In the modern, fast-paced world, Stress and anxiety have become ubiquitous challenges, affecting individuals across the globe. Recognizing the need for effective stress management solutions, Anna Gudmundson, CEO and co-founder of Sensate, has emerged as a visionary leader at the forefront of technological innovation in the wellness industry.
Sensate, with its groundbreaking device and app, offers a unique approach to soothing the nervous system and enhancing stress resiliency. The patented technology combines infrasonic waves with specially composed hemispheric audio, creating a harmonious experience that promotes relaxation and well-being from the very first session. Anna’s unwavering belief in the power of technology to positively impact human evolution has propelled her on an extraordinary journey of exploration and transformation.
With a rich professional background in exponentially growing technology fields, Anna brings a wealth of expertise to her role. From her early contributions to mobile features and products at Lucent Technologies to her involvement in startups and innovation in diverse areas such as big data, social media tech, luxury tech, and wearables, Anna’s passion for technology’s potential knows no bounds.
Driven by a deep desire to create meaningful change, Anna seeks out opportunities to collaborate with cutting-edge technologies that not only possess commercial viability but can also scale effectively. Her visionary leadership at Sensate is rooted in the belief that technology can be harnessed to cultivate a better future for humanity.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Anna’s journey is characterized by her commitment to personal growth and her belief in the power of collaboration. She fosters a team culture that values transparency, innovation, and continuous learning, enabling Sensate to flourish and redefine the wellness landscape.
The Company
Sensate serves as a powerful life tool that empowers individuals to effectively manage and overcome the daily stresses and anxieties that arise in today’s fast-paced world. By enabling users to regulate their body’s natural response to external stressors, Sensate helps them shift their state from one of tension and overwhelm to a state of calm, relaxation, and clarity. The patented technology utilized by Sensate involves the use of infrasound played against the sternum, combined with proprietary audio soundscapes experienced through headphones. This unique audible and tactile resonance experience has shown remarkable potential in calming both the mind and body.
Stress is an inherent part of life, but how we respond to it and build resilience determines whether it has a negative impact on our well-being and those around us. Studies have shown that a significant percentage of the workforce, with 83% of US workers, experiences work-related stress, with 25% considering their job as the primary source of stress in their lives. Furthermore, workplace stress has been reported to affect personal relationships by 76% of US workers (*The American Institute of Stress).
Sensate’s mission is to help millions of people enhance their stress resilience and become even more remarkable individuals, equipped to navigate the challenges of our times. By empowering individuals with the tools and techniques to effectively manage stress, Sensate aims to improve their overall well-being and enable them to thrive in their personal and professional lives.
Through its innovative technology and commitment to making a positive impact, Sensate strives to be a catalyst for personal growth and resilience, ultimately helping individuals lead more fulfilling and balanced lives.
From Advisor to CEO
Anna’s decision to embark on her journey with Sensate was driven entirely by a strong sense of mission. Initially, she had no inclination towards taking on a startup CEO role. Her involvement began as an advisor, supporting Stefan, the co-founder and Integrated Healthcare pioneer, in bringing the first prototype to market. As she transitioned into roles such as Board Director and Consultant, her focus was on facilitating product launch, sales, marketing, and gathering valuable data.
After a few weeks, Anna observed adoption and retention numbers that exceeded her expectations, indicating the product’s potential for global impact. It was at this point that she recognized the significance of the opportunity and made the leap of faith. Despite having prior experience in tech startups and CEO roles encompassing consumer hardware and software tech, Anna was well aware that the startup journey is an arduous one, marked by numerous challenges and ‘near-death’ experiences in the early stages. It requires immense determination, resilience, and motivation to navigate through daily obstacles and find the energy, solutions, and courage to move forward.
Once Anna committed to the role, she never looked back. What continues to drive her every day is witnessing the life-changing impact that Sensate’s products have on users, the incredible team she works with, and the continuous personal growth and learning she experiences along the way. These factors serve as a constant source of energy and motivation, reinforcing her dedication to the mission of Sensate and its transformative effects on individuals’ lives.
Role as CEO
As an early-stage co-founder and CEO, Anna feels it can sometimes feel like absolutely everything is your direct responsibility. She states, “We’re at a stage now where we’re transitioning to a slightly more process driven and less informal way of working. We’ve brought this transition right to the surface and it was actually a big part of our OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) for the last quarter.” As Sensate grows, Anna’s role evolves from being a “Chief Doer” to focusing on strategic growth, team building, and organization development. Fundraising remains a significant part of her job, which she enjoys and actively engages with investors. Prioritization becomes crucial due to limited time and resources, and embracing the journey becomes essential.
