Theme: Re-imagining Recovery
The inaugural VISIT.: Veterans Innovation Summit for Investing & Technology will educate, engage and inspire organizations and individuals to examine how to accelerate rehabilitation and recovery for veterans through technology and medical advances. Produced by the Infinite Hero Foundation, VISIT will blend work and fun to provide an innovative thinking space for corporate leaders, donors and heads of Veteran Service Organizations from many industry sectors. Everyone in the room is invited to share best practices and ideas for cooperative efforts aimed at improving the transition and reintegration for our veterans, and their mental and physical recovery.
*Sessions subject to change
Monday September 15
Reintegration: From Understanding to Engaging
| 11:30 – 13:30 | Registration |
| 11:30 – 13:15 | Food Truck lunch |
| 13:30 | Welcome Remarks
Laurie Baker , Executive Director, Infinite Hero Foundation |
| 13:35 | Making the Most of Your VISIT
Master of Ceremonies: Erick Poston , Director, Military/Government, Oakley; Infinite Hero Board Director |
| 13:40 | Opening Keynote Conversation with General Pete Chiarelli, U.S. Army General (Retired), CEO, One Mind
Interviewer: Mike Boettcher, Peabody and Emmy Award-Winning Conflict Journalist; ABC News War Correspondent; Producer, The Hornet’s Nest |
| 14:10 | The Civilian-Military Disconnect: Breaking Down Barriers Almost 90% of recent veterans believe the American public doesn’t understand the challenges they and their families face. And 70% of Americans agree, surveys show. A filmmaker, author and Veterans will share their personal stories, dispel common myths and spur a discussion about overcoming challenges in the post-combat healing period. Kimberly Mitchell, President & Co-Founder, Easter Seals Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services; Infinite Hero Board Director Moderator: Paul Szoldra, West Coast Editor, Business Insider |
| 15:00 | Break |
| 15:30 | Interstitial: Infinite Hero The Scuba Warrior Project |
| 15:40 | Rotating interviews: Support Systems: The New Networks More than one million veterans will re-enter our communities in the next five years, and challenges abound—from going back to school or finding a job to coping with physical injuries and dealing with ‘invisible injuries’ such Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and moral injury. How much is being done, and what is lacking? Rotating interviews highlight opportunities to strengthen and reinvigorate efforts to help our troops rebuild their lives back home, with an emphasis on education and forming support networks. Anthony Allman, CEO & Co-Founder, POS REP Moderator: Bruce Upbin, Managing Editor, Forbes Media |
| 16:20 | Cutting-Edge Counseling Programs Supporting the personal, social and academic needs of students affected by war-related impacts and injuries is vital to helping military families transition and cope with everything from multiple deployments, high suicide rates to civilian-life transition. Dr. Anthony Hassan, clinical associate professor and director, USC Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families and Brian Cooke from the Armed Forces Foundation, will lead a lively discussion around what is needed to foster resiliency and the continuum of care for the future. Dr. Hassan will also introduce some cutting edge artificial intelligence models being used to train the next generation of military social workers. Anthony Hassan, Ed.D, Clinical Associate Professor and Director, USC Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families |
| 16:40 | Break |
Combating War Trauma: Immersion Sessions
| 17:00 | Interstitial: Infinite Hero Army Sgt. Neil Duncan (Ret.) |
| 17:10 | Presentation + Conversation I: Resiliency, Recovery and Renewal In recovery from injury and trauma, the human mind can play a key role in renewing the body’s energy—physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. For three decades Dr. Jim Loehr has researched and developed a science-based model for the Holistic Energy System. Dr. Loehr will apply his findings to veterans and the military, providing practical, performance-based guidance to strengthen physical, mental and emotional resilience. Thereafter, he will join panelists who know well the Power of Positive Thinking and how it can help transform hardship into a source of strength. Jim Loehr, Ed.D, Co-Founder, Johnson & Johnson’s Human Performance Institute; Vice President of Applied Science and Performance Psychology, Wellness & Prevention, Inc. Moderator: Tom Davin, Chairman & CEO, 5.11 Tactical |
