Past Speakers

Through professional athletics and performance, to a decades long practice of meditation, yoga, scientific/philosophical/poetic immersion. Retiring from a 30+ year career as a Psychiatric RN, researcher, educator, therapist and Anatomist. Continuing a private practice of an increasingly simple but deepening somato/spiritual nature. Developing into a ‘Float Contemplative’ in which suspension and immersion dynamics inform a growing intertwinement of science and spirit. Hopefully thinking, moving, communicating from a more interconnected sensibility.

Dr. Roy Vore is the senior consultant with Vore & Associates LLC, a consulting company specializing in aquatic facility management, operator training, and risk management. He is internationally recognized as the pool and spa sector's leading authority on recreational water illness. Since 1991 he has been the aquatics industry’s voice, translating the complexity of microbiology into the everyday language of operators. His efforts include drafting portions of the CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code, writing the NSPF’s recreational water illness manual, and a variety of fact sheets on microbial issues for APSP. Dr. Vore has over 90 scholarly papers and presentations on the selection and use of industrial biocides, biocide testing methodology, the microbiological of swimming pools and spas, and the governmental regulation of biocides. Roy became interested in floating due to the unique physiology of float tanks and the potential for non-pharmaceutical treatments for our overly stressed society. Roy’s hobbies include making beer and bird watching – which usually includes drinking the beer.

Flux has been doing research science for over a decade in about a dozen different labs on topics ranging from biotechnology to mental health. Flux has a B.S. in Biotechnology from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, an M.S. in Neuroscience from NYU focusing on the primate visual perception, an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder looking at the mental health effects of social identity formation, and this past May he defended a joint Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience at CU Boulder exploring the immunological mechanisms of several novel mental health therapeutics, including Floatation-REST. This year he recently began his final clinical internship at the Indian Health Care Resource Center in Tulsa, OK, where he provides mental health services to individuals with native heritage. He continues to work closely on floatation research projects at LIBR, as well as several other academic collaborations on various novel therapeutics. He also recently began consulting in the startup world, helping to design clinical trials investigating the immune impact of psychedelics. Finally, Flux is incredibly passionate about science communication, with extensive experience as a graphic designer. He applies this passion to his presentations, academic materials, and is currently developing a larger social media presence in science communication.

Graham is one of the founders of Float On, a six tank center in Portland, Oregon that opened its doors in 2010. Somewhere between then and now, Float On (with Graham firmly in tow) got itself tangled up in pretty much every aspect of the floatation world – from software and consulting to book publishing and music recording. Outside of his salty endeavors, Graham has a broad range of interests that include experimental theater, philosophical debates, complex systems design, and board games.

Ashkahn is one of the founders of Float On in Portland, Oregon, and one of the founders of this very conference! He likes to think of himself as a sort of Johnny Appleseed character for floating, travelling around and salting the earth everywhere he goes. He's done a lot of really impressive stuff over the course of his life, including holding the Guinness world record for fastest one-handed sorting of peanut m&ms! Well, he doesn't actually officially hold the record, but he did try it one time, and he's pretty sure he did it faster than whatever it said in that book. Anyway, he's a cool guy. You should go say hi to him if you see him around.

Dr. Feinstein has spent his career exploring the intimate connection between the body and brain, and developing new technologies to help bring this connection to the forefront of awareness. Utilizing both the lesion method and functional neuroimaging, his research explores how the human brain produces primal states of emotion that ultimately manifest as anxiety and avoidance behavior. His research has helped advance the neuroscience of fear, revealing important clues about the causal role of the human amygdala and insula in the experience of fear and anxiety. He is also at the forefront of discovering new treatments that naturally alleviate fear and anxiety without the use of drugs.

Dr. Feinstein completed his Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Iowa and his postdoctoral fellowship at the California Institute of Technology. He earned his undergraduate degree in cognitive neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego, and completed his clinical internship at the San Diego VA hospital with a focus on the treatment of veterans with PTSD using Prolonged Exposure therapy. Between 2013-2020, Dr. Feinstein founded and directed the Float Clinic & Research Center at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research, the only laboratory in the world studying the neurobiological effects of Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) and its potential as a treatment for promoting mental health and healing in patients who suffer from anxiety and stress-related disorders.

Dr. Khalsa is the Director of Clinical Operations at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR), an Associate Professor of Community Medicine at the University of Tulsa, and the current Director of the LIBR Float Clinic & Research Center. A psychiatrist and neuroscientist, his research investigates fundamental questions about the role of interoception in mental and physical health. For example, how does our nervous system influence the way we perceive our inner body? And how does dysfunctional cross talk between the body and brain influence the expression of psychiatric and cardiovascular illnesses? The long-term goal of this work is to identify interventions that re-establish a functional dialogue between the body and brain to improve physical and mental health.

