South Florida Tech Hub: Pioneering Wellness to Combat Burnout

As the demands of the tech industry continue to evolve, so do the pressures and stresses that come with it. South Florida Tech Hub’s Women’s Council and HealthTech & Life Science peer groups came together to discuss the topic of “Beyond Burnout: Cultivating Resilience In Work and Life.”

Sponsored by NRG VR, the event was held at ModMed located at the Boca Raton Innovation Campus in Boca Raton and featured a keynote speaker, panel discussion, exhibit tables and networking. Celine Kaiser, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Specialty Business at ModMed and Vice Chair of South Florida Tech Hub’s Women’s Council welcomed everyone to the venue.

Opening speaker, Dr. Morgan Levy, a clinical psychologist and executive coach, is passionate about helping professionals enhance all areas of their lives and embrace all parts of their identity without giving up their drive, motivation, and perseverance. She has been a past speaker for previous South Florida Tech Hub events such as SoFlo DevCon, South Florida’s largest developer conference. Dr. Morgan opened up the eveings discussion with a keynote on “The Power of Presence: Cultivating Well-Being Beyond Work.” 

In a career-driven society, it’s really easy to become consumed by our work and ignore other aspects of our lives. However, finding meaning in our lives outside of work can help us be more productive in our work. Attendees learned the role that perfectionism and burnout plays on mental health as well as gain a deeper understanding into the importance of valuing our identity beyond our work roles. “You can have success in the workplace without sacrificing who you are,” Dr. Levy stated.

The Panel was made up of a group of professionals who expressed cultivating wellness in a variety of ways. Panelists included:

• PJ Ware | Wellness & Mental Health Technology
• Dr. Morgan Levy | Licensed Psychologist
• Dr. Krista Imre | Naturopathic Doctor
• Katherine Murphy | Mental Health Chief Executive Officer

Event sponsor and panelist, PJ Ware, is also the Founder & CEO of NRG VR, a company on a mission to support individuals mental health by providing a variety of meditation experiences through virtual reality (VR) technology in breathtaking locations around the world using nature as therapy. Employee wellness and well-being is a new untapped element of virtual reality in which NRG is pioneering. PJ played a crucial role in the panel discussion giving examples of how technology can combat the tresses of every day life and offer a solution towards mental wellness.

NRG VR is dedicated to helping individuals navigate daily stress, whether it’s the fast-paced environment of corporations, within scary or stressful healthcare settings, or the pressures of everyday life faced by teens and adults. The VR technology allows you to enter a world where the boundaries of physical locations melt away. transporting you to the tranquil beaches of California, Bali, Florida, and Spain, as well as the cliffs of Australia and Hawaii, the mountains of Utah, and the Buddhist temples of Thailand. Their exotic locations provide the virtual mental escape you need. With NRG VR Meditation, you can personalize your journey to serve you best: Guided Meditation & Breathwork, Sound Escapes, or Voice Therapy.

Prior to the panel discussion, attendees had the chance to connect and interact with the different panelists products such as the NRG VR headset, Dr. Krista Imre and her table of naturopathic medicine from her company Live Wellness, and Katherine Murphy from NAMI Palm Beach County, an organization dedicated to providing support, education and advocacy with the goal to empower persons with mental illness and their families. There was even a table for Charleston Coffee Roasters handing out free samples for all guests.

NRG VR provided a VR simulation before the panel so people could witness the immersive experience for themselves. He told South Florida Tech Hub, “It’s great to express the imperative need for this on behalf of the ‘Cultivating Resilience’ event.  I’m grateful for South Florida Tech Hub’s work in providing evnts like this.” 

He continued, “South Florida Tech Hub is what we’ve needed for a long time. We haven’t really had a place where the community can come together like this.” 

The event was a must-attend for anyone looking to lead a more fulfilled life by managing work stress, understanding the pitfalls of perfectionism, and reclaiming a sense of self beyond their professional identity. This will be the first of many more discussions around mental health for technology professionals.

Attendee, Mirna Eusebio Lithgow, an Advisory Board Member for Intellias and Founder and CEO of LeapView Group, posted on social media some of her insights from the event’s discussion stating, “It is inspiring to see how tech companies are bringing innovation to healthcare centers, such as using VR to provide experiences to patients and help them appreciate life and enjoy a moment of joy traveling virtually.”

She posted, “We heard about best practices to boost Wellness and Self-Care in your everyday and with our teams; here are some tips shared:”

✅ Take time to do intentional breathing using the box technique.
✅ Go for a 15-minute green walk.
✅ Schedule walking meetings with your team.
✅ Offload your mind before sleeping; build a to-do list before bedtime.
✅ Schedule emails to go out the next day, instead of late at night.

Our panel moderator, Chair of the Tech Hub Women’s Council, and Co-Founder & COO of Focus Glogal Talent Solutions, Brittany Fox, works with tech professionals every day from data science, to artificial intelligence to c-suite executives in the tech space. She understands the stres factors in working with such professionals, but also being a founder in the tech space herself. 

“You want to give the audience the opportunity to learn from different perspectives,” Brittany told South Florida Tech Hub. “From mental health to your physical body to how meditation can play into their mental health and also technology is a big part of it.”

Want to learn more about getting involved in Tech Hub? Become a member by visiting www.techhubsouthflorida.org/membership