Episode 10: Transformative Tech Academy — Educating Social Impact Leaders

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What is the last frontier? The ocean? Space? What about the human mind?

Although the brain has been studied since antiquity, its ability to control our body as well as filter, store and interpret our daily experience is not completely understood with many questions left unanswered. Fortunately, the last thirty years of scientific advancement has made it possible for technology to benefit cognitive and emotional well-being at scale. This is due to increased understanding of the mind-body connection; scalability of the internet; and advancement in computing and biosensors. More than ever we have begun to recognize as a society that mental health affects all humans and has profound effects on our quality of life, relationships, and physical health.

In this episode, we are joined by Rui Ma, the co-founder of the Transformative Technology Academy, or TTA for short. The TTA is a free online academy that provides specific education to entrepreneurs developing technologies at the intersection of mind and body to improve human potential. These include technologies impacting mental health, physical health, and cognition. Some interesting projects included wearable technologies that coach healthy sleep habits or train meditation via biofeedback.

These past two months, the Transformative Technology Academy, or TTA, sponsored more than 400 entrepreneurs from more than 30 countries as part of the inaugural cohort. I was fortunate to be accepted to the academy as part of the innovator track. Through the program, I experienced both business and product mentorship specific to transformative technology across software, hardware, and medical devices. This mentorship was provided via an active Slack chat community, co-founder networking discussions, and video conferences featuring investors, technologists, and successful entrepreneurs. I hope this conversation will shed light on the potential for transformative technology to improve our lives and combat increased rates of depression, loneliness, and anxiety across the globe.

Show Notes:

Rui’s Blog Post: “Don’t Just Make Something People Want, Make Something People Need.”

See the Transformative Tech Conference Livestream here.

Transformative Technology 35-page Brief

Imagine Human Episode 9: The Neuroscience of Morality and How Social Media Influences Our Emotions

Imagine Human Episode 4: Science Meets Spirituality — Transformative Technology for the Emotional Well-Being of Humanity