In 1972, in an “is this all there is” mindstate, Glenn Perry read Dr. John Lilly’s autobiography of inner space, The Center of the Cyclone, launching him into the rest of his life. By that time Dr. Lilly had been experimenting with isolation tanks for 20 years, refining the experience to move towards the distraction free environment he needed for his life’s work, the exploration of consciousness. Glenn, a software engineer helped design the first time-sharing system – truly the beginning of the internet – discovered a Lilly workshop where he “floated” every day for a week. Glenn had found his life’s passion and John gave his blessing to him to make floating available to the world.

Glenn and wife Lee started the floatation tank industry, beginning with the design and manufacture of the first fully enclosed temperature controlled commercial floatation tank; the introduction of magnesium sulfate as a solution for buoyancy; and dreaming, building and managing the first float center. Their new book, Floating in Quiet Darkness: How the Floatation Tank Has Changed Our Lives and is Changing the World, chronicles this invention and its acceptance. Sadly, Lee Perry passed away in early March. Glenn is here to share his insights, currently focused on Extended Distraction-Free Floating.

Lee, with Glenn’s help, designed and started the first float center in Beverly Hills. She developed the post float protocol to honor the experience and support the floater’s use of floating for their own consciousness.

Lee will be giving a presentation alongside her husband Glenn Perry.

Thomas H Fine is a pioneer in the research of Floatation REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy). In 1978 he established, along with John Turner, the Floatation REST research program at the University of Toledo College of Medicine (formerly the Medical College of Ohio), where he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry.

Over a twenty year period, Tom and John published numerous papers and edited several books on the physical and mental effects of floatation therapy. Their work focused on psychophysiological and endocrine changes associated with repeated use of a Floatation Tank, and the effects of floating on various stress related disorders. Tom is currently beginning a collaboration with Justin Feinstein at LIBR examining changes in Heart Rate Variability that occur during the Floatation Tank experience.

With more than 18 years of training and marketing experience, Kim is passionate about helping individuals and business owners create a ripple effect on the world. Her work as a float center owner, yoga teacher, volunteer in the wellness industry, and business consultant allows her to share the knowledge she has gathered along the way in order to help others have fun, be successful, and live a peaceful life.

Murphy Monroe is a neurologically diverse pacifist who lives with his family in Evanston, Illinois, where he runs one of the nation’s premiere circus schools. After floating for several years, Murphy credits the power of the tank with helping him learn to understand, better command, and love his unique neurology.

McKenna Garland is a clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of Tulsa, who joined the Float Clinic and Research Center (FCRC) at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in August 2019. Her current project focuses on the analysis of cardiac interoception in anxious individuals during floatation. Her presentation will examine the importance of cardiac interoception in anxious individuals and evaluate the role that various floatation environments can play in this process.

Gloria is founder & owner of Float Sixty’s four Chicago area locations and that is her side hustle! In her day job she helps corporations modernize their infrastructure for Google and in her spare time serves as a podcast host on Art of the Float, Float Conference Member and has her own Radio show that promotes local non profits. You wonder why she needs floating in her life?
Gloria has a bachelors and masters degree in management and technology adoption and is also very active in her community and is a wife and mom of three children and two dogs!

Owner of float centers, franchisor, love leader, mindset mentor, doer...hugger. Pre float life, Beth attained a degree in marketing and international business from the University of Tennessee, worked in outside sales for office equipment companies, built a 6 figure real estate business, and built her own digital marketing firm. Her core ethos is "lead with love" and she'll tell you both she and her businesses are always in evolution. She believes firmly in having both businesses worth owning AND a life worth living (meaning we aren't chained to our businesses), and showing up authentically personally and professionally (in her case, usually in cowboy boots). Beth has been a float center owner since 2016.

Laura is the Director of Operations of Float Oasis in Brookfield, Wisconsin, where she has worked since 2018. When she went on her first 2-day silent retreat in 2003, she fell in love with meditation and mindfulness. She has helped to grow Float Oasis significantly in her time at the company, with the trust and support of the owner. Laura spent 10 years as an educator prior to joining Float Oasis, teaching English as a Foreign Language for grades K-12 in Japan and teaching biology at Purdue University in Indianapolis at the undergraduate level.

Nicole Walcott is the CEO of Shanti Wellness, Inc., a wellness company that specializes in chronic pain and stress management. Shanti Wellness serves individuals through Fayetteville Wellness Center, corporations through Shanti Corporate Wellness and military units through Shanti Government Wellness.

Nicole found floating in 2016 through her own personal struggle with chronic pain. While serving in the US Army, she suffered a devastating spinal cord injury that forced her to separate from the Army and caused her crippling chronic pain. Her life changed during her first float. For the first time in almost 3 years, she was pain free. Just 9 months later, she officially opened the doors to her wellness center. Nicole works almost exclusively with military and first responders through her Center in Fayetteville, NC. Her company holds the only multi year military contract for Floatation Therapy.

Nicole currently sits on the Board for the Float Conference and serves on the Membership Committee for the FTA.

Nicole is the mother of two young children. Outside of work, Nicole enjoys riding motorcycles, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.

