The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) yesterday announced that David White, MD, chief medical officer at Philips Respironics, will provide the opening keynote for the first-ever Sleep Technology Summit & Expo to be held October 6-7, 2015 in Santa Clara, CA. The Summit will bring together technology innovators, sleep experts, industry analysts, the venture capital community, and media to discover and share technologies that are breaking new ground in sleep and explore the dynamic global investment landscape for this new technology segment. The event will be co-located with the 9th Annual Health 2.0 Conference.

“Dr White is widely regarded as one of the most influential experts in the world today when it comes to sleep,” says David Cloud, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation, in a releae. “His position at Harvard Medical School as well as his relationship with Philips Respironics put him on the front lines of the emerging sleep technology boom. I can think of no one better positioned to kick off the Sleep Technology Summit, where we’ll explore how to harness the power of consumer technology to improve sleep, a vital sign of overall health and wellness.”

Technology innovator and entrepreneur Philippe Kahn, CEO of Fullpower Technologies, will deliver a luncheon keynote on how the latest developments in the Internet of Things (IoT), wearables, and big data are converging to give us unprecedented insights into consumers’ sleep habits. Kahn will discuss some of the possible discoveries that he believes will lead to better sleep and better health for millions of people.

Michael Breus, PhD, DABSM, known as “The Sleep Doctor” on the Dr. Oz Show and in other broadcast TV appearances, will serve as NSF’s Sleep Technology Ambassador and Emcee for the Summit. With a specialty in sleep disorders, Breus is one of only 163 psychologists in the world with his credentials and distinction. In addition to his appearances on the Dr. Oz Show, Breus writes The Insomnia Blog and can be found regularly on WebMD, The Huffington Post, Psychology Today, MedPedia, Organized Wisdom, and Furniture Today. He is also a member of Sleep Review‘s editorial advisory board.

The Sleep Technology Summit will feature eight conference sessions over the two-day event. The agenda includes the presentation of new consumer research on sleep technology conducted jointly by NSF and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and panel discussions with industry experts who will examine all aspects of this emerging technology segment, from the most promising business opportunities to how sleep technology can improve peak performance in the workplace. The Summit will conclude with a “Showdown in the Bedroom,” a showcase of live demos with some of the most compelling new innovations in sleep technology.

Sleep Technology Summit speakers currently include:

  • Laura K. Barger, Harvard Medical School & Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Pete Bils, vice president of sleep science and research, Select Comfort
  • Arielle Carpenter, senior marketing manager, Withings
  • Casper de Clercq, partner, Norwest Venture Partners
  • Matthew Diamond, medical director, Misfit Wearables
  • Chris Ely, senior manager Industry Analysis, Consumer Electronics Association
  • Donna Fedor, managing director, Mavericks Capital
  • Peter Hames, co-founder, Big Health
  • Sean Heyniger, president and CEO, SleepMed
  • Erez Gavish, CEO and co-founder, 2breathe
  • Daniel Kraft, faculty chair for medicine, Singularity University
  • Hannu Kinnunen, chief scientific officer, Oura Ring
  • Lasse Leppakorpi, CEO and co-founder, Beddit
  • Christopher Lindholst, CEO, MetroNaps
  • Ciaran McCourt, consumer health technology consultant, Global Digital Health Solutions
  • Elizabeth Klerman, associate professor/physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Daniel Ruppar, research director, Transformational Health, Frost & Sullivan
  • Dr. Jordan Stern, founder and director, BlueSleep
  • Cory Zwerling, CEO and chairman, Serenium

The full agenda for the conference is available at www.health2con.com/events/conferences/health-2-0-fall-2015/sleep-technology-summit-expo.