FutureForward with Therapy Designer Ryan Douglas, Founder, DeepWell

"There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in." ― Leonard Cohen

Ryan Douglas is a unique blend of brilliance with an engaging personality, a genius in so many ways, enthusiastic about his mission(s), fun to talk to, and has a big heart (from my viewpoint).   So many other descriptors could be added but let's get to what he's done and is doing today.  He's dedicated much of his life's work to innovating new technologies and therapies for mental health. His stats include 26+ patents issued across robotics, AI, and medical applications and 30+ FDA-cleared medical devices.  

Ryan surprised me at the end of our conversations by pulling up a copy of my book, Now That I Know;17 Life Lessons for Women Entrepreneurs, the icing on the cake (for me) of this wonderful conversation.  But it's a sign of who he is. He listens, soaks in information, has the desire to continue learning, and loves to know who he is talking to.  There are common threads between us; listening intently, following trends, and a desire to do good things for people. Then there's the common interest in technology but Doug is on a different planet! 

In 2022, Douglas unveiled DeepWell Digital Therapeutics (DTx), an independent video game publisher and developer that will "make video games that both entertain and provide treatment for a variety of issues" ..." with a focus on mental health", founded in partnership with Devolver Digital co-founder and game producer Mike Wilson. DeepWell aims to bring its games to users over the counter as an adjunct therapy, catching people in a mild-to-moderate place. Therapists could use the games to identify when people are heading toward suicidal ideation and need specific interventions beyond DeepWell’s scope.  Ryan Douglas 

Utilizing a team of “more than 40 game designers, medical researchers, scientists, and creators”, DeepWell's first game will be released in 2023 and "will be designed to treat mild to moderate depression, anxiety, and hypertension." Beyond their own games, Douglas and company are building on research that shows "video game-based tools can help with conditions like depression and ADHD" to create “a suite of processes that follow FDA guidelines”  and can assist other independent "developers in designing and repurposing [existing] games to magnify their innate therapeutic value."

More on Ryan Douglas

"A noted expert and innovator in the fields of mental health, artificial intelligence, and surgical robotics, Ryan has been on the frontline of major paradigm shifts in healthcare for 15 years. Ryan is currently the CEO of DeepWell DTx Digital Therapeutics, a new game-changing company that creates medically therapeutic games that can be used to treat mental health conditions while maintaining best-in-class gameplay. Ryan has 26+ #patents issued across robotics, #AI, and #medicalapplications and has commercialized 30+ medical devices, including #treatments for depression, hypertension, women's health, chronic pain, and related neurological conditions. Ryan holds pivotal patents for medical AI, robotics, and systems and frequently has achieved FDA clearance for breakthrough therapies. 

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