Dr. Laura Witte is a physician associate (PA) graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She has been teaching in medical academia for 16 years. She holds a Master's degree in physical medicine and pain management. She also has a Ph.D. in Health Sciences with a concentration in Healthcare Administration.

Clinically, she has worked in several areas of medicine including orthopedic surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and urgent care.

She was a float spa owner from 2015 to 2020. Currently, she is a professor at the University of Lynchburg in the Doctor of Medical Sciences (DMSc) program. She teaches Evidence-Based Medicine, Healthcare Administration, Healthcare Management, and Doctoral Project courses.

She spends much of the time with her children, Sage (age 9) and Sky (age 7). She also enjoys kayaking, dancing, and pilates.

Dr. Witte is delighted to bridge the gap between medicine and float spa ownership for this conference.

Shoshana Leibner is the woman behind Float dreams and Floating Yoga. and is dedicated to helping integrate Floatation Therapy into your life either at home or in business.

With one of the longest careers in the float industry there is not an area that she has not been involved in; starting work at the first float centre in 1979 set up by her mother Lee Perry along with her partner Glenn Perry. Shoshana took floating to Europe, explaining the industry internationally while managing a career as a ballerina in Italy.

Shoshana has a passion and drive few can match, maybe it was the conversations with JC Lilly her own personal experiences in the tank while a professional athlete, or the many thousands of people she has introduced to floating, all accumulate to a deep understanding of all aspects of floatation therapy from the manufacturing and regulatory bodies creating the standard in the early days to engaging and supporting those in research. Shoshana has always been generous with her knowledge to all who asked.

Shoshana comes to speak with us today about her loving memory of her mother Lee Perry whom Floating Yoga was created for. Shoshana will share the visions Lee had for the industry and the new and revised Floating Yoga programs she has been working on to make available for float centre owners, taking floating to a whole new level. With over 40 years’ experience in the health and wellbeing industry at an elite level, she has the best credentials to bring to life this area that the industry has been missing.

Jeremy Jacob is the owner of Float Wellness Spa in San Antonio TX. FLOAT started with three float tanks and a massage room in 2016, but would expand into a five tank center with three single massage rooms, one couples massage room, two infrared saunas, a salt cave, and other services that include PandoraStar, NormaTec, and massage chairs. Jeremy is also currently on the board of directors for the FTA.

Dr. Marek Malůš is an academic worker, researcher and the head of the Department of psychology at the University of Ostrava (Czech Republic). In 2010 he started to research chamber REST (which is quite similar to flotation REST) and so far he has conducted several studies. He is the most experienced chamber REST researcher in Europe and is focusing on mindfulness, burn-out syndrome, physiology changes and psychotherapy effects of chamber REST procedures in the length of several days (one week in average).

Toni is the founder and president of Floatation Therapy Australia. She is a Certified Coach, Social Worker, Mindfulness Practitioner (MBSM), Mental Health First Aid Instructor and entrepreneur. She has over 30 years working with Australian public sector organisations. Her professional and personal experience in managing change has given her the opportunity to serve and support 1,000s of professionals to create and implement sustainable change in complex environments.

Toni is passionate about getting the world to float! She has integrated floating into her coaching, teaching people to reignite their purpose by taking a different response to stress to move away from burnout.

Jake Patten is the coordinator for the Milwaukee County Veterans Treatment Court. He's an Army veteran 2006- 2011, and served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Michael Hineline grew up moving markets and learning industries living in the regions of the Mid-West, the South-West and the Pacific North-West. His love of marketing began through both economics and history. As a graduate from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University main campus he connected his education with extra curriculars and passion projects. Networking and promoting were always skillsets of Michael but after college he got to put things into practice. A quote that amplifies this expression is, " education less application is just entertainment." -Tim Sanders

Michael has worked in marketing for hospitality, multifamily apartments, clothing, event production and web development. Michael is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys freediving, ice hockey, snowboarding, wakeboarding, marine biology and sociology.

Dr. Lydia Caldwell is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation at the University of North Texas. She earned her B.S. in Biology and M.S.E in Exercise Science from the University of Dayton prior to completing her Ph.D. in Kinesiology at The Ohio State University. As a member of the Applied Physiology Laboratory, her research efforts are centered on understanding the multifaceted stressors associated with high-performance populations (military, athletics) and identifying recovery strategies to promote readiness and resiliency. Caldwell's research approach involves a broad range of neuromuscular and biochemical techniques to monitor physiological responses to training. Her most recent work has focused on the use of floatation-restricted environmental stimulation therapy to augment recovery from intense physical stress.

Jeff is the President and Founder of Heating Green and attended/sponsored a booth at the 2017 conference in Portland, OR. More importantly, he's a father of two great kids and a wonderful wife!

