Meet Richard Mills, CEO of SleepCogni

Richard Mills, CEO of SleepCogni, is a double award winning medical device innovator. His previous product innovation, Swellaway, went onto raise significant VC funding and won the national Medilink innovation of 2015. He has over 20 years experience in leading internet, medical, and technology companies. He is quoted as being one of the top ten of Yorkshire, UK entrepreneurs.

SleepCogni is the world's first bedside sleep device that integrates cognitive science and CBT, stimulus control, and physiological measures that allow the individual to self-manage their insomnia. SleepCogni combines environmental and personal data into an interactive sensory experience device.

A Kickstarter campaign to fund SleepCogni is currently underway.

1. How did your own difficulties with insomnia help give you the idea for SleepCogni?

I had suffered from insomnia for many years, unable to switch off a busy mind and fall asleep. I was so desperate to find a natural way of falling asleep, and determined to overcome his addiction to sleeping pills that I turned to what I knows best--technology. I believed that the secret was in reversing the ill effects of the daily stimulus and helping the mind and body wind-down with natural sleep cues to a sleep ready state. 

My objective is to help the world rid itself of sleeping tablets. They are addictive and harmful, with over 75M prescriptions for sleep disorders written in the US/UK alone in 2014, an average growth of 23% on the previous year. The Centre of Disease & Control (CDC) say sleep deprivation is now a global health epidemic. 

2. What distinguishes your product from other treatments or products meant to help people sleep?

SleepCogni is the world's first bedside sleep device that integrates cognitive science, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and stimulus control. SleepCogni's patented technology monitors the bedroom environment, but more importantly measures you physiologically, which then allows you, the individual, to self-manage and induce sleep. Our independent clinical research has proven that the way you wind down to sleep can actually improve your overall sleep quality and duration, too.

SleepCogni combines environmental and personal data into an interactive sensory experience using techniques based on CBT, the proven gold standard insomnia treatment. The bedside device produces a personalized program of audio, visual, and tactile natural sleep cues based on the user's physiological state, winding the user down to a relaxing, sleep ready state. Engaging with SleepCogni via the trigger component distracts a busy/wandering mind, and the gradually decreasing sleep cues act as confirmation (bio-feedback) that you are relaxing and unwinding from the blur and stress of the day, allowing you to drift off to sleep.

The uniqueness of SleepCogni is that it is personalized to the user; it monitors the body and--unlike any other device on the market--interacts with it to help the user reverse the ill-effects of the day and to induce sleep. SleepCogni also works as a training program, which means it becomes more effective the more it's used as it teaches you to wind down.

3. How does SleepCogni help to counteract the negative effects of the light we take in all day and evening from TV, computers, phones, etc?

Stress and over-stimulus in day to day life is contributing to our inability to fall sleep and stay asleep. We are all being hyper-aroused and over-stimulated from the moment we wake up through all of our visual, sound, and tactile senses. Many things are triggering our "fight and flight" mode. Unnatural sounds and artificial lighting can interfere with our biological clock delaying the natural cues our body receives throughout the day to which circadian phase we are in and ultimately the onset of sleep.

For many, our normal pattern of winding down before bed now involves watching films, using smart phones or tablets, catching up with social media, or browsing the internet before bed. But it is these devices that emit blue light to which our body is most sensitive. Such sub-optimal lighting suppresses melatonin and disturbs our biological clock, delaying our natural cues‎ to sleep. SleepCogni's sensory wind down program helps to counteract the effects of these devices.

4. What are the roles of sound and light when it comes to helping us sleep?

After extensive research, we found that your senses all naturally wind down as you get ready to sleep. Firstly, this happens through visual cues and the light sequence. Secondly, you focus on audio cues through our stereo speakers washing soundwaves over you, listening more intensely as your eyes become tired. Finally, you experience a gentle vibration for tactile cues through the trigger device.

Recent studies have shown that blue light (short-wavelength) has a greater effect on shifting the circadian clock and on melatonin suppression.

One study examined the effects of reading on a light-emitting device compared with reading a printed book. Participants who read on light-emitting devices took longer to fall asleep, had less REM sleep [the phase when we dream], and had higher alertness before bedtime [than those people who read printed books]. SleepCogni avoids using blue light. Instead, we use non-stimulating wavelengths (≥ 510nm).

SleepCogni has an array of sensors that feeds back into the generation of specific sounds which will bring down your heart rate, calm down the mind, and help you sleep more quickly. The music and soundscapes (of which there will be more than one and personalized) will consist of elements that can change tempo, timbre, and pitch.

5. How did you decide on Kickstarter to launch your product--and what are you offering to people who support your campaign?

I really like the idea of crowdfunding, people around the world helping designers and entrepreneurs get their idea/product innovation off the ground. Kickstarter is a global platform, and we believe we have a product that can help sleep sufferers / insomniacs get a good night sleep around the world.

We are offering early birds, before the 10th of December, a 50% discount and to be first to use the bedside device for just £99 / $149. Learn more at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sleepcogni/sleepcogni-wind-down-fall-asleep-sleep-better.

Thanks, Richard!

Introducing Living in Brüklyn by Joe Bloch

Joe Bloch is an artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He has been running a Kickstarter campaign to fund his latest product, Living in Brüklyn, which is a series of paintings, products, and prints offering a unique perspective on Brooklyn with an industrial edge that is also influenced by street art, impressionism, and graphic design.

But the best way to get to know his project is to check out some examples of his work, like these paintings.

The Kickstarter campaign launched in mid-May and will run through June 13, 2015. You can also learn more about Joe Bloch and see lots of samples of his work at www.creativebloch.com.

The premiums for donors to the Kickstarter are really cool and include original artwork, such as these signed prints.

The paintings in this series are made over a long process involving many layers of acrylics. The days-long process creates a unique depth of color.

Really, the more I look at Joe's work, the more I wish I could see it in person. He has over 25 years of experience as an artist, and his knowledge of Brooklyn's overlooked buildings, cars, and other aspects of the city come through in a bold and intriguing way.

If you're looking to support the work of a creative and independent artist, check out this Kickstarter!

Introducing a Terrible Tearable Book

As someone who reads a lot and has a strong interest in zines and book arts, I love it when I find a book that's not quite like anything I've seen before. Enter A Terrible Tearable Book by Zen Thai.

Have you ever wanted to get your feelings out on paper, but journaling just wasn't enough? Are you a kinesthetic type of person who benefits from adding a physical aspect to a writing or meditative practice? With A Terrible Tearable Book, the author invites you to tear each page out as part of the process of reading/using the book. Some pages are meant to be torn out and torn up, as you work out the residual anger or negativity of a bad day. Other pages are meant to be pinned up on your fridge or wherever you like to keep encouraging notes.

Zen Thai is currently raising money for the publication of A Terrible Tearable Book through this Kickstarter campaign. He has written four other books and has a solid understanding of the publication process.

When you pledge at $24 or more, you're reserving a copy of the book for yourself. There are two versions of the book: one version includes profanity, and the other is a "clean" version. At higher pledge amounts, you can actually be included in the book and even have your own, customized terrible tearable page based on your personal pet peeves. If you pledge any amount to the Kickstarