Brian Ferguson

CEO of Arena Labs

Location
United States
Area of Expertise
Biotechnology, Foundational Concepts, Wellbeing, Leadership, Communities, Artificial Intelligence,Innovation, Transformation, Exponential Thinking
Type
Expert

Brian Ferguson has spent his career working in high-performance organizations, learning from leaders and decision-makers in national security, the military, and technology. He has used those experiences to build Arena Labs, a company pioneering the field of High Performance Medicine®️ . Arena Labs uses state-of-the-art training and technology solutions to bring the science of peak performance, creative mastery, and elite teams to modern healthcare and surgical teams.

Before founding Arena Labs, Brian served in the military as a Navy SEAL and as a civilian in national security working on matters of global security policy. He received an MSc from the London School of Economics and remains involved in several organizations related to the impact of technology on modern life.

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Sessions

Lessons From Elite National Security Organizations: Why Trust and Failure are at the Center of Avoiding Being Disrupted

Drawing on lessons learned while in the Pentagon, White House, and special operations, Brian discusses the critical importance of trust as a foundation for every elite organization. In establishing a culture of extreme trust, organizations provide a framework that allows for candid criticism and feedback that is essential to constant improvement and evolution. In the absence of trust, criticism can be threatening when said or even worse, insidious because team members are afraid to be provide open critique. As organizations face forces of exponential technology and eventual disruption, introspection and unfettered self-criticism is essential to innovation and long-term success.

Managing Fear + Anxiety: The Superpower of the 21 st Century

Just about every person in today’s world feels a heightened state of stress and anxiety. Whether leading large organizations, or one’s own family, the environment around us is more complex and fast paced. In this talk, Brian explores how accelerating technology and complexity impact

us at the very human level: in our nervous systems. More importantly, he dives into the scientifically validated tools and protocols that allow any person or leader to feel a sense of agency to manage stress, adapt and thrive in a changing world. From breathing protocols to understanding the role of sunlight and human relationships, this talk is about flourishing in the 21st century.

Exploring Human Flourishing Through the Archetypes of Superman, The Bionic Woman and Yoda

In this talk, Brian explores the opportunities of the 21st century in understanding the human mind and body in ways never before possible. Brian discuses the challenges presented by accelerating technology and the toll that societal advancement can take on the human system

while offering a roadmap of opportunities. He explores sleep as the “superpower” at the foundation of managing stress, recovering, and making clear decisions in a complex world. Brian also surveys the landscape of wearable sensors and biometric monitoring, which has the potential to provide new insights into physical, mental, and emotional health. Lastly, he highlights the fact that, despite living in a technologically advanced world, the ancient elements of human wisdom hold true and offer amazing insights into how we can flourish in the modern world.

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The Age of Precision: How Technology is Changing The Way We Think About Risk, Human Capital, and Building Better Organizations

Brian explores how accelerating technology has created an age where “precision’ is essential in every discipline: precision guided weapons, precision medicine, and precision nutrition. In all of these fields, a broader theme is allowing us to think differently about risk, to our own organizations and to outcomes, and it’s changing the type of people we need to attract in order to build organizations that can be effective in such an age. In this talk, Brian provides specific insights into how teams and organizations blend advanced technology into human systems to build world-class “hybrid teams.

Medical Robotics: Why the future of medicine is found in high performing teams amplified by robots, artificial intelligence, and advanced technology.

Public discussions about modern medicine over the last decade have been dominated by a focus on policy and regulatory solutions. While these are important challenges for leaders to solve, the future of world-class medicine will not be found in either the policy or regulatory spaces. Instead, it is in building high performing teams. Modern technology — more advanced robotics, AI, and sensors — allow us not only to understand patients but more importantly, the professionals who take care of patients. In garnering greater insights about doctors, nurses, and technicians, we can optimize medical teams who are enabled by robotics and AI for unprecedented medical care.

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Future of Learning: Why becoming a “Learning Organization” is the competitive edge in the 21st century.

Although society continues to be impacted by new modes of learning — online courses, podcasts, distance classrooms — much of the way we build organizations and teams is rooted in traditional incentives. And, those incentives go on to drive how our organizations evolve. In

today’s digital world, nearly every leader & organization feels as though “they cannot keep up”.

This speed of change is only increasing in a world of accelerating technology. As we consider the Future of Learning, it is at the core of success: in medicine, sports, business, and government. Building “Learning Organizations” allows us “expect change” and hire, train, and

promote people who understand that learning, adjusting, and being flexible is the single most important capability in the 21st century.

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Brian Ferguson

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