Research shows that the always-connected super computers in our pockets are contributing to mental and behavioral health issues across the world. Can our smart devices also help us thrive and live our best lives? Technology has enabled new methods of self care and well being, and has helped millions of people address issues ranging from anxiety to insomnia.

This session explores the duality of how our hyper-connected world impacts our health and seeks to shed light on how designers can leverage principles of human behavior and psychology to develop products and experiences that help people be their best selves. Followed by a panel of community leaders (see below.)

Featuring:
Andrew Baker, Creative Technology Director. Cactus

Community Panel:
Can we tackle some of the world's most challenging social issues through a traditional startup business model? Join Grit Digital Health, a mental and behavioral health product company based in Denver, and Hopelab, a non-profit social innovation lab from San Francisco focused on teen/young adult health and well-being, to discuss the challenges and opportunities of growing businesses that strive for social impact.

Panelists:
Jana Haritatos -
As Vice President of Research at Hopelab, Dr. Haritatos leads the organization’s behavioral science research strategy and cultivates a network of scientific collaborators and advisors to inform the design, evaluation, and delivery of high impact solutions to improve the health and well-being of young people.

Prior to joining Hopelab, Dr. Haritatos received her doctorate in Psychology from the University of Michigan and completed an NIMH post-doctoral fellowship in Psychology & Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Department of Psychiatry, where her research focused on psychological and socio-cultural determinants of health in diverse populations.

Chris McCarthy -
Chris McCarthy is the Vice President of Strategy & Design at Hopelab where he is excited to deepen its impact on the health and wellness of young people through design and systems thinking. He is also the Executive Director and Founder of the Innovation Learning Network.

His work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review (Sept 2010), Bisognano and Kenney’s “Pursuing the Triple Aim: Seven Innovators Show the Way to Better Care, Better Health, and Lower Costs” (2012) as well as FastCompany, the New York Times and many more. In his previous role at Kaiser Permanente’s Innovation Consultancy, he tackled safer medication administration for patients, more robust shift changes for nurses, exploring the social space of elders, and the care experience of transgender people.

As an author, he collaborated with Lyle Berkowitz, MD on “Innovation with Information Technologies in Healthcare” (2012), and with Lisa Schilling on Schall’s “Spreading Improvement Across Your Health Care Organization” (2007). You can find his quirky design blog at McCarthyChris.com. He was named the 2015 H.I.T. Innovator and the 2011 Ellerbe Beckett Lecturer. And is an international speaker on innovation and design.

Chris has a master’s in business administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute / Copenhagen Business School, and a master’s in public health in Health Policy from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In his spare time, he obsesses about fitness and an occasional doughnut.

Joe Conrad -
Joe Conrad is a creative entrepreneur and a digital health pioneer and he believes that the power of innovation and technology can solve any problem. He is the Founder and CEO at Grit Digital Health –– a team of specialists in behavioral health, wellness, technology and marketing committed to transcending barriers like stigma and access to help people get the support they need, when and how they need it.

Joe and his team are the creators of Man Therapy, an innovative and award-winning campaign that uses humor to engage working-age men and an immersive, entertaining, digital experience where therapy actually happens. In 2016 Grit Digital Health launched YOU @ College, a personal and customized well-being portal that helps students navigate life and campus.

Since 1990, Joe has led the charge at Cactus, a purpose-driven branding and creative agency with the mission of growing brands that help people thrive. Cactus has developed a reputation of one of the nation’s leading social marketing agencies by leveraging power of branding, creative and technology to make meaningful work that makes a huge impact.

Nathaan Demers -
Nathaan is passionate about people. This passion has led him to an enriching career as a clinical psychologist, filled with a number of twists and turns working across a variety of settings. Nathaan is an active traveler and athlete - these aspects of his life have inspired him to think beyond the traditional confines of mental health care. He strives to find innovative ways to expand the reach of mental health services to improve the lives of others. While Nathaan is fascinated by all areas of psychology, his passion lies within the positive psychology movement working specifically in preventative behavioral health.

Andrew Baker - Moderator
Andrew's passion for using technology to create connections is contagious. In his role at Cactus and Grit, Andrew inspires and guides the development of user-centered digital solutions that deliver intuitive, rewarding experiences. With a background in experience design and front-end development, Andrew ensures that the solutions we create are rooted in research and designed to meet user needs while supporting business goals.

Hosted by:
Cactus
2128 15TH ST
DENVER CO 80202

• Cactus does not have a public parking lot, so please come without a car or expect to find street parking nearby.

Learn More:
https://cactusinc.com
https://gritdigitalhealth.com/
https://hopelab.org/