| 18:00 | Conversation II: Dicing Data: Suicide Risk Detection and Prevention Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States and the second most common cause of death in the United States military. According to a recent report, 22 veterans commit suicide everyday with more service members dying by suicide than by combat-related causes. How can suicidal patterns be identified? Dr. Craig Bryan and Chris Poulin share cutting edge research and results of the Durkheim project, a linguistic-driven suicide risk prediction model. By analyzing the text of clinical notes and real-time data from social media, big data promises a breakthrough for future suicide risk detection and prevention. Facilitators: |
| 18:30 | Wrap-Up |
| 18:35 – 21:35 | Informal Reception, Tech Demos, Silent Auction, Backyard Reception and Storytellers Concert |
Tuesday September 16
Advancing Investment & Technology: From Imagination to Implementation
| 8:00 | Breakfast |
| 9:00 | Opening Remarks
Erick Poston, Director, Military/Government, Oakley; Infinite Hero Board Director |
| 9:10 | BODY Interstitial: Infinite Hero Chief Warrant Officer 5 Gary A. Linfoot, U.S. Army (Ret.) First military recipient of an EKSO exoskeleton for home use. |
| 9:20 | Presentations + Conversation: Bionic Bodies: The Future of Human Mobility A new generation of bionics is restoring touch and natural movement to those who have lost a limb, transforming the lives of more than 2,000 injured veterans since 2000. Hear from a panel of engineers, scientists and doctors at the forefront of tomorrow’s techniques about future technology and advances to augment human mobility. Russ Angold, Co-Founder & CTO, Ekso Bionics Moderator: Bruce Upbin, Managing Editor, Forbes Media |
| 10:20 | Break |
| 10:50 | BRAIN Healing the Warrior Brain The brain is the coordination center of not only sensation, but also nervous and intellectual activity that drives our reality. Extreme emotional trauma, a severe physical blow to the head and actions in battle that contradict personal moral beliefs often result in disorders and injuries that haunt veterans long after they return from war zones. Experts in brain imaging outline the cause and effect of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and moral injury, setting the stage for a discussion about the technologies and treatments being developed to evaluate and rehabilitate sufferers. Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Founder, Amen Clinics, Inc. Interstitial: Infinite Hero Kevin Murphy, M.D., Chief of Pediatric Radiation Oncology Service, University of California, San Diego Moderator: Dennis Kneale, Principal, Dennis Kneale Media; Independent Journalist and Media Strategist |
| 12:10 | Food Truck lunch |
| 13:30 | Virtual Reality’s New Reality Three decades after we first heard virtual reality would change the world, it finally is imminent. Facebook’s $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR, a tiny maker of virtual-reality headsets that haven’t yet hit the market, heralds the technology’s arrival as the Next Big Thing. Advocates see an entirely new platform for video calls, conferencing, 3D games and more, but some of the best applications may be for the military. The technology could alter care in mental health and physical rehabilitation, from easing phantom limb pain in amputees to soothing burn victims’ painful treatme nt to providing therapy for veterans with PTSD. Virtual reality gurus and experts in mental health take a gaze at what looms on the horizon. Marshall Millett, Founder, Aemass Moderator: Spencer Reiss, Contributing Editor, WIRED |
| 14:30 | Break |
| 15:00 | BUSINESS Onstage Conversation with Colin Baden, Board President & Director, Infinite Hero; Oakley, CEO Interviewer: |
| 15:20 | Moneyball Philanthropy Helping veterans return home, heal and rebuild their lives takes more than good intentions: It’s all in the numbers. New philanthropic models offer scalable solutions for measurement and accountability in philanthropic investment, but what constitutes the best approaches? Panelists explore how deploying capital in business and philanthropy must follow similar rules—and how both can create lasting social impact. Richard Shields, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Quiksilver Inc.; Infinite Hero Board Director Moderator: Eric Spitz, Co-owner & President, Freedom Communications |
| 16:05 | Re-imagining the Future…Innovations in Delivering Care Dr. Williamson shares his insights on proactive intervention in helping those affected by traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress, and the families that care for them. David Williamson, M.D., Neuropsychiatrist & Medical Director, Inpatient Traumatic Brain Injury Program, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center |
| 16:35 | Closing Remarks |
Confirmed Speakers To-Date:
Anthony Allman, CEO & Co-Founder, POS REP
Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Founder, Amen Clinics, Inc.
