The Divergence team consists of talented, passionate, and driven engineers, researchers, marketing, and operational professionals who are united by the cause of providing better tools to improve state of mental health care.
Laurie is driven to work with organizations looking to make the world a better place. She has a varied background centred in building systems to ensure customers get the most value from their products and services while meeting their business needs. She has developed and grown customer success programs for software companies that assist local governments and Indigenous communities in North America, universities, as well as employee and internal communications.
Laurie is committed to partnering with clients to help deliver innovative mental health tools and practices to improve well being. She is passionate about using data and customer stories to improve each customer’s experience.
Heather Hargraves is a trauma therapist and researcher and passionate advocate for neuro and mental health practices. Heather specializes in the use of neuro and biofeedback technologies to support a broad range of neurologically and/or psychologically traumatized clients within her clinical practice.
Heather’s research interests investigate the neurological underpinnings of various states of consciousness, including dissociation, meditation, psychedelics and various polyphasic states of consciousness, associated with shamanic practices. Her masters research focused on the therapeutic induction of altered states of consciousness, based on research findings related to psilocybin.
Currently, Heather is an advocate for the interface of neurofeedback modalities with psychedelic therapies, with an emphasis on the preparation and integration periods that bookend psychedelic therapies, once they are legalized.
Jonathan Ip, the founder of Iterative Law, has over a decade of experience in securities, Mergers & Acquisitions,
corporate finance and corporate/commercial matters as a business lawyer in both private practice and as company in-house counsel, working with entrepreneurs, startups, SMBs and blue chip companies.
Jonathan is passionate about startups, and technology product development that can make the world a better place to live.
Iterative Law Professional Corporation – http://iterativelaw.com/
Farrokh is a leader in applying data science and machine learning to neuroscience field. Where he works on novel applications incorporating machine learning and artificial intelligence in neuro tech. Farrokh comes from a highly multidisciplinary background with experience applying data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in the fields of neuro science, climate science, and finance. He is an experienced leader having previously built and managed technical teams in various start-ups. Farrokh holds a BASc, MHSc and PhD in Engineering from the University of Toronto and has authored over 20 research papers that were published in prestigious scientific journals.
Today, Farrokh is on a mission to make the world a better place. He enjoys using multidisciplinary approaches to solve real-world problems. He is especially interested in the development and adoption of newly emerging technologies to create innovative solutions.
Ragia has cross-industry experience within the field of digital marketing and will be joining our team to help better communicate our mission and brand story to our customers. In the past she has worked on projects within the wellness and beauty industry as well as the non-profit sector. Coupled with a background in both psychology and sociology as well as a keen passion for both, Ragia will be a valuable asset to the team.
Jeff is a seasoned technology executive with a passion for bringing practical software and hardware solutions to real-world business challenges. He brings an unwavering commitment to operational excellence, championship for a culture of transparency, and a propensity for action and progress.
Jeff has held a variety of roles in Enterprise Software and technology companies. Most recently he has held the roles of Director, Technology Development, Director, Professional Services, VP, Product Development and Delivery, VP, Industry Solutions and Alliances, and VP, Sales.
Alex is a seasoned technology leader who is passionate about mental health and neuroscience. Through his career, he has held many titles from developer, architect to delivery manager, innovation lead, and start-up CTO across different industries from mobile, telecom to digital media, neurotech and fintech.
A true tech nerd at heart, Alex is most passionate about building world-class technology companies by creating an open, transparent, and accountable culture that delivers quality. Other than his technical skill set, Alex also holds a CPA/CMA designation, and has his MBA focusing on technology management and valuation.
Jeremy is an engineer who wears many hats. He started falling down the endless BCI rabbit hole when he read this article about neuralink: https://waitbutwhy.com/2017/04/neuralink.html while studying electrical+computer engineering and psychology at the University of Toronto. Jeremy works on a wide variety of technologies at Divergence. He is passionate about mental health and neuro technologies, and says that building thinking aids is the best thing to do with his time.
Braeden is an ardent researcher who specializes in neuroimaging and mental health. Braeden has published many first-author papers in prestigious neuroscience journals, many of which focus on self-related processing disturbances, i.e., the sense of self, in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the related neural underpinnings. Braeden is currently leading a simultaneous EEG-fMRI investigation to determine the cross-modality neural correlates underlying PTSD and moral injury.
Braeden strives to identify neural correlates underlying psychopathology, as well as how these neural correlates promote the altered phenomenological states observed commonly in mental health disorders. Once these neural correlates are understood more thoroughly, targeted treatments such as neurofeedback and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may be used to improve mental health outcomes and build resiliency in mental health populations. Instrumental to the above process will be leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence to tailor therapy to the individual – a vision Divergence Neuro and Braeden share passionately.
Kees is a software engineer who likes to build things that make the world happier, healthier and more efficient. After graduating from McGill University, Kees immersed himself in the tech startup scene and emerged with a passion for helping small companies achieve big things. He hopes that his efforts will assist those looking to better understand what’s going on in their heads.