Jonathan has an insatiable passion for the float experience and industry. Driven by what he calls his, “superpower,” a medical condition known as ADHD. But it wasn’t until discovering floatation therapy that provided him a therapeutic alternative to medication for his condition. Not long after his first sensory deprivation experience, Jonathan and his wife Jessie founded Float Light in Appleton, Wisconsin. Float Light was an immediate success and was admired by the industry and community. Jonathan then focused his attention toward the float industry by becoming a contributing member of the Floatation Tank Association (FTA) and joining the education and outreach committee, hosting and presenting workshops and roundtable events. In addition to his work through the FTA, Jonathan shares his expertise and knowledge for free through online workshops, consultation, business tools and marketing content for float centers, spas and other businesses. Jonathan is an expert in marketing, advertising, videography, graphic design and software engineering. His ultimate goal is to educate the float community on strategies that build public awareness of floatation therapy and the many benefits it provides.

Allan and Jeanne Mills are co-owners of Ocean Elements Salt Spa and Float Center in Ocean City, Maryland, which they created after their experience floating in 2016. They knew what an impact it had on their outlook on life and were inspired to make a difference in the lives of others. This is the primary driver for the vision for Ocean Elements, which is to have a major, deep impact on the quality of people’s lives by helping them overcome stress, anxiety, pain, and improving sleep. Allan is a management consultant that works with Fortune 100 companies to create business transformations. He is also in the apprentice program for Inner Matrix Systems, which helps people develop personal mastery to create real life results. Jeanne is a Registered Nurse with over 30 years of experience in several clinical modalities of nursing. Allan and Jeanne have been aligning the vision of Ocean Elements around the E-Myth mastery, Profit-First, and The Inner Matrix Systems programs.

Andy is on a mission to raise awareness of float therapy and bring it to a cultural tipping point for humankind by revolutionizing the way float centers advertise and market themselves. After a traumatic experience left him with lingering symptoms of PTSD, Andy discovered that the float tank was the perfect environment to recondition his reactive thought processes and get his mental health back on track. Feeling called to teach others about the incredible potential of the tanks, Andy became involved at Float Seattle, eventually coordinating all digital marketing efforts for their 2 locations. In the three years since then, Float Seattle has expanded to 4 locations and is now the largest non-franchised float business in Washington state. In late 2019, Andy launched Rising Tide Advertising with the goal of sharing his winning marketing strategies and educational content with the industry at large. His educational videos are used by hundreds of float centers around the world, and have helped to book tens of thousands of new floats, generating hundreds of thousands in revenue for his clients. He’s currently working with Flux and Dr. Justin Feinstien to adapt the growing body of clinical float research into engaging, ad compliant videos, which will empower float centers to proactively educate those in their communities who can benefit from floating most.

Ania is a seasoned PR professional, entrepreneur and community activist with more than 20 years of industry experience. Prior to founding ANGLES, Ania worked with some of the leading marketing and public relations agencies in both New York City and Phoenix, Arizona. She built her public relations expertise working on high profile campaigns with emphasis on economic development, destination marketing, real estate development, brand development for luxury consumer goods and awareness building campaigns for business-to-business solutions and services.

Ania founded ANGLES to help growing business with media relations efforts by creating effective and consistent messaging platforms. Her work is focused on strategy across all aspects of media relations, community outreach and building strategic alliances.

She is an active member of the community, currently serving on the Board of Directors of NAWBO and the Polish American Chamber of Commerce.

Abigail "Abby" Ziebell is a Master’s prepared clinical social worker whom has been therapeutically supporting justice involved Veteran’s at the Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs for just over 10 years. She has a passion for authentically connecting with her clients, as well as seeks to minimize the stigma associated with persons whom may be carcerally challenged. She utilizes a trauma informed approach, along with Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy frameworks to empower individuals to live the highest quality of life they both seek and deserve.

Laura M. Suppes, PhD, MPH, REHS, is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Public Health major at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. She received her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Arizona. Her research interests are chemical and biological hazard identification and remediation in recreational water environments, exposure assessment, and quantitative microbiological risk assessment. Dr. Suppes became interested in recreational water safety while working as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist for a health department in Minnesota. Dr. Suppes hasserved on the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code Cyanuric Acid Ad hoc Committee and Technical Review Committee. She is a member of the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance’s Education Cadre and an instructor of the Certified Pool Operator course. Her most recent research focuses on examining MRSA and C. difficile in pool environments, assessing the impact of cyanuric acid on risk of gastrointestinal illness among swimmers, and surveying float tank operating practices.

Tiffanie DeVarso has been a business educator for seven years. Her passion lies in helping wellness-industry small business owners navigate the mechanics of running their businesses so they can get down to the critical work of helping their clients.

