Tonight marked the beginning of the second annual Lake Nona Impact Forum, hosted at the burgeoning life sciences cluster in Lake Nona Medical City.
The high profile event kicked-off with a VIP reception at the Intelligent Home in Laureate Park, the cutting-edge residential community located minutes from the developing Medical City. Guests toured this state-of-the-art, futuristic venue, which represents the paradigm shift that is placing the home at the heart of personal and family wellness.
Among the Intelligent Home’s innovative features are a mirror displaying individual biometrics, workout devices that track workout goals, a customized kitchen to track weight management goals, and apps and tools that help residents maintain physical health, as well as spiritual health and wellness.
The program then moved to Nemours Children’s Hospital for a welcome reception for the Forum’s delegates from diverse sectors such as health care, academia, government and other key industries.
President of the Lake Nona Institute Thad Seymour, Jr., greeted delegates and introduced this year’s core theme: Inspiring Health Innovation. Panel discussions followed suit, led by Tavistock Group’s Senior Managing Director Rasesh Thakkar, who stressed the need and opportunity for development in the health care field, especially at this pivotal time in our nation.
“We are here for one reason, and that is to make a difference in this world,” Thakkar said. “One inspired human can make a difference.”
Dr. Nancy Snyderman, NBC’s chief medical editor, led discussions on innovating technology that is transforming the human condition and breaking barriers to welcome “human touch, human kindness and human grace” in the medical field.
GE’s Jan De Witte and Johnson & Johnson’s Alex Gorsky touched on opportunities for integrated technology and collaborative efforts to increase preventative health initiatives through groundbreaking solutions such as personalized medicine, modernized anesthesia and lower health care costs for the consumer.
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle closed the evening by noting the innovative opportunities at Lake Nona.
“Somebody once said that those without imagination have no wings,” Daschle said. ”I think you are a wing factory here at Lake Nona. In three years, you have built something that is now being recognized around the world. Your commitment to wellness, education and sustainability couldn’t be more clear. And tonight, we see collaboration at its finest.”
Just a taste of what is to come over the next few days, the remaining portions of the Impact Forum are set to delve further into these trending topics and the promise of opportunity for new collaborations and progressions amongst industry leaders.
