Strategic Leadership Change Positions Robin for its Next Phase of Growth
August 5, 2025 – NEW YORK – Robin, a leading provider of coaching and curriculum that strengthens mental well-being, today announced that Linda Thompson is the company’s new CEO. Sonny Thadani, the former CEO, will remain an active member of Robin’s leadership team as Chairman of the Board. This will enable Thadani to focus his time on looking for strategic partners, while Thompson carries Robin into its next chapter of growth.
“We’ve been lucky to have Linda lead our product and customer success teams over the past 3 years and feel that she is the best person to lead Robin moving forward. As a former classroom teacher, she understands our client’s needs better than anyone and deeply resonates with Robin’s mission,” said Thadani.
“Her vision is for Robin to be the trusted partner every school turns to when they want to create a culture of connection and care.”
As CEO, Thompson sees it as her primary responsibility to ensure school communities have the tools to support student and educator mental well-being. She works closely with the Robin team and Robin’s school partners to drive strategy, scale impact, and ensure Robin’s solutions stay grounded in what students, teachers, and families truly need.
“I’m thrilled to take on this new role at Robin, as it’s my mission to help shift the education system from reactive to proactive – building mental health skills that prevent crises, reduce chronic absenteeism, and create spaces where every student and adult can thrive,” said Thompson.
Robin’s mission (to transform mental health in schools through proactive skill-building, versus crisis response) is deeply personal to Thompson, as she’s seen firsthand as an educator how mental health struggles can disrupt learning, relationships, and futures. “I believe schools can be powerful places of healing and growth, and I’m driven every day to make sure we give students, teachers, and families the tools they need to feel seen, supported, and strong.”
Thompson is uniquely positioned to serve as Robin’s CEO, as she led Robin’s product and customer success teams for a number of years, prior to becoming the COO. In those roles, she developed the coach-practice and connection-based learning models that form the foundation of Robin’s K–12 mental health curriculum and school support services. “We built the program from the ground up, ensuring that our coaching and curriculum align with real-world challenges that our communities face and helping to foster a sense of belonging, safety, and self-awareness.”
Originally, it was Robin’s bold, human-centered mission that drew Thompson to want to work at Robin. She knew she wanted to be part of a team that believed in prevention, compassion, and systemic change as well as a team that prioritized the voices of students and educators at every step. Now, her favorite part of working at Robin is hearing directly from educators and students who say, “This changed my classroom,” or “I finally felt understood.”
Our unique program has helped over 50,000 students build the skills they need to help them manage life’s challenges and focus on learning. With our foothold in New York City, Robin is positioned to become the go-to mental health solution for school communities around the country.
Before joining Robin, Thompson’s career prepared her for the many facets of the work at Robin. She was a middle-school special education teacher, a fundraiser, and a consultant. Working in special education showed her that teaching students concrete skills to deal with situations that are out of their control will improve their mental well-being and overall outcomes. Meanwhile, her time as a fundraiser and consultant prepared her to put Robin’s school clients’ needs at the center of everything she does, so that Robin stays mission-focused on helping school communities and the learners they work with and care for daily.
About Robin
Robin is the skill-building solution that strengthens the mental well-being of students, educators, and families to create a positive school climate. By providing coaching and curriculum, Robin fosters an enriched sense of connection and belonging – ultimately enhancing the school culture. This leads to better academic outcomes and improved mental health.