Chris Appleton

Chris Appleton is the Founder and CEO of Art Pharmacy, a company that works with health systems and payers to address mental health through arts-based social prescribing. Appleton’s vision for Art Pharmacy imagines the U.S. healthcare system adopting social prescribing as a critical part of a results-driven mental health field. He and his work have been featured in the New York Times, CNN, ABC, CBS, NPR, TEDx, Fast Company, and more.

Prior to Art Pharmacy, Appleton was the founder & CEO of the nonprofit Sewn Arts, and Executive Director of WonderRoot, the leading arts and social change organization in Atlanta.

Appleton’s strong commitment to servant leadership, family and civic engagement has led him to be bestowed numerous awards and honors, including: the Americans for the Arts National Emerging Leader Award; the Emory Center for Creativity and the Arts Community Impact Award; inclusion in Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 Under 40, Georgia Trend’s 100 Notable Georgians, and World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers; and the New Leaders Council Alumni Award.

Appleton is a member of the Grady Hospital Ambassador Force Advisory Board. He has served on numerous other boards including the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board, Americans for the Arts Emerging Leaders Council, Atlanta Celebrates Photography, Alliance Theatre Advisory Board, Health Connect South Advisory Board and more. He is also co-founder of Vote with Dignity, an all-volunteer voter advocacy organization working to improve the voting experience through line warming and neighborhood engagement.

He completed his Executive MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.