Hear the Heart: Our Summer With Ryan Hamner

November 20, 2010

Singer-songrwiter Ryan Hamner

This summer we reconnected with Ryan Hamner, an incredible guy who first got acquainted with HopeLab during the early stages of Re-Mission development.  At that point Ryan, a four-time Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor, was providing input on Re-Mission game design. Today Ryan’s a successful singer-songwriter and a mentor to young cancer patients.

The lyrics in Ryan’s songs  speak about life, hope, and his personal battle with cancer. His newest song, Remission (The Survivors Anthem),  was released last month and takes the listener through the cancer journey–from diagnosis to remission.

Needless to say, Ryan inspires us.

In July, Ryan took his music, his story, and the Re-Mission  game he helped create on the road for his Hear the Heart Tour. The tour traveled to hospitals and cancer centers throughout the South, and  Ryan’s goal was “to encourage and inspire cancer patients (and their families) to not only believe they can overcome cancer and go on to live normal and healthy lives, but to know that having cancer does not limit a person’s ability to dream big and pursue their passions.”

At the end of each show, Ryan left behind warm memories of his music, as well as words of encouragement, hope and an unfaltering belief that having cancer doesn’t mean you can’t dream big and pursue your life’s passions.

Ryan’s Hear the Heart Tour was sponsored (proudly) by HopeLab . Thank you, Ryan, for sharing your music and your story!

Tags:	Inspiration, Re-Mission
Posted In:	Cancer, Conferences & Events, Customers, Values

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Zamzee Hits the Stage at Health 2.0

November 12, 2010

Wow. The fall conference season was a whirlwind of activity – can you relate? By the time I landed back in the office this month, my coat pockets stuffed with business cards and boarding passes, most of it was a blur. But a highlight for me was presenting Zamzee at the annual Health 2.0 conference in San Francisco, organized by health care  futurists Matthew Holt, Indu Subaiya and team. Matthew and Indu are great folks who consistently bring together a fascinating mix of people who are pushing the envelope of health care and technology. It’s serious work presented with a sense of fun and good humor.

The session I was part of — Behavior Change, Health 2.0 & the Unmentionables — featured work on a wide range of health topics, from unplanned pregnancy to obesity, with commentary from the fabulous Susannah Fox (director at Pew Internet & American Life Project), Thomas Goetz (Wired editor, author of The Decision Tree) and others.  Good stuff, and lots of fun – and most of it caught on tape!

Here’s video of my talk on Zamzee; check the Health 2.0 site for more.

Tags:	behavior change, childhood obesity, Health, Health 2.0, Physical Activity, Technology, tweens, Zamzee
Posted In:	Conferences & Events, Physical Activity, Product Development, Research, Uncategorized

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Come on in: a look into HopeLab’s culture

November 1, 2010

When I hear about really creative companies, I always wonder what the company culture is like, what the space looks like, and who the people are. Because those are all factors that contribute to creativity and innovation. You might equate it to looking through someone’s closet or the fridge; it’s just plain interesting! I think that we’re able to do what we do at HopeLab because of all the little behind-the-scenes events that shape who we are as an organization. Take a look.

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Tags:	hopelab, Inspiration
Posted In:	HL Culture, Photos, Values

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