About the Summit

We are excited to invite you to the first virtual, global SharpBrains Summit (January 18-20th, 2010). The SharpBrains Summit will feature a “dream team” of over 25 speakers who are leaders in industry and research from 7 countries, to discuss emerging research, tools and best practices for cognitive health and performance. This inaugural event will expose health and insurance providers, developers, innovators at Fortune 500 companies, investors and researchers, to the opportunities, partnerships, trends, and standards of the rapidly evolving cognitive fitness field.

Note: this will be a virtual conference, so you can access it from wherever you are. No travel is required – you simply need an Internet connection to access the sessions, discussions, demos. More details below.

Selected Speakers (full agenda and speaker roster Here):

David Whitehouse, Chief Medical Officer, OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions. Dr. Whitehouse serves as OptumHealth’ clinical lead as well as the company’s product strategist for medical/behavioral/pharmacy integration and future innovation. His panel: Cognition and Neuroplasticity: The New Healthcare Frontier.

aldrich Steven Aldrich, CEO, Posit Science. Steven Aldrich is President and CEO of Posit Science, joining the company from Intuit. Steven holds an MBA from Stanford University and is an avid supporter of the arts. His panel: Tools for Safer Driving: The Opportunity with Teenagers and Adults.

William Reichman, President, Baycrest. Dr. William E. Reichman is President and Chief Executive Officer of Baycrest. Dr. Reichman is a former President of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry and the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation. His panel: Cognition and Neuroplasticity: The New Healthcare Frontier.

Elizabeth Zelinski, Professor at USD Davis School of Gerontology. Elizabeth Zelinski, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, and Co-PI of the IMPACT study. Her panel: Baby Boomers and Beyond: Maintaining Cognitive Functions for Independent Living.

Tim Chang, Partner, Norwest Venture Partners. Tim focuses on investments in mobile, gaming, digital media, and also leads NVP’s investment practice in China and Asia-Pacific. He is in the Board of Lumos Labs, and advises the Casual Games Association. His panel: What’s Next: Entrepreneurial And Funding Perspectives.

Jesse Wright, Director Depression Center, University of Louisville. Jesse H. Wright, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Louisville, and the principal author of the first multimedia computer program for treatment of depression. His panel: Integrating Cognition with Home Health and Medical Home Models.

And over 20 other industry and research pioneers. Full Agenda and Speaker Bios Here.

When: a) January 18-19th, 2010: Conference, combining market and research insights by leading speakers; b) January 20th, 2010: Expo Day, with product demos by Sponsors.

Where and Why: the Summit will take place online globally (this is, instead of you traveling to the Summit, the Summit will travel to you), because…

it needs to happen soon to help address growing interest and confusion surrounding “brain fitness”, “brain training”, neuroplasticity and cognitive health in general,
we prefer not to ask you to spend over $1,000 in flights, accommodation, taxis, food…,
we have speakers based in 7 countries, and may have participants in even more,
we believe that a virtual conference can provide such a valuable experience as a physical one. You can read about registration benefits Here.

What is a “virtual conference”? The SharpBrains Summit is just like a physical conference — we will gather in a forum to discuss latest information, connect with each other, discover opportunities and partnerships. However, rather than traveling to a conference, the SharpBrains Summit travels to you. Thanks to a participant-only website, you will access each presentation either by joining the live webcast or by downloading a recording after the presentation, and you will be able to discuss with speakers and your peers, before, during, and after, the conference.

Do I need to install some special software to attend the conference? No. We will be using Adobe Connect Pro, which doesn’t require any plug-in. The only requirements are 1) having an office-quality Internet connection (not dial-up), 2) having Adobe Flash Player (over 99% Internet-enabled computers have it by default; it can be downloaded for free).

When will the presentation recordings be available on the conference website, and for how long? The presentation recordings will become available on January 25th, 2010, and remain on the website for 3 months following the conference. Access will be provided only for registered participants.

About SharpBrains: SharpBrains is a market research and advisory services firm devoted to helping organizations, professionals and consumers navigate the brain fitness and cognitive health field. In 2009, the firm released its flagship report The State of the Brain Fitness Software Market 2009, for decision-makers, and the consumer guide The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness, for everyone with a brain. SharpBrains mission is to provide independent, research-based, information and guidance to navigate the growing cognitive and brain fitness market.