38 | APRIL 14 • 2022 

business SPOTlight

brought to you in partnership with 
B I R M I N G H A M

 

L

aunched on the prec-
ipice of the pandemic 
and the ensuing Great 
Resignation, Birmingham-based 
Boon Health is a new employ-
ee-retention tool that is serving 
at the intersection of mental 
well being and professional 
development. The company’s 
diverse team of certified coach-
es are working with more than 
50 companies across the coun-
try, ranging from the Detroit 
Lions to the Mars Agency, a 

global marketing firm. 
Boon was founded by Alex 
Simmons, 31, a CPA who 
became accustomed 
to stress, anxi-
ety and burnout 
through his work 
in the high-stress 
environments of 
investment banking 
and private equity. 
“When I was 
working in investment banking, 
I came to realize that everyone 

was stressed and burnt out, and 
my employer at the time didn’t 
have any resources to take care 
of us besides an old, antiquated 
Employee Assistance Program,” 
he said. “That is when I found 
meditation, therapy and coach-
ing outside of work — all of 
which had a transformational 
impact on my life and made 
me realize there was a massive 
void in the workplace around 
companies taking care of their 
people. Enter Boon!” 
When it comes to mental 
health benefits, Simmons said 
about 80 percent of mid- to 
large corporations have employ-
ee assistance programs. But 
these programs address employ-
ees’ needs only when they reach 
a crisis mode, such as severe 
mental illness, suicidal thoughts 
or substance abuse and addic-
tion. Think of it as a dental 
plan that doesn’t cover routine 
preventative care until a patient 
needs a root canal. 
Crafting a new business 

model, the 2019 graduate of 
University of Michigan’s Ross 
School of Business launched 
Boon to offer an approachable, 
customized coaching platform 
that facilitates personal and pro-
fessional growth.
Just as he was building his 
network of certified coaches, 
the pandemic struck. In the 
thick of the pre-vaccine phase 
of the pandemic, corporations 
faced high turnover rates of 
employees adjusting to remote 
work and coping with stress, 
burnout and a lack of profes-
sional development resources. 
 “Boon is is all about resilience: 
How do we help the people 
in the company as well as the 
companies perform at their best 
potential?” Simmons said.
“Either because of the stigma 
surrounding mental health or 
the mere fact that most employ-
ees don’t know they have this 
benefit, the employee assistance 
program is meant to be more 

Alex 
Simmons

Improving 
Employee 
Retention

Boon Health: a go-to resource for 
businesses looking to retain top talent.

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

continued on page 40

