The most successful businesses are often born from a personal passion. That is certainly the case with WeVibin, a technology firm that develops scientifically validated tech tools for improving cognitive performance.
Stefanie Lattner, Founder and CEO of WeVibin, was introduced early on to the difficulties faced by those with cognitive challenges. Her brother had neurological issues that left her feeling hopeless and looking for answers.
“To begin with, articulating what he was experiencing was difficult for my brother,” Lattner recalls. “And the treatment he received, which predominantly involved powerful medications, made it worse. They left him drowsy and incapacitated. My family and I felt like we had no insights as to how to help.”
As Lattner and her family sought healing for her brother, she was eventually inspired to attend medical conferences focusing on neurological issues. That was where the seeds for WeVibin were planted.
“Attending medical conferences made me realize I needed to learn a lot more about the ways in which the brain functioned and how it could be cared for,” Lattner says. “It also helped me to see most of the research and the insights it was producing were not having a significant influence on mainstream medical practices.”
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Leveraging technology to support better brain health
Lattner, who has degrees in electrical engineering, bioengineering, and business administration, started her career at the University of Pittsburgh’s Medical Center, where she worked on a team that developed the world’s first teleradiology systems. By connecting trauma doctors and neurosurgeons to community hospitals, the technology she helped create allowed smarter decisions to be made about the value of transporting patients via life-flight helicopters.
From there, Lattner’s career path took her to Respironics, a medical device firm specializing in supporting healthy respiratory functions, where she served as head of research and new technology. Her work earned her a portfolio of more than 85 patents worldwide related to brain health. It also awakened in her an appreciation for entrepreneurship, which led her to join Innovation Works to help foster a health startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem within Southwestern Pennsylvania.
As Lattner’s history in medical research combined with her experiences in promoting entrepreneurship, she became a “healthpreneur,” launching WeVibin with a vision to use the most advanced neuroscience to create revolutionary care. Working with a team of engineers, scientists, creatives, healthcare professionals, and entrepreneurs, Lattner has developed tools that bring new hope to the field of neurology.
“We’ve taken the knowledge gained over 20 years and intentionally designed new approaches that help individuals increase cognitive performance in a safe, non-invasive way at home,” says Lattner. “Our therapy device and brain-training software can be used by anyone at any level. They help users increase attention, focus better, decrease anxiety and impulsivity, and build the ability to remain calm under pressure.”
Developing innovative therapies that make a difference
Neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to adapt — is at the core of the work Lattner and the WeVibin team do. Many of the cognitive challenges people face are caused by the way the brain behaves. Neuroplasticity allows for those behaviors to be changed to improve the health and cognitive performance of the brain.
“Improving cognitive performance is a game changer for those living with adult ADD/ADHD, Autism, Parkinson’s Disease, and the effects of a concussion or traumatic brain injury, as well as those experiencing the effects of aging,” Lattner explains. “To accomplish it, you must retrain your brain by reinforcing positive neural pathways.”
The Squirrel CHASER is one of the solutions WeVibin has brought to those with cognitive challenges. It is a cognitive performance test that provides users with 10 unique ways to measure their visual and auditory attention.
“Unfortunately, many professionals have come to rely on questionnaires as a tool for measuring attention,” Lattner explains. “They ask a person if they feel like they are focused, if they can pay attention, or if they are distracted. The problem with that approach is people are terrible at ‘self-reporting.’ Formalized testing, which the Squirrel CHASER provides, is a much better way of measuring attention.”
The tests provided through the Squirrel CHASER allow users to gather data on what helps or impairs their focus. Users can identify the decisions that are best for boosting attention by taking tests before and after interventions such as medication, supplements, exercise, yoga, or meditation. The Squirrel CHASER can also be used to reinforce neural pathways, retraining the brain to increase attention and decrease distractibility and impulsivity.
The Squirrel TAMER is another solution developed by WeVibin that leverages patented vibrational therapy to promote mental wellness.
“The Squirrel TAMER was designed to provide a consumer device that is safe, clinically tested, non-prescription, and does not interfere with medication,” Lattner explains. “It can be worn whenever it is needed — in the home, work, or school environment — to decrease anxiety and impulsivity and to increase attention and focus. It is an innovative approach to bringing out your cognitive best without drugs.”
Becoming a cognitive enhancement leader has been a long journey for Lattner, involving years of developing expertise in both cognitive development and entrepreneurial skills. The driving force behind the journey, however, has always been compassion for those with cognitive challenges and a belief in the brain’s ability to heal.
“We know first-hand what our customers go through,” Lattner says. “We know that what works for one person may not work for another. Our tools are built with that in mind so they can adapt to unique needs, personalize the experience, and foster new levels of cognitive health for a wide range of people.”