Dr. Tarrant is the founder and Director of the Neuro Meditation Institute and author of the book, “Meditation Interventions to Rewire the Brain.” Dr. Tarrant received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri in 1997. He is a licensed psychologist and board certified in neurofeedback. Dr. Tarrant has devoted much of his professional career to working with technology-based interventions such as quantitative EEG, neurofeedback, biofeedback, and audio visual entrainment (AVE). He has also trained extensively in a variety of spiritual and meditative practices, including Zen, Vipassana, Taoism/Qigong, Arhatic Yoga, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
His research focuses on exploring brainwave changes that occur as a result of contemplative practices,technological interventions, and non-ordinary states of consciousness. He is the Chief Science Officer for Healium XR, creating biometrically controlled virtual reality experiences. He is a regular presenter at national and international conferences Dr. Tarrant offers in-office and home-based EEG NeuroMeditation sessions with BrainAvatar and New Mind systems. In his spare time, Dr. Tarrant enjoys playing the drums, attending concerts, and spending time in nature
Jay Gunkelman, QEEG Diplomate, is recognized as one of the top leaders in the field of EEG and QEEG, and has processed over 500,000 EEGs since 1972. He has served as president of The International Society for Neurofeedback and Research, as well as a board member and treasurer of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback and is a past-president of the Biofeedback Society of California. He is co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Brain Science International and is a popular lecturer worldwide on the topic of QEEG and phenotype identification of neurological disorders.
Heather Hargraves is a trauma therapist and researcher and passionate advocate for neuro and mental health practices. Heather specializes in the use of neuro and biofeedback technologies to support a broad range of neurologically and/or psychologically traumatized clients within her clinical practice.
Heather’s research interests investigate the neurological underpinnings of various states of consciousness, including dissociation, meditation, psychedelics and various polyphasic states of consciousness, associated with shamanic practices. Her masters research focused on the therapeutic induction of altered states of consciousness, based on research findings related to psilocybin.
Currently, Heather is an advocate for the interface of neurofeedback modalities with psychedelic therapies, with an emphasis on the preparation and integration periods that bookend psychedelic therapies, once they are legalized.
Dr. Pérez works as a medical doctor at OVID Clinic Berlin and as MIND Academy director at the MIND Foundation. He is also a certified Beyond Experience Facilitator. Currently, Dr. Pérez is training in cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. Being located in Berlin, Dr. Pérez is part of an experienced team of psychotherapists, psychiatrists, and anesthesiologists that offers psychotherapy augmented by ketamine and other methods such as stroboscopic light induction (Lucia Nr. 03), EEG NeuroMeditation, and integration psychotherapy.
In the emerging field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, Dr. Pérez thinks it is necessary to standardize procedures and educate professionals and the general public in a scientific and secular way to create a safe environment and legal framework for therapy and human development.
Dr. Nathan Brown comes to Divergence with over 35 years of experience in the fields of clinical, organizational, and community mental health practice. He received his doctorate at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, where his research and clinical experience with the fields of biofeedback and neurofeedback began. Dr. Brown’s clinical training and experience is diverse, including training in assessment at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and doctoral internships at the Los Angeles County Department of Occupational Health and the Veteran’s Medical Center in Sepulveda, California.
In addition to training and experience in biofeedback and neurofeedback, Dr. Brown has specialized expertise in assessment and psychometrics, health psychology, geropsychology, and prevention-oriented community psychology. He has held academic posts at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and Seattle Pacific University, where he served as Dean and Associate Professor.
Randy is a practicing attorney in New Mexico with a life-long interest in the philosophy and science of consciousness.
Over the last decade he has discovered that the neuro-feedback integrated with neuro-headsets was revolutionary in helping to guide a serious user to flow, peak and bliss states of consciousness. These initial devices are only the first step in developing devices and practices which will transform human consciousness and evolution. Randy is very excited to be a part of the Divergence team which will blaze new trails in the field of consciousness and for the good of humanity.
Randy is happily married with to his wife Laura for 36 years, and has 3 grown children and 5 grandchildren.
Alex is a seasoned technology leader who is passionate about mental health and neuroscience. Through his career, he has held many titles from developer, architect to delivery manager, innovation lead, and start-up CTO across different industries from mobile, telecom to digital media, neurotech and fintech.
A true tech nerd at heart, Alex is most passionate about building world-class technology companies by creating an open, transparent, and accountable culture that delivers quality. Other than his technical skill set, Alex also holds a CPA/CMA designation, and has his MBA focusing on technology management and valuation.
Boris is a seasoned technology leader who is passionate about learning, mental health, and building great tech companies. Boris helped build Trapeze Group – his last company from a tiny start-up to a 100 million dollar software and technology giant powering hundreds of top-tier transit agencies in North America.
After transitioning to the next phase of his professional life, Boris’ passion for building great technology companies brought him together with Alex on the journey to build the next great Canadian story – one that is near and dear to his heart – with deep connections to machine learning, AI, neuroscience and cloud.
Jeff is a seasoned technology executive with a passion for bringing practical software and hardware solutions to real-world business challenges. He brings an unwavering commitment to operational excellence, championship for a culture of transparency, and a propensity for action and progress.
Jeff has held a variety of roles in Enterprise Software and technology companies. Most recently he has held the roles of Director, Technology Development, Director, Professional Services, VP, Product Development and Delivery, VP, Industry Solutions and Alliances, and VP, Sales.