Dr Linda Nadia Hole MD, is a Qigong Master practioner, author, & physician of over 40 years experience; & consulting editor for landmark textbook Chinese Medical QiGong. Besides her family, dolphins, floating, & dancing - her passions include healing in the way of Love; and the Sacred Ho'oponopono Breath of Aloha, Peace, and Qi

Dan Price founded Gravity Payments when he was just 19 years old. His mission was--and is--
to help hard-working small business owners stay competitive against larger corporations by
making credit card processing transparent, fair, and easy. Today, nearly 20,000 independent
businesses across all 50 states trust Gravity as their processor.
Dan captured national attention in 2015 when he decided to raise the company's minimum
salary to $70,000 a year. Although he's been criticized for what some consider his radical
policies on pay and equality, Dan believes businesses have enormous power to promote social
good, regardless of what industry they're in, by serving communities instead of shareholders
and putting people over profits. His leadership has earned him many awards, most notably
Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Entrepreneur of 2014” and the 2010 SBA “National Young
Entrepreneur of the Year,” awarded to him by President Obama. He lives in Seattle with his
rescue dog, Mikey.

Sean McCormick is the host of the hugely popular 5-star Optimal Performance Podcast and Founder of Float Seattle, one of the west coast’s highest rated floatation therapy center chain serving over 60k customers and counting. Sean had a successful exit from the float industry in 2018. He’s a certified life coach and performance coach with thousands of hours of transformative 1 on 1 coaching with clients like network television stars, professional athletes, CEOs and Venture Capital. Sean has hosted Super Wellness Workshops for companies like hulu, Lululemon and Major League Soccer’s Player’s Association. He’s been a consistent meditator since age 12. He has over 700 hours in sensory deprivation and over 250 hours in ceremonial plant medicine circles. Sean has been a guest on podcasts like Superhuman Academy, Biohacking Secrets, The Myths That Make Us. Sean is master in personal development and performance.

Multi award winning speaker, author, and entrepreneur Vivian McKinnon is qualified and experienced in many therapeutic approaches.
The idea to open a float centre came about during her first float in Edinburgh in 2004 where Vivian knew instantly this ‘strange and a bit different therapy’ could help other people; especially those living from addictions, physical and mental pain. Vivian set up Hydro-ease, Northern Irelands only dedicated floatation centre in September 2015.
With lived experience in these areas, Vivian knew in that moment her life’s purpose became clear. She now dedicates her work to empowering people to heal from the
pain of their past. To identify and utilise the skills and tools in the life they have, to create the life they desire and, In the process, release the magic from within.

Looking after our own wellbeing has slid down the priority list for many people in our modern society to our detriment. After Camille Pierson learned this fact the hard way, she changed her life to put wellbeing at the forefront of everything she does in her business as well as her personal life. After spending years as a marketing professional, Camille moved away from the corporate world to found The Float Spa, a premium health and wellness centre in Brighton, UK offering floatation therapy, yoga classes, massage, an infrared sauna and other complementary therapies.

With the success of The Float Spa – starting from nothing and leading to a clientele of over 18,000 people and Camille being invited to the House of Lords – and everything Camille has learned through running it and immersing herself in the wellbeing world, she now wants to share her knowledge of the importance of self care and of how to run a wellbeing business to help people live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Michael Cordova is the co-founder of Floating Point Float Centre in Pangbourne, UK. In 2017 he gave the world’s first TEDx Talk on Floatation Therapy and regularly appears on BBC
Radio Berkshire’s wellbeing panel. He has also given talks on the benefits of Floatation in the UK and appeared on a number of podcasts.
Michael has a great interest in performance and optimisation and how floating can play an important part in improving oneself, even tracking his full sleep cycle during an overnight Float session using wearable tech and helping to co-ordinate small research studies. Michael has supported a number of elite athletes since 2011 and is currently an Associate Partner with British Rowing supporting Olympic Athletes with recovery and performance.

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Nail Gareev is a float enthusiast and a professional psychologist. In 2007, he opened the first floatation center in Russia. For over 12 years, he focus has been making floatation a part of modern city culture. Nail is the head of Rus Float, a Russian float industry association, through which he organizes the annual RusFloat Conference aiming to increase floating popularity in the country.

Nail discovered floating during a severe identify crisis, finding it to be an amazing instrument to reestablish one’s connection with the Self. Floating changed his picture of reality and provides support in his everyday life. Nail has developed a method combining float therapy with psychotherapy, which helps people to achieve deep positive changes in their existential state.

Yan Brave is an extreme physiologist and sports scientist. In his current position as a research specialist, he has been involved in several fundamental clinical research projects in space physiology (dry immersion effects), cardiovascular physiology (interaction between muscle chemoreflex, muscle mechanoreflex and baroreflex during exercise) and elite sports performance (aerobic training, low-frequency electrical myostimulation, strength training, eccentric cycling.) He has also been overseen research for physiological, biomechanical and strength testing, interpretation of data and adaptation of training strategies of the athletes of the national team in different kinds of sports (cycling, triathlon, rowing, kayak, tennis, soccer, volleyball, handball, cross-country ski, speed skating.) Recently, Yan was employed as a performance analyst and coach with the professional cycling teams (RusVelo, Katusha, Astana Pro Team.) Over the last few years, he has been accumulating his experience into Tri.systems to deliver adaptive training plans for triathletes.

