Chris Thompson is the founder of Sober Sidekick and Chief Executive Officer of Empathy Health Technologies, where he leads efforts to reimagine addiction recovery through connection, technology, and compassion. Since launching Sober Sidekick in March 2019, he has grown it into the world’s largest digital recovery app, with over 800,000 downloads. The app uses an innovative empathy algorithm to provide real-time peer support, 24/7 access to virtual 12-step meetings, a sobriety tracker, and relapse prediction tools that empower individuals on their recovery journeys.

Beyond the app, Empathy Health Technologies focuses on delivering care to underserved and hard-to-reach populations through partnerships with leading health plans and government agencies. Its end-to-end platform simplifies access to care by combining multi-channel member engagement, fast telehealth access, personalized care navigation, and real-time outcomes tracking. This approach eliminates barriers, ensures timely referrals across medical and social services, and streamlines vendor coordination to reduce administrative costs while supporting value-based care goals.

Chris’s leadership reflects a deep personal understanding of addiction recovery, driving a mission that prioritizes compassionate connection over profits. Under his guidance, Empathy Health Technologies and Sober Sidekick completed pilots with major insurance providers and earned recognition in the healthcare community for their impact. He remains focused on scaling the greatest wave of comeback stories, delivering measurable impact at scale through empathy, technology, and human connection.