What started as a class exercise at Harvard Business School has turned into a 10-plus state business designed to help women navigate the often lonely and anxiety-producing world of childbearing. Helmed by Julia Cole ’09 and two Harvard classmates, Seven Starling will expand to even more states in 2025.

      Seven Starling “took flight to help women and caregivers navigate the most meaningful transitions in their lives,” Cole says. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., though it is a fully remote company with providers who offer affordable and accessible mental health counseling for expectant and new mothers virtually through online counseling.

      Specialized therapists at Seven Starling offer individual therapy along with medical evaluations, group support, and reflective exercises. Their services are designed for people experiencing anxiety, depression or trauma during fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, pregnancy, postpartum, or early parenthood.

      Cole says an estimated 20% of expectant mothers experience anxiety or depression during the perinatal period (and is likely to be highly underestimated due to stigma and shame), and a very small percentage of these women receive mental health care. Up to one-third of pregnant women experience suicidal thoughts, making pregnancy a serious risk factor for self-harm.

      “I think about the maternal mortality rate,” Cole says. “Those deaths—many are preventable. It’s extremely chilling. I remember the first time we got a message—‘Thank you, Seven Starling, for saving my life.’ [For] someone who is suffering from postpartum depression or anxiety, it’s not just them, it’s the whole family, it’s their whole community [who is struggling]. This isn’t something that’s just affecting one person. You unlock wellness and potential for so many others. Unlocking women’s potential really unlocks potential for everyone.”

      A recent infusion of $10.9 million in venture capital means the company can expand further, and later this year Seven Starling will begin serving Medicaid moms suffering from childbirth-related mood disorders, including postpartum depression, pregnancy loss, and perinatal loss.

      “It’s definitely a herculean effort to [also] set up a business that accepts Medicaid,” Cole says. “We feel really strongly about expanding access as part of our mission. We have lots of growth goals and ambition, and that comes back to access and affordability.”

      The company is guided by five core values: safe spaces lead to open minds and hearts; open conversations broaden perspectives; unbiased support fosters community; knowledge leads to confidence; and all journeys deserve to be celebrated. These principles provide a common understanding of how the company is run, but also how each patient is cared for. 

      “I’m incredibly proud to be part of a team dedicated to improving women’s mental health, especially for new mothers. Since launch, we’ve treated thousands of patients with our specialized clinical model, and over 90% of patients have seen a clinically significant improvement in their symptoms upon completion of our program,” Cole says on LinkedIn. 

      About that name: A starling is a type of bird that always flies in groups.

      “By following their seven closest neighbors, starlings flock together to create beautiful and mesmerizing formations in the sky called murmurations. For us, these whimsical birds represent the feeling of freedom and strength we hope to bring to our community. A constant reminder that together, with our flock, we can achieve a vision far greater than ourselves,” as Seven Starling’s website says.