ENTREPRENEUR SPOTLIGHT
Featured entrepreneurs will present groundbreaking ideas and pose impact-related questions to participants. Spotlight entrepreneurs will also host breakout discussion tables. Our Experiential Neurolab will also feature live demos from neurotech entrepreneurs in the BrainMind Ecosystem. Special forum spotlight entrepreneurs:
Connor Glass, MD, is the CEO of Phantom Neuro and a trailblazer in human-machine interfacing. He earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and completed a research fellowship in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Johns Hopkins. Here, he focused on neuromuscular microsurgery to control neuropathic pain and enhance intuitive machine control. He has published extensively on nerve injuries and neuromuscular surgery and contributed to the latest edition of the Handbook of Neuroengineering. Driven by his groundbreaking research, he founded Phantom Neuro, aiming to revolutionize the control of robotic prosthetic limbs and exoskeletons through a novel muscle-machine interface that combines implantable sensors with AI to translate EMG signals into robotic movement instantly. His company, which has secured $10M in seed funding and forged key partnerships with institutions like Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab and Blackrock Neurotech, is at the forefront of merging human biology with robotics to significantly improve the quality of life for those with limb impairments.
Connor Glass, Phantom Neuro
Meredith Perry is the co-founder and CEO of Elemind Technologies, Inc., a company dedicated to developing noninvasive neurotechnologies that enhance sleep, attention, and the overall human experience. Before establishing Elemind, Meredith founded uBeam, Inc., where she developed the most advanced ultrasonic transducer, transmitter, and receiver to date. She holds 25 patents, with another five pending. Meredith graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in geology, paleobiology, and astrobiology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011. Her innovative contributions have earned her multiple accolades, including being named twice to the Forbes 30 under 30 list and to the Fortune 40 under 40 Mobilizers list.
Meredith Perry, Elemind Technologies, Inc.
Dr. Jay Sanguinetti stands at the intersection of neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and contemplative science. He is a distinguished speaker, scientist, and entrepreneur, as well as a developing meditation teacher. He is the President of Sanmai Technologies, Public Benefit Corporation in Silicon Valley, and the Assistant Director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona. Specializing in psychophysiological measures such as EEG, fMRI, and eye-tracking, Dr. Sanguinetti has investigated many domains, including the complex neural dynamics of visual perception, emotion, and mindfulness meditation. He has also explored the neural basis of depression, anxiety, and Parkinson’s Disease. His team is at the cutting edge of neuroscience, exploring innovative forms of brain stimulation, including ultrasound and light-based techniques, to boost memory, perception, and overall well-being. In pioneering work, Dr. Sanguinetti teamed up with the prominent meditation teacher and scholar Shinzen Young to explore science-informed protocols and neurotechnologies to facilitate mindfulness practice. This collaboration gave birth to the Science Enhanced Mindful Awareness (SEMA) lab at the University of Arizona. The SEMA lab is at the forefront of developing science-based mindfulness protocols that lower the barriers to meditation and may help more people experience the benefits of the practice.
Jay Sanguinetti, Sanmai Technologies
Alice Albrecht, re:collect
John Donoghue is a Professor of Neuroscience and Engineering at Brown University known for translational work in brain-computer interfaces and fundamental research on cortical information processing. With his collaborators, he developed the first implanted, multielectrode-based BCI (known as ‘BrainGate’). Beginning in the early 2000s they showed people that people with paralysis could use this BCI to control computers, robotic limbs and their own arm. He was the founding Chair of the Brown Neuroscience Department, founding director of the interdisciplinary Carney Institute for Brain Science and the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology. From 2015 to 2019, he led the new Wyss Center for Bio- and Neuro-Engineering in Geneva, Switzerland. Donoghue was a member of the US B.R.A.I.N. Initiative's First Working Group and is currently a fellow of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as several other academies.
John Donoghue, Institute for NeuroElectronic Medicine
Dr. Don Vaughn is a neuroscientist and entrepreneur with extensive experience in product, neurotechnology, and evangelism. Don is committed to using developments in neuroscience and AI to create breakthroughs in mental health and brain function. His research has been featured on ABC, ESPN, TIME magazine, and The Economist. Over a million people have viewed his TEDx talk “neurohacking: rewiring your brain”. He has been an opinion leader for a range of news outlets including The Wall Street Journal and The Economist. Don completed dual degrees from Stanford — a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in Economics - and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UCLA.
Don Vaughn, Ampa