Rich has seen firsthand how workers, students and teachers struggle with stress, pressure, long hours and how it takes its toll on their health; and ultimately negatively impacts the performance of the organization that they work for or the activities they are engaged in. Convinced there had to be a more effective way to assess and solve for these challenges, he interviewed hundreds of individuals and organizations to understand their unique needs, he received in-depth training on organizational systems science, and he continued his research in resilience science to better determine the most robust predictors of optimal functioning. He has degrees from the University of Minnesota, the University of South Carolina, and Oxford University.