Dr. Ty McKinney (he/him) received his PhD from the University of Utah in 2021 in Cognitive Neuroscience, where he specialized in understanding technology-based psychological assessment and brain-based wellness. Ty is the co-founder and owner of 8 Bit Cortex, a startup company that addresses and manages corporate workplace burnout through gamified and data-driven solutions. He also serves as the Research Director for Branch Out Neurological Foundation, a charity that funds innovative and holistic brain health research at 9 Universities across Canada, including the University of Victoria.

Dr. McKinney has over 6 years of experience facilitating corporate educational workshops on burnout, sleep, and celebrating neurodiversity with dozens of companies (including Imperial Oil, Deloitte, Critical Mass Digital Marketing Agency, DailyHive, and Suncor, among many others). He has also been a featured speaker at several events in Calgary’s innovation ecosystem (Beakerhead festival), been featured in IMPACT magazine for innovations in treating depression and boosting neuroplasticity, received numerous awards for his presentations, and been a guest speaker on various podcasts and news articles. Dr. McKinney is excited to share his expertise, experience, and tools, to support your efforts to address corporate burnout management, through his funny, interactive and data-driven talks. His meme game is top-notch, so prepare to be educated, entertained, and level up your burnout management knowledge and strategies. Dr. McKinney is also an accomplished researcher, and has authored 11 peer-reviewed publications on various aspects of brain health, ranging from the neuroscience of sleep to the psychological benefits of spending time in nature, and he has presented his research results at several international scientific conferences. His current work and expertise focuses on implementing technology-based mental health assessments in the workplace, and using this data to help both individuals and companies achieve their mental wellness goals.