English is trying to make it easier for children to get mental healthcare before isolation and anxiety narrow their sense of the future.
Joe English is co-founder and CEO of Cartwheel, a school-connected mental healthcare provider. His account of growing up with anxiety in a rural community informs his work helping students obtain counseling and clinical support through their schools.
Growing Up Without a Mental Health Conversation
He describes being raised on an old farm in a small town where mental health was rarely discussed. On Cartwheel’s story page, he recalls feeling stifled while struggling with anxiety and his identity. He connects that experience with the value a counselor or coach could have offered during childhood.
“For years, I couldn’t imagine a version of my life I wanted to live,” English writes in that account. His explanation for starting Cartwheel is personal: helping children reflect on who they are and imagine a life they want to build.
Building Cartwheel With Schools
Cartwheel was founded in 2022 by educators and clinicians. Its leadership includes co-founder and COO Daniel Tartakovsky and chief medical officer Juliana Chen. The company works with districts to connect students with licensed clinicians while giving school staff a way to refer families and coordinate support.
In February 2026, Cartwheel reported working with 350 school districts across 15 states. English described parents and schools as trusted allies in reaching children. The expansion connects his personal account of needing help with an institutional approach: using schools to make ongoing treatment easier for families to obtain.