice and a fresh perspective,” he explained. “And because we believe in strengthening our own mental fitness, our entire Archewell team also has access to BetterUp coaching.”
Wasting no time, Harry has already begun his work with the company, aiming to drive advocacy and awareness for mental health, guide BetterUp’s social mission and impact, work on product strategies, and help expand their global community of coaches and members. And of course, once it is safe to travel again, the Duke will occasionally travel to the company’s San Francisco headquarters.
As to how he got the job, Harry was introduced to the company’s CEO Alexi Robichaux last year via a mutual friend, according to the statement. And after the pair got to talking, they realised how much good they could do for each other.
“As a true citizen of the world, he has dedicated his life’s work to bringing attention to the diverse needs of people everywhere and advocating for mental health initiatives: from founding the Invictus Games, a platform for service personnel to use sport as part of their psychological and physical rehabilitation, to launching Sentebale, which supports the mental health and wellbeing of young people affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana.”
And there’s even more happening on the job market for Harry and Meghan. Only yesterday, it was revealed that they had significantly expanded their own charitable foundation, Archewell, hiring a plethora of newcomers, including an Oscar-nominated producer to lead their team.
Harry has since confirmed that his new employees can enjoy access to BetterUp coaching, with Robichaux explaining the synergy between the start-up and Harry’s own organisation.
“As co-founder of Archewell, he is focused on driving systemic change across all communities through non-profit work as well as creative activations,” Robichaux wrote. The mission across Archewell… is united behind the deeply held belief that compassion is the defining cultural force of the 21st century.”
Ultimately, Prince Harry’s new position at BetterUp shines a spotlight on his dedication to humanitarianism. “As BetterUp’s first Chief Impact Officer,” the Duke says, “my goal is to lift critical dialogues around mental health, build supportive and compassionate communities, and foster an environment for honest and vulnerable conversations.”
“And my hope is to help people develop their inner strength, resilience, and confidence.”
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