Vladimir Kotenev began his career working as a top manager for German Industry companies in Russia between 2004 to 2013. Since 2013, he has been the founder and CEO of the leading medical wellness organization in Moscow, Russia - Well Cure & Float. They have 2 centers with 6 float rooms, 14 therapy rooms (including massage, osteopathy, acupuncture, etc.), and studio rooms for classes like yoga and pilates.

Personally, Vladimir has been working as a body-oriented therapist and osteopath with a holistic approach since 2014. His main areas of specialization include Osteopathy, massage, meditation, float therapy, somatic coaching, and yoga. In addition, Vladimir is responsible for hiring and training specialists for the medical wellness center.

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Hongmei received a bachelor of science and clinical medicine in 1989, becoming a Doctor, then worked in the Chinese City of Lanzhhou. She has also earned a public health occupational masters degree and specializes in pediatrics, is accredited in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and teaches Pediatric Nursing. After 20 years as a pediatrician and obtaining a doctor of Clinical Medicine degree, Hongmei went on to become a lecturer at the Beijing, Hongmei went on to become a lecturer at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, first as an Associate Professor and now as a Professor. She was a visiting scholar at the Indiana University School of Nursing in 2012 and 2013. Hongmei has specialized in publishing papers and textbooks related to child health care and pediatrics for many years and is well recognized for her contributions in both research and education.

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Josh Hagen received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2000, M.S./Ph.D in Materials Science and Engineering in 2004/2006 all from the University of Cincinnati. Josh executed his graduate research in bioelectronics at the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate at Air Force Research Labs, and shortly after joined the 711th Human Performance Wing where he began his current research thrust in Human Performance Monitoring and Augmentation. At the 711th, Josh started and led the STRONG Team and focused on measuring physiology utilizing wearable sensors and blood biomarkers, developed novel analytics for correlating and modeling the data, and beginning to understand how to take that data to optimize performance in elite military and athletics populations. It was work with Navy Special Operators that Josh first discovered Float Therapy, which immediately inspired a new research thrust in Recovery Science.

In 2018, Josh became the Director of the Human Performance Innovation Center at the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at West Virginia University, as well as Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. Here he leads a multidisciplinary team focused on optimizing the performance of military, athletics, and clinical patient populations. Recovery Science is a large part of the core mission at the RNI, and Float Therapy is being investigated to help multiple needs for all of these populations.

Dr. Jerry Walker, PhD., ABPP is a licensed, board-certified clinical psychologist who currently holds the position of Psychology Services Manager for Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. In his previous 7 years working with the United States Air Force, Dr. Walker ran an outpatient substance abuse program; provided behavioral consultation in primary care clinics; served as the director of a large, multidisciplinary outpatient mental health clinic; provided psychological support to DoD/NATO forces overseas; responded to multiple Disaster Mental Health incidents, including the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, NV; and provided strategic psychological consultation to a large military intelligence organization. Dr. Walker additionally provides tele-mental health services in 3 states, is pursuing a postdoctoral M.S. degree in clinical psychopharmacology, and has been personally commended for his work by the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. His professional areas of expertise include the prevention and treatment of psychological trauma, resilience training, and organizational consultation. He most recently concluded a 1-year research study on the effects of floatation therapy for mitigating the physiological and psychological impacts of chronic physiological arousal experienced by airborne intelligence operators who directly support special operations missions. He earned 2 Bachelor's degrees from the University of Texas, Austin and his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology & Human Systems from Florida State.

William Schoenhals joined the Float Clinic & Research Center (FCRC) at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR) as the first engineering intern to join the laboratory, helping design and develop novel ways of collecting biometric data on research subjects while they float in an environment that is highly challenging for the collection of physiological data. After earning his B.S in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tulsa, Will continued his research at the FCRC as a graduate student, which has led to the development of a method for the objective measurement of cardiac interoception (i.e., an individual’s ability to accurately perceive their heartbeat). The research and development of the final device and methodology culminated into his thesis, and in 2018 he graduated from the University of Tulsa with his Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering. Will enjoys the challenge of supporting the engineering behind the FCRC, as well as training new students and lab members in data analysis and quality control. His presentation will discuss why the measurement of cardiac interoception is important, as well as present preliminary interoception data from an ongoing float study in patients with severe anxiety.

Dr. Matt Driller is an academic staff member in Health, Sport and Human Performance at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. Matt has published over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles with the majority of these papers in the area of fatigue, recovery and sleep in elite athletes. Matt has worked as a sports physiologist at the Tasmanian Institute of Sport (2006-2009) and the Australian Institute of Sport (2009 - 2014) and was previously the Head of Performance Physiology for High Performance Sport New Zealand (2017-2018). Matt has worked with Olympic and Paralympic medalists and traveled with athletes to numerous World Championship competitions and Olympic/Paralympic Games. Matt is currently involved in the supervision of over 15 post-graduate research students (PhD and MSc), all working in the area of athlete recovery. Some of Matt’s recent work has focused on the use of Float-REST to enhance recovery from exercise in athletes.

