Immersive media company Healium wins the NFL Players Association Pitch Day event hosted in Las Vegas.
The Experience
Healium, a mental fitness channel powered by biometric and neurometric wearables, recently scored a touchdown with the NFL Players Association. The NFL Players Association Pitch Day offers companies a platform to present their products and services to elite investors, athletes, and judges.
The team recognized that products don’t resonate to others without a story. In front of a crowded exhibit hall, CEO Sarah Hill, took center stage to explain why physical and mental performance can’t be mutually exclusive.
“We are experiencing a mental health emergency. 35% of elite athletes deal with a mental health crisis. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in student athletes, and many athletes amateur or professional don’t seek treatment or don’t want to take medication as they worry it will impact their human performance,” said Sarah Hill, CEO of Healium.
Built from innovation and empathy, Healium won by amplifying a message that is central to the company’s mission: the importance of mental fitness.
For its win, Healium received $50,000 in player marketing services from the NFLPA and multimedia powerhouse OneTeam Partners as well as business resources from Truist. In addition, the winning company also received access to chats with NFL players who are enthusiastic in off-the-field pursuits such as investment, founding their own businesses, and supporting entrepreneurs.
Alongside Healium, five other companies pitched their products to a panel of elite entrepreneurial athletes and corporate executives, such as NFLPA Chief Brand Ambassador Marshawn Lynch, veteran NFL linebacker Jaylon Smith, retired WNBA veteran Tamera “TY” Young, 1863 Ventures founder Melissa Bradley, and Truist EVP Jeff Dunn.
Teamwork Making the Dream Work
To impress a room of thought leaders and decision markers, extensive preparation went into even the smallest of details. Healium Director of Product, Gavin Otte described the team’s meticulousness.
“We spent hours editing and refining our pitch deck, demo, and rehearsing the presentation until we thought we had it down perfectly. Our goal was to win! We knew we had a massive opportunity to partner with the NFLPA, and we wanted to be sure that we did everything we could to make that happen” says Otte.
Upon completion, venture capitalists, players, and media rushed Healium’s booth to experience the “virtual peace” Hill described in the live presentation. The audience was exceptionally prepared to experience meditative immersive media for themselves.
Healium software engineer, Alphonse Mboumba, explains how the team rallied together to not only make the experience memorable but successful.
“There was enormous pressure put on Sarah knowing she had to present and talk to these highly influential people, and if they don’t like it, they’re out. So we as the team made sure Sarah knew that even though we were not on stage with her, we were there for her.” We made sure she remembered she speaks to thousands of people every day at her office, so she had the strength to go out there and deliver a powerful message about Healium. We were giving all the emotional support she needed to be on stage,” says Mboumba.
In addition to the professional triumphs, the team members describe their time at Las Vegas as an incredible bonding experience.
“As we were watching all of the other incredible companies pitch , everyone’s confidence started to shift. We knew we had taken a lot of time to prepare and had a real shot at winning. Even with that, it was surreal to hear our name called as the winner,” says Otte.
Looking Ahead
With its win at the NFLPA Pitch Day competition, Healium has great plans to move its company forward and share the importance of mental health awareness.
“We plan on working closely with our current user base to refine the Healium experience and make sure we’re delivering value on a daily basis. Our North Star is to make Healium a reliable tool anyone can use to achieve relaxation and decompression. We give people the mental space and rejuvenation they need to make it through their day and prepare them for a restful night’s sleep,” says Otte.
By providing a drugless way to self-manage anxiety and sleep , Healium received great feedback and high fives from the current and retired NFL players who tried the company’s apps at the competition. Many of these players shared they struggle with proper sleep while traveling for out of town games.
The NFLPA recently took a very important step forward in creating a mental wellness committee focused on the mental fitness of its players. Healium’s goal is to help continue the narrative that thoughts have power not only in the virtual world but the real world as well. While Healium walked away with the partnership and resources they strived for, their win represents much more than that. Healium is creating a positive ripple for the advocation of mental fitness.
