Keeping Athletes Calm Under Pressure
As one of the four central pillars of the Global Sport Institute (GSI), innovation has always been an integral part of our mission. We have remained committed to supporting and inspiring those that are pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors that will positively shape the future of sport.
Our work in this space is best exemplified through our venture funding opportunities and partnership with ASU Entrepreneurship + Innovationand Venture Devils. GSI offers one-on-one coaching, opportunities for grant funding, and access to a burgeoning network of advisors through strategic relationships and partnerships for qualified ventures.
We now have three venture competitions with the Global Sport Social Impact Challenge (GSSIC), the Global Sport Venture Challenge (GSVC), and the inaugural Phoenix Rising FC Venture Challenge (PRVC). One of our past winners of the Global Sport Venture Challenge is Hoolest Performance Technologies. Hoolest is a sports technology company that focuses on creating drug-free technologies designed to enhance human performance.
Hoolest was created by Nick Hool, a current Ph.D. student at Arizona State University. Nick launched the idea because he suffered from performance anxiety as a competitive golfer while in high school.
Nick was determined to find a way to combat the stress and anxiety that can significantly inhibit peak athletic performance. His goal was to create a product that could help athletes remain calm and collected in the most demanding situations. The solution: Hoolest Performance Technologies.
Hoolest’s first product, the P57 ONE, is a device that works by emitting small electrical impulses to stimulate a branch of the vagus nerve, activating the body’s relaxation response to create mindful focus and a calm state. Using this device provides a drug-free, immediate, and safe solution to combat performance anxiety in sports.
We spoke to founder and CEO, Nick Hool, to learn more about Hoolest and their current and future goals:
Tell us about Hoolest’s journey thus far, and the current stage of your venture.
Hoolest is currently working to pursue FDA clearance for our first medical device product to treat anxiety symptoms. The device has been produced and is now in the clinical trial phase. Once the clinical trial is complete, we will apply for FDA clearance.
How has the Global Sport Institute impacted your venture’s journey?
The Global Sport Institute gave us the early stage funds and mentor support we needed when we first started the company. With these funds we built our first prototypes and presented them to our potential customers. The GSI mentors connected us to influential people in our field who have given us guidance on how to navigate the market and understand our customer needs.
What do you attribute the founding of Hoolest to?
Hoolest was founded with the goal of developing an easy-to-use, comfortable, and drug-free device that reduces symptoms of anxiety. I struggled with controlling the physical symptoms of my nerves when I played in golf tournaments in high school. Drugs like beta-blockers were not allowed in competition and had a list of side effects. I also didn’t have the discipline to practice time-consuming mindfulness sessions everyday. I wanted to develop something that was drug-free and provided immediate relief.
What does your vision for the future of Hoolest look like?
Hoolest will expand upon the first anxiety relief device and will develop new methods and platforms for total mental health management at both clinical and consumer levels. We want hundreds of millions of people to have access to our beneficial technology.
Is there anything else about your experience that you’d like to share?
Building a medical device company is difficult, but having the support of the ASU community and other business mentors who have had success in this space has kept us on the right path. Slowly but surely our company will make a massive impact in the mental health space.
To learn more about the Global Sport Institute’s Innovation Programs, visit our website.
For more content that goes beyond wins and losses, head to globalsportmatters.com.
The Global Sport Institute cares for the health and safety of all its readers. If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or need someone to talk to, please take action now by calling 1-800-273-8255 or by visiting suicidepreventionlifeline.org. For other resources, visit the Mental Health Resources Guide.