Tulane Ventures brings behavioral health company to New Orleans

Tulane Ventures has invested $250,000 in Cabana, a behavioral health platform co-founded by a Tulane alumnus, as part of a $1 million seed round that also includes 1834 Ventures.

Cabana combines clinical care, community groups and tech-enabled support to embed behavioral health support — outside of medical appointments — in the lives of patients battling physical ailments.

“Cabana is an excellent example of what Tulane Ventures was created to do: support companies that are addressing health challenges in our state and world, create jobs in Louisiana and encourage Tulane alumni to establish their companies in our community,” said Kimberly Gramm, the David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer and managing director of Tulane Ventures.

This funding has enabled Cabana to move its headquarters to New Orleans, begin building out a clinical team based in the state and launch Cabana Connected Care to help providers and health systems in Louisiana integrate behavioral health support between patient appointments.

Cabana was founded by David Black, a 2005 graduate of Tulane University’s A. B. Freeman School of Business, and Heather Townsend, who met Black in graduate school. The idea took shape after Black witnessed his father and family struggle through his father’s battle with late-stage cancer.  

That experience led Black to two realizations: first, that behavioral health should run alongside the hardest care moments faced by both patients and their loved ones, and second, that not everyone is ready for therapy — people have to be met where they are.  

“We see behavioral health challenges as a dimension of many healthcare experiences, not just as its own service line,” Black said. “We’re weaving behavioral health support into the moments between care experiences — and we’re leading this innovation in Louisiana, with Louisiana patients and alongside Louisiana clinicians. Louisiana will show the country what the future of integrated behavioral health support should look like.”

That local approach is central to how Black frames the new investment.  

“New Orleans means so much to me, and I have a lot of Tulane pride. I am excited to make an impact locally and across Louisiana as Cabana scales,” Black said.  

The funding for Cabana was leveraged through the State Small Business Credit Initiative, which uses federal funding to help small businesses and startups access capital.  

Black added, “What Louisiana Economic Development (LED), Tulane Ventures and 1834 Ventures are doing with this State Small Business Credit Initiative funding is exciting and unique. The support startups can receive in Louisiana right now is palpable, from funding to connections; everyone wants to help you succeed.”

Cabana offers three core services.

Cabana Live provides daily, anonymous, telehealth group sessions, including grief counseling, relationship support, support for those facing chronic illness, veteran transition, cancer management and sober-curious tracks. Therapist- and coach-led groups, Black said, provide support in the moment and remind patients that they’re not alone.

Cabana Connected Care embeds a care manager and psychiatrist directly with physician offices, adding a team-based mental health support layer on top of current office visits rather than referring a patient out for a separate appointment.  

For example, if a pregnant patient mentions anxiety during a routine visit, a Cabana care manager can talk with her during that same appointment while a psychiatrist reviews her case behind the scenes and consults with her obstetrician about treatment, all without requiring a separate appointment, a long wait or a new provider. The service can be billed through existing codes, creating efficiency alongside the expanded care.

Cabana Pod places physical, private pods inside clinics, hospitals and workplaces so patients or employees can access care on-site. The pods have been piloted at eight locations across Louisiana.  

Cabana has served 15,000 individuals and hosted 4,000 groups, with 86% of patients getting same-day care.    

Black hopes Cabana will become a standard part of care for people facing a new diagnosis, a difficult prognosis or the strain of caring for a loved one through illness.

With the new funding, Cabana plans to grow its clinical team in Louisiana, expand Cabana Connected Care to more health systems in the state, and partner with Louisiana universities to help train and recruit a pipeline of licensed clinical social workers — including providing clinical supervision hours for recent graduates — to help build the state’s behavioral health workforce.