Why Psychedelic Startups Hit a Wall? Ronan Levy on Field Trip’s Rise, Ketamine Clinics & What’s Next

Evolving Minds By Pink Elephant

Today’s guest is Ronan Levy, co-founder and former CEO of Field Trip Health, joins Jason Najum to reflect on the explosive rise and collapse of one of the first public psychedelic therapy companies.
#PsychedelicStartups #KetamineClinics #mentalhealthinnovation
#mentalhealthpodcast
In this raw and insightful conversation, Ronan shares:
- How Field Trip raised $100M and listed on the NASDAQ
- Why psychedelic therapy clinics are hard to scale
- What went wrong with the ketamine clinic model
- The truth about FDA rejection and psychedelic drug development
- How Ronan sees the future of mental health, psychedelic therapy, and functional alternatives to alcohol
00:00 – Intro: The rise and fall of Field Trip Health
01:30 – Ronan Levy's journey: from law to cannabis to psychedelics
06:30 – Launching Field Trip during the psychedelic gold rush
10:30 – Building a brand that stood out in a clinical space
14:30 – NASDAQ listing, media buzz, and mounting pressure
18:00 – Why ketamine clinics failed to scale
25:30 – Lessons from the crash: what Ronan would do differently
32:00 – Can psychedelics be a scalable business?
37:00 – The future: decentralization, community care, and human connection
44:00 – Ronan’s new venture: alcohol alternatives that actually feel good
47:30 – Final thoughts: what’s next for psychedelic mental health
Whether you're an entrepreneur, therapist, investor, or just curious about the psychedelic renaissance—this episode offers a rare inside look.
Like what you heard? Hit subscribe and follow us on YouTube @Evolvong_Minds_Podcast for more in-depth insights into the future of mental health.
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The Evolving Minds podcast by Pink Elephant, hosted by Jason Najum, is a series of 1-on-1 conversations with star guests who dare to build, scale, or rethink companies, policies, and protocols at the frontier of progressive mental health.