Fostering Collaboration, Innovation, and Growth
Sensate management firmly believes in the power of collaboration, considering it to be more effective than competition as a team culture. Anna recognizes that in order for collaboration to thrive, transparency within the business is crucial. She encourages different opinions and debate, as it ensures alignment and cohesion in working towards shared objectives. By fostering visibility and providing an integrated understanding of the strategy and objectives, the management aims to enable teams to collaborate freely without being restricted by top-down gatekeepers.
Innovation is highly valued at Sensate and is viewed as a mindset that the management team actively seeks to cultivate within themselves and their respective teams. Anna understands that fostering an environment of innovation involves investing in experimentation, even if it may not always result in commercially viable products or features, especially during the early stages of the company. She believes that without the freedom to explore and experiment, it becomes challenging to nurture a culture of innovation. As Sensate grows, the management is looking forward to increasing its investment in innovation, while continuously iterating on a smaller scale in the meantime.
Another core value at Sensate is growth, both professionally and personally. The management embraces a growth mindset and prioritize learning and self-challenge. Testing and learning are deeply ingrained in the company’s culture, and it actively strives to improve communication and interpersonal relationships, particularly as it operates as a distributed remote-working team. In a rapidly expanding company like Sensate, constant change is the norm, and it recognizes the necessity of embracing it.
Embracing Personal Growth and Empowering Leadership
Anna embraces a growth mindset, perceiving challenges as opportunities for personal development and inner exploration. She recognizes the importance of self-care, including practices like meditation, visualization, and maintaining her mental and physical health, to prevent burnout. Having experienced near-burnout in the past, Anna has gained valuable insights from those experiences.
She strongly believes that women leaders can thrive by focusing on their inner work, tapping into their strengths and unique gifts. Rather than emulating the authoritative leadership models of the past, she sees personal growth and self-discovery as catalysts for becoming exceptional leaders. Anna is a staunch advocate for personal growth and coaching, having immersed herself in numerous books and diligently implementing suggested exercises. She has also sought guidance from skilled coaches across various areas of her life and actively participated in retreats and workshops.
Through her commitment to continuous learning and self-improvement, Anna strives to enhance her leadership abilities and bring her best self to her role. By prioritizing personal growth, she believes that leaders can cultivate a more authentic and empowering leadership style that positively impacts their teams and organizations.
Transforming the Wellness Landscape
Over the past three years or more, Sensate has undergone significant transformations as a company and as a team. The core long-term team has experienced substantial growth and evolution, while new members have joined at different stages of the journey to fulfill specific needs. With a strong background in technology, it has been deeply ingrained in the business culture to leverage tools, data, and tech to support and accelerate various aspects of the business. Sensate is not solely a wellness tech company focused on innovation and technology development; they also explore how other innovations can enhance their operations, delivery processes, and support their people. The team actively explores and tests a multitude of new AI-powered tools, incorporating them into different processes and business domains where applicable.
As for the product itself, Sensate will continue to evolve through ongoing research and refinement of the system. There is a growing number of individuals worldwide who require a simple and effective means to relax, alleviate stress, or quickly recharge in just 10 minutes. The feedback received from users globally is invaluable, and Sensate eagerly anticipates how their continued technological innovation and research will drive the future evolution of their product. Sensate remains committed to providing an easy and accessible solution for individuals seeking relaxation and stress relief, and they are enthusiastic about the positive impact their technology can make on people’s lives.
Expanding Reach and Future Plans
According to Anna, Sensate has made a remarkable entry into the market with an exceptional product that is already making a positive impact on numerous individuals worldwide, spanning across more than 50 countries. To cater to the significant number of frequent users, it has introduced an optional subscription service called Sensate Plus, while also having a roadmap for the development of additional products and services.
In today’s world, the challenges and uncertainties surrounding us can easily lead to feelings of overwhelm. Anna and her team recognize that the ability to overcome stress and anxiety lies within each individual. By leveraging the power of Sensate, people can tap into their innate capacity to regulate stress and anxiety, ultimately creating a ripple effect that extends from individuals to their communities and beyond.
To fulfill their mission, Sensate team is dedicated to expanding the reach of their current products, ensuring that they are accessible to as many people as possible. Securing their next round of funding is crucial in order to continue reaching and benefiting more individuals who are in need of their products.
Looking towards the future, Sensate envisions deepening their relationship with their customers and followers. They plan to offer a comprehensive suite of products, services, and relevant content to a vast number of individuals seeking effective stress management, improved sleep, and easy access to a sense of inner calm. Sensate recognizes that a solid foundation of inner calm is essential for overall well-being, and they are tremendously motivated by this mission.
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