Welcome To Founder Pod

An Emotional Accelerator for Visionary Leaders

Founder Pod is a first-of-its-kind experience blending coaching and therapy to support the emotional weight of leadership. It's designed for founders who are tired of performing, holding it all in, and figuring it out alone.

This is the space for what rarely gets said: the hard conversations, the quiet doubts, the moments of deep reckoning that come with building something that matters.

You’ll join a curated pod of 8 founders led by an executive coach and licensed therapist. Together, we’ll unpack business challenges, build emotional resilience, and connect with people who truly get it.

Applications for Cohort 1: Consumer Founders close on April 18th, 2025.

Inside Founder Pods

What We Talk About

  • Leadership, isolation, and relationship strain

  • Emotional processing and burnout

  • Strategic bottlenecks and mindset shifts

  • Self-awareness, clarity, and decision-making

  • Honest, human conversations without the fluff

The Structure

  • 8-week accelerator : 6 virtual sessions + 2 in-person gatherings

  • Curated groups: Founders matched by industry and stage

  • Co-led: One executive coach + one licensed therapist

  • 2x Mentorship Q&As: With seasoned founders ($50M+ ARR)

  • Pod Playmates: One-on-one support from a fellow founder

Why It Works:

No Performance, Just Presence: No more pitching or posturing. Let’s real talk about what’s going on behind the scenes.

Mentors Who’ve Been in the Trenches:
Access 1-on-1 advice from business leaders who’ve navigated growth, hiring, and scaling firsthand.

A Room Full of People Who Get It:
Every founder here is carefully selected. No egos. Just courage and candor.

Emotional + Strategic Support:
We blend deep therapeutic insight with practical tools for high-stakes decisions.

Confidentiality, Always
We uphold the highest standards of privacy. Your trust is protected.

Conversations You Won’t Find Anywhere Else: We go deep because we know being a founder is only for the emotionally brave.

Meet your Guides

A 2x founder, former venture platform lead, angel investor, and Techstars mentor, Alysha brings heart, humor, and depth. With certifications in IMAGO therapy and ICF coaching, she understands the emotional terrain of leadership — and makes space for what’s raw, true, and transformational.

The Pods will be co-led by sisters, Alysha Malik an Executive Coach, and Alaina Malik, LMHC, an Attachment Therapist

About Alysha Malik

About Alaina Malik, LMHC

A trauma-informed psychotherapist trained in AEDP, somatic work, and relational therapy. Alaina helps high-achieving leaders untangle subconscious patterns and find clarity beneath the chaos. Her work centers identity, legacy, and emotional agility in leadership.

Together, they co-lead each Pod bringing the science of psychology and the soul of entrepreneurship into one room

 FAQs

  • A hybrid group program blending therapy and coaching to help founders process challenges, sharpen leadership, and build real community.

    It’s not a substitute for individual therapy, but a powerful complement.

  • Each Pod brings together 8 carefully matched founders in a closed group that meets weekly for 8 weeks.

    Every session is co-led by a licensed therapist and an executive coach.

    The experience also includes 2 sessions structured for an intimate Q&A with experienced entrepreneurs who’ve scaled teams, raised capital, and led through uncertainty.

    The structure is designed to offer depth, safety, and accountability so you can move through what's holding you back, both personally and professionally.

  • We vet for low egos and big hearts.

    Participants are handpicked for the pod based on industry and stage. We avoid placing competitors together.

  • The Consumer & E-Commerce Pod begins April 22, 2025.

    Sessions run Tuesdays 7–8:30pm EST.


    First and last sessions are in person (Williamsburg, NY); the rest are virtual.

    Full Schedule:

    📍 April 22 – In Person
    💻 April 29 – Online
    💻 May 6 – Online
    💻 May 13 – Online
    💻 May 20 – Online
    💻 May 27 – Online
    💻 June 3 – Online
    📍 June 10 – In Person

    • More clarity

    • Less loneliness

    • Deeper confidence in your leadership

    • Real-time support for your emotional well-being and your relationships: personal and professional

  • Good news! This can be a business expense (because your emotional well-being deserves a budget line, too).

    Payment Options:

    💳 $388 per session (charged weekly via SimplePractice)
    💰 $3,100 upfront

    No cancellations or refunds.
    Payments are securely processed through Stripe.

  • That’s the magic. It’s a little bit of both plus something more transcendental.

    Think: emotional processing, strategic mentorship, and guided transformation in a founder-only room.

    ** While a therapeutic benefits may be gained from this group, this group does not make up for the need for individual therapy or crisis management.

  • Yes. All participants and mentors are required to sign an NDA.

    We follow HIPAA-compliant practices to create a safe, ethical container for real sharing.