Russ Angold, Co-Founder & CTO, Ekso Bionics
Colin Baden, Board President & Director, Infinite Hero; Oakley, CEO
Laurie Baker, Executive Director, Infinite Hero Foundation
Jack Beckman, NHRA Driver, Infinite Hero Funny Car
Mike Boettcher, Peabody and Emmy Award-Winning Conflict Journalist; ABC News War Correspondent; Producer, The Hornet’s Nest
James Brobyn, Chief Advancement Officer, Travis Manion Foundation; CEO & Founder, CauseEngine, Inc.
Craig J. Bryan, PsyD, ABPP, Executive Director, National Center for Veterans Studies; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
General Peter Chiarelli, U.S. Army (Retired), CEO, One Mind
Colonel Robert J. Coates, U.S. Marine Corps Retired; Infinite Hero Board Director
Brian Cooke, Chief of Staff, Armed Forces Foundation
Stewart Coulter, Program Manager, DEKA Research & Development
Tom Davin, Chairman & CEO, 5.11 Tactical
Patricia A. Dorn, Ph.D., Director, Rehabilitation Research & Development Service, Department of Veterans Affairs
Dan Goldenberg, Executive Director, Call of Duty Endowment
Anthony Hassan, Clinical Associate Professor and Director, USC Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families
Yi Jin, M.D., Chief Medical Officer & Chairman of the Board, Brain Treatment Center
Dennis Kneale, Principal, Dennis Kneale Media; Independent Journalist and Media Strategist
W. P. Andrew Lee, MD, The Milton T. Edgerton, M.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Gary A. Linfoot, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Jim Loehr, Ed.D, Co-Founder, Johnson & Johnson’s Human Performance Institute; Vice President of Applied Science and Performance Psychology, Wellness & Prevention, Inc.
Colonel Stephen J. Lutsky, Director, Mounted Systems Evaluation Directorate, Army Evaluation Command
Marshall Millett, Founder, Aemass
Kimberly Mitchell, President & Co-Founder, Easter Seals Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services; Infinite Hero Board Director
Kevin Murphy, M.D., Chief of Pediatric Radiation Oncology Service, University of California, San Diego
Paul Niehaus, Co-Founder & President, GiveDirectly
Captain Jim Palmersheim, Managing Director – Veterans Initiatives, American Airlines
Erick Poston, Director, Military/Government, Oakley; Infinite Hero Board Director
Chris Poulin, Principal Partner, Patterns and Predictions; Director, The Durkheim Project
Cagan Randall DC, DACNB, Co-Founder & Staff Clinician, Carrick Brain Centers
Spencer Reiss, Contributing Editor, WIRED
Paul Rieckhoff, Founder & CEO, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)
Albert “Skip” Rizzo, Ph.D., Director of Medical Virtual Reality Research, Institute for Creative Technologies & Research Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry and the School of Gerontology, University of Southern California
Barbara O. Rothbaum, Ph.D., ABPP, Professor, Department of Psychiatry; Director, Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program & Associate Vice Chair of Clinical Research, Emory University School of Medicine
Richard Shields, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Quiksilver Inc.; Infinite Hero Board Director
Eric Spitz, Co-owner & President, Freedom Communications
Scott Stephenson, Former Army Staff Sergeant, Veteran, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Paul Szoldra, West Coast Editor, Business Insider
Bruce Upbin, Managing Editor, Forbes Media
Jon Warren, Former Army Staff Sergeant, Veteran, Operation Iraqi Freedom
W. Lee Warren, M.D., Writer, Neurosurgeon, Iraq War Veteran
David Williamson, M.D., Neuropsychiatrist & Medical Director, Inpatient Traumatic Brain Injury Program, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center