Rapid Response: The "Most Stressed" Wellness CEO, with Calm's David Ko

Rapid Response: The "Most Stressed" Wellness CEO, with Calm's David Ko

From The Messy Parts by with Maryam Banikarim

May 2, 2026 · 34 min

About this episode

David Ko, CEO of Calm, discusses his decision to step down and the pressures of leadership in the wellness industry.

Today we're dropping something a little different into your feed: a conversation from our friends at the Rapid Response podcast. Maryam was a guest on the show recently with host Bob Safian, but in the episode you’re about to hear, Bob sits down with David Ko, the CEO of Calm — the mental health and wellness app with more than 180 million downloads — right as he's announcing he's stepping down. Ko unpacks why he made the call, what the relentless pressure of the C-suite really does to a perso...

People in this episode

Host: Maryam Banikarim

Guest: David Ko

Topics covered

  • mental health
  • wellness
  • C-suite pressure
  • leadership
  • career transitions

Keywords

  • Calm
  • David Ko
  • mental health
  • wellness app
  • C-suite
  • leadership pressure
  • career change

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Calm

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