For the past year and a half, Andreas has overseen the complete turnaround of the World's Largest Float Center, Just Float in Pasadena, CA. In addition to his more traditional experience in the worlds of management and organizational excellence, Andreas is also a Board Certified NLP Practitioner & Executive Coach specializing in helping founders and company leaders move from disconnection, overwhelm, and uncertainty to team unity, a clear plan of action, and maximum profits. In his personal time, he is involved in the Los Angeles classical music and opera worlds as a Board Member and podcast/livestream host for the Pacific Opera Project, and the Special Advisor to the Founder for Orchestra Los Angeles.


Andreas will be presenting with Michael Ruskow, Owner & Co-Founder of Just Float. Their talk will focus on the foundational business principles applied, and the mindset shifts needed, to take Just Float from struggling to thriving in less than one year. The talk will also cover how to apply these business principles and mindsets to any business for maximum fulfillment and profitability.

Michael Ruskow is the co-founder and owner of Just Float - The World’s Largest Floatation Therapy Center in Los Angeles, CA. Both an entrepreneur and a businessman, he possesses a wealth of construction experience and a personal interest in self-development, consciousness exploration, and natural pain reduction modalities. As an owner of several businesses, a husband, father, psychonaut, nature lover, and former boy scout - he wears many hats each day. Michael can often be found on the hiking trails in the mountains behind Just Float, in the gym or hanging out with his family and kitty, Janus. He sees floating as an invaluable resource for himself, his family, his community, and as a tool to promote wellness and balance in a chaotic, stressful world. Michael will share his experiences and the trials and tribulations of running an 11 tank center and the effort and decisions that were made to ensure its survival and growth. Averaging 2-3 eye-rolls per day for his constant puns and “dad jokes,” he is an avid learner with an admitted Google research addiction.

Zerin Beattie is the founder of XPAND and host of The XPAND Podcast, both platforms are devoted to helping push the evolution of consciousness onward. His field of study involves over a decade of meditation, 250+ float sessions, plant medicine ceremonies around the world, and an extensive knowledge base in movement, mind-body integration, and martial arts.

Zerin will be sharing how floating 30 days in a row had a profound influence on how he perceives the world around him, both internally and externally.

Ken Hensley has spent the last 30 years blending technology and spiritual formation, a curious mix of Ancient Wisdom and Future Possibilities. In 1999, he co-founded an Internet company that helped non-profits raise money online and then joined the launch team of Christianity.com. As a pastor, coach, and consultant, he has worked with CEO's of publicly-traded companies, entrepreneurs, athletes, and school teachers. Whether it's a one-on-one coaching session or speaking to hundreds of people each week, he finds great satisfaction in helping people reach their God-given potential. He has found that weekly floating is an important part of staying physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy.

Melissa Martinez has over 20 years of experience in the education industry, focusing on special needs students. She finds respite in her weekly 90 minute floating practice. She continues to float because of the various physical and mental benefits she gets to experience. Melissa lives in Colorado with the love of her life, Steve, and her amazing 25 year old daughter, Liz.

Jon Leon Torn is a teacher, writer, and performer who lives and works in Flagstaff, Arizona. He will present an excerpt from his multimedia performance "The Scientist," adapted from the autobiography of John C. Lilly, who is widely acknowledged as the first person to use floatation tanks for self-exploration and personal development.

James Nestor (mrjamesnestor.com) is a science-adventure journalist who has written for Scientific American, Outside Magazine, The New York Times, and more. He is the author of DEEP: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us about Ourselves (2014, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), and presented talks at the 2014 and 2015 Float Conference on the effects of water on the human body. Nestor will be at the 2018 Flour Conference to discuss new research on his forthcoming book (2019, Penguin) on the lost art and science of breathing.

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Poonacha Machaiah is co-founder with Deepak Chopra, MD of JIYO, a social wellbeing platform and Chief Strategy Officer of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

He founded ABOVE (A Bunch of Versatile Entrepreneurs), co-founded the social enterprise WeightLess Project, and was instrumental in founding India’s social media start-up Qyuki, where he was CEO. With over 20 years of experience, Machaiah uses approaches from the commercial world and employs technology to tackle social problems. He has held senior leadership positions in global sales and business development with Sasken, Motorola, Visionael, Iridium, and Dimension Enterprises (acquired by Nortel Networks in 2000). He is on the advisory board of the Chopra Foundation and transmedia mentor at XMedia Lab, a digital media think tank.

https://chopra.com/
https://www.jiyo.com/home

John W. Turner, Jr. is an endocrinologist (PhD, Cornell Univ.;Postdoc, UCLA) with extensive expertise in reproductive biology and stress physiology. He is a Professor of Physiology engaged in teaching and research at the University of Toledo College of Medicine (UTCOM) and his research endeavors have included wildlife contraception, psychophysiology of human stress-related disorders and their treatment and effects of chronically deteriorating habitats on stress levels of wildlife and fish.

