Octave Fuels Next Phase of Growth with New Leadership Hires

Octave, an innovator in outcomes-focused behavioral health care, welcomes four leaders to drive growth and expand mental health services. The recent leadership hires include Pooja Agarwal as Chief Operating Officer, Raul Estrada as Vice President of Business Operations & Strategy, Andy Glowalla as Vice President of Enterprise, and Beth Jacobson as General Counsel. 

The leadership team additions come on the heels of Octave’s Series C funding round earlier this year, which will fuel the company’s expansion to all 50 states, bringing evidence-based, in-network care to more people. The funding is also enabling technology and network investments so that Octave can more meaningfully serve patients, providers, and payers by transforming the way care is accessed, delivered, and supported. 

The new leaders bring deep experience with scaling companies through innovation and unique insights into the healthcare landscape. Each will spearhead initiatives to fulfill Series C growth plans and position Octave sustainably for the future. 

“We’re looking to build a company that will raise the bar for mental health care across the system, and to do that, we need leaders who are both deeply experienced in the sector and thinking beyond how it’s been done. I’m excited to welcome these thoughtful, innovative, and proven leaders to our team,” said Sandeep Acharya, Co-Founder and CEO of Octave.  

Pooja Agarwal

As COO, Pooja Agarwal is driving the company’s strategy and long-term growth plans. Agarwal has a track record of using technology and organizational alignment as keys that unlock innovation and scale in customer-centric industries. During her prior roles as COO of Flatiron School and Birchbox, she steadily grew the companies while creating greater efficiencies, boosting employee engagement, and improving client satisfaction. 

“At Octave, we’re intentional about creating the best experience possible for clinicians, clients, and insurance partners. I’m looking forward to working with the team to elevate that experience for all while creating greater efficiency and boosting our impact,” said Agarwal. 

Raul Estrada

As part of Octave’s focus on enhanced experience, Raul Estrada joins the team as VP of Business Operations and Strategy. Estrada will bolster the company’s operational infrastructure to improve service delivery and advance how measurement-based clinical care is applied. Prior to Octave, Estrada led operations strategy at healthcare startup Color, which tripled in size during his tenure. 

Andy Glowalla

Also bringing a wealth of healthcare experience is the new VP of Enterprise, Andy Glowalla, who previously worked at Cedars-Sinai Health System and Kaiser Permanente, where he spearheaded joint ventures and partnerships with health systems and technology companies. At Octave, Glowalla will own strategic enterprise relationships with payers and health systems in order to improve how care is delivered. 

Beth Jacobson

Beth Jacobson, who joins as General Counsel, is a seasoned leader in corporate and healthcare law. Throughout her career, Beth has navigated complex landscapes to contribute to the success of organizations — from corporate law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, to general counsel at startups and Fortune 500 companies, most recently at Kaia Health and Included Health. In addition to providing deep experience in healthcare law, Beth will help guide Octave through its growth. 

Since launching in 2018, Octave has grown rapidly and today serves 18 million covered lives across seven states: California, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C. The company was recently honored as one of the 2023 LinkedIn Top Startups.