Kimberly Quigley’s journey to executive leadership began when she quit volleyball at Georgetown University and found her calling coaching basketball at the local Boys and Girls Club. Her exposure to vulnerable populations and the tragic suicide of a close collegiate athlete friend ignited her passion for improving mental healthcare. She pursued premed studies and later pediatrics and psychiatry training, building her knowledge in the field.
In 2018, Quigley founded Onrise with a mission to serve vulnerable populations with first-rate mental healthcare. The company’s focus on athletes evolved when it realized the lack of resources available to them and the need for privacy and trust in mental health support. Onrise’s Player Care program was designed to align incentives and build a supportive environment for athletes seeking treatment.
“In the past several years, athletes have become a group that Onrise has become intentional about treating, when many athletes began asking for help when they were already very sick,” Quigley’s team said. “Ex-athletes designed the Player Care program in a way to promote maximum privacy and trust. Onrise employees are not employed by an athlete’s team or university. The athletes trust that Onrise’s incentives align with theirs, making them more likely to engage in treatment. Also, because Onrise doesn’t only work for one team, they can continue to be treated when they transfer or move.”
Today, Quigley is the CEO of the telehealth company, using her background in medicine and passion for improving mental health. Onrise has formed partnerships with sports organizations like the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York City Football Club. It has also designed innovative programs like the Onrise Player Network, a social network exclusively for collegiate and professional athletes, fostering support and camaraderie among them.
“When Onrise started treating more athletes, they realized what a passion athletes share to improve their communities’ mental health,” Quigley’s team said. “They are a group willing to use their influence to do good. As our country struggles with providing care, Onrise realized that athletes may be able to accomplish much more than politicians have been able to do.
“By partnering with the Philadelphia Eagles, Onrise is going to be able to provide Philadelphia with many resources. As part of the new deal, Onrise Care will serve as the presenting partner of both the Community Playmakers program and High School Coaches Clinic and associate partner of the Positive Coaching Alliance workshops and will also play a supportive role in the team’s efforts to end gun violence in Philadelphia. Overall, the entrepreneurial story of Onrise is steeped in a deep-seated desire to make the lives of struggling people better, and Kim Quigley has consistently worked toward that end for over 20 years.”
Through Onrise, Quigley has given hope to athletes and vulnerable groups, showing that compassionate mental healthcare is available to anyone in need, regardless of their circumstances.