In regard to Floatation, he and Tom Fine began in 1979 an extensive series of research studies in Floatation Restricted Environmental Stimulation which explored physiological and behavioral responses to Floatation REST and established various reference points for the deep relaxation of Floating in the context of other relaxation modalities and as a potential clinical tool.

This bio really won't tell you much at all about Kevin, but hopefully it tells you enough to attend his presentation with Jacob Resch. Kevin is a business school dropout turned psychotherapist, who along with Jacob, then decided to open the first modern era float center in their state, FLOAT STL. 18 months later they opened a second center, and 6 months after that they held a float gathering called RISE which focused on The Heart of Floating. As it relates to the business of floating Kevin has an interest in marketing, customer service, management, and organizational culture. From a personal and spiritual perspective Kevin believes in the interconnectedness of all beings, is here to give and receive love, and to be in service to others. These values are foundational elements throughout each of his endeavors as he aims to experience a life of harmony and congruency.

www.floatingstl.com and www.risefloatgathering.com

Jacob, along with Kevin McCulloch, founded and operates FLOAT STL, and has since organized and hosted the Rise Float Gathering. Being slightly ambitious, Jacob and Rick Boling decided to curate a Float Industry Magazine: Third Wave. Spending countless hours during his childhood contemplating existential puzzles, he decided to earn undergraduate degrees in psychology, chemistry, and nursing, and completed a masters in psychology. Having over a decade of experiences in these fields, Jacob has evolved and honed his passion for exploring and understanding the human condition, consciousness, and love. He aspires to challenge modern day conventions on how to grow community with communication, attunement, and empowerment. Ultimately, Jacob's work lies in evolving the values that root a culture within FLOAT STL, the Float Industry, and Beyond.

www.floatingstl.com and www.risefloatgathering.com

Dr. Horace Walcott is a zoo veterinarian and yogi scientist who has studied and taught raja yoga for more than 40 years. He has undergone advanced training in yoga meditation in North West India and recently completed an international study of novice and expert floaters for doctor of health science degree, DHSc at AT Still University. Dr. Walcott is currently pursuing a PhD in applied psychophysiology at Saybrook University where he will be conducting EEG and special brain imaging studies in zebrafish to investigate FL-REST in the zebrafish as an animal model for understanding the quantum effects and molecular biology of FL-REST. He has a Master of Science in Wild Animal Health from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London where he investigated the effects of chlorinated hydrocarbons on biosonar in harbor porpoises in British waters, in 1997. He was awarded the Master of Science Public Health MSPH, in 1993 at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, where he specialized in environmental toxicology and risk assessment. Additionally, Dr. Walcott received the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, DVM from Tuskegee University in 1984 and post-doctoral training in aquatic veterinary medicine from the Marine Biology Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Juliet Tango Mylan is a trans woman with a passion for writing and storytelling in general. She currently has her own production company and works at Float Tank Solutions in Content (she writes all those friendly podcast descriptions you read). She's been floating since 2010 and it has informed her life in many profound ways.

For over 8 years, Cindy Molchany worked in the wine industry as a loyalty marketing consultant helping clients increase the number of members into their wine clubs. Over the last 5 years, Cindy has migrated her work online, and as an internet marketer works to maximize the lifetime value of each new lead and customer she acquires for clients by creating engaging, educational, and experiential sales processes. As an avid and passionate floater, Cindy recently launched fillyourfloattank.com. Her goal is to bring her loyalty and internet marketing expertise to the float industry and help the industry explode by helping nurture the budding mass movement she already sees taking shape.

https://www.fillyourfloattank.com/

Jennifer E. Langdon is a writer, teacher, and creative consultant, with more than 20 years experience in marketing communications, fundraising, and project management for non-profits and higher education. A recovering academic, she holds a PhD in American history and is the author of Caught in the Crossfire: Adrian Scott and the Politics of Americanism in 1940s Hollywood. After a long struggle with chronic pain and fatigue, she left her conventional career and now lives and travels full-time in a vintage Avion camper with Fiona the Wonder Pug. She blogs sporadically at creative-egghead.com and is currently working on a book about her recent travels through the heart of America. Her talk at the conference will discuss the pivotal role of floating in her return to health and vitality.

Dr. Peicheng Hu is a professor and clinical doctor in the Medical Psychology Department of Peking University in China. He created the first float equipment in Beijing hospital in 1997. Dr. Hu has completed several successful clinical research projects regarding floatation therapy. Now, the 10th generation of advanced float equipment has been produced in China. He has written more than 170 books and 200 professional papers in psychology including many about floatation therapy. Hu received the world famous “Magnus Hirschfeld” Medal in 2008 and the highest honor “Taolijiang” for professor of Peking University in 2010. Dr. Hu will present the present situation of the float industry and the advanced research in flotation therapy in China.