What happens when the person fighting to fix the mental health system is quietly falling apart inside it? In this candid and compelling talk, former federal official and longtime advocate Lisa M. Gomez shares the untold story behind the polished speeches and public wins: the unraveling that no one saw. While leading national efforts to expand mental health access, she was silently living with her own mental health challenges - and the stigma and bias woven into the very system she was trying to mend. With humor, honesty, and a few frayed edges, Lisa invites us to look at what it can really cost to speak out, lead change, and to show up when the system you’re mending doesn’t always know how to hold you. This is a story for anyone who’s ever tried to stay stitched together while holding the world together for others. Lisa served as the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits Security in the U.S. Department of Labor during the Biden-Harris Administration, from when she was confirmed by the Senate in 2022 through the end of the Administration. She was responsible for leading the agency that has regulatory and enforcement authority over all private employment-based employee benefit plans, covering more that 150 million American workers, retirees, and their families. Lisa was recognized for leadership in regulations involving retirement security, surprise medical billing, price transparency, access to mental health care, worker ownership and other projects and priorities. Lisa is a frequent speaker, often sought by the press, industry and advocates. She founded LMG Collaborative Consulting Solutions and provides comprehensive public policy and other consulting services in all aspects of employee benefits, This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx