Army Market Intelligence Event to Engage Private Sector Human Performance Innovators on Whole-Health Solutions for Soldiers

Driving whole-health solutions for peak performance — not just physical fitness — is the focus of VERTEX | Human Performance, a two-day workshop held Dec 7–8 at Capital Factory in Austin. Hosted by Army Futures Command (AFC), the event brings together private sector technologists, innovators, and experts for a technical exchange that aims to uncover new and novel solutions for human performance challenges.

“The Army recognizes we can learn a lot from what the commercial market is doing in the human performance space,” said Lt. Gen. Thomas Todd, Army Futures Command. “By starting a dialogue with experts in other market sectors, like law enforcement, professional athletics, or even e-sports, we can envision how to use those technologies for our own purposes. At the same time, the event gives private sector businesses the opportunity to learn how best to work with the Army by understanding our needs, funding roadmap, and acquisition processes.”

The two-day event is focused on two key areas:

• Performance Optimization: The tech that enables peak physical and cognitive performance for people working in physically-demanding roles.
• Wearables, Tech and Data: The systems, processes, and technologies necessary to enable better health, precision, and resilience.

Among the private-sector speakers are experts with years of experience in human performance optimization, including:

• Alexis Bonnell, Google’s technology evangelist, who dedicates her time to helping public leaders catalyze their missions with technology and solve the world’s toughest challenges. She specializes in public sector use of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital twins.
• Christian Kusmitsch, co-Founder and CEO at Mindset Technologies NeuroTech Venture and CEO and principal at unlimited.ideas advisory. He has his doctorate degree in neuroscience and environmental psychology.
• Brian Wilneff, an entrepreneur with years of experience in the video game, Web3, and metaverse industries. He currently serves as CEO of Alpha Metaverse Technologies Inc., a company focused on Web3 and metaverse technologies.

“VERTEX | Human Performance is a way to gather operational intelligence — going beyond what we can discover online and really diving into actual conversations with the technologists who are focused on the cutting edge of whole-health solutions,” said COL Jay Wisham, director of the Army Applications Laboratory.

The Army VERTEX | Human Performance event will help to inform future investments while also providing attendees with insight into the Army’s funding roadmap directly from the 4-star command that shapes how and where the Army invests.

VERTEX plenary sessions will be live-streamed via the AFC YouTube site. To learn more about the event or the technology areas that will be discussed, visit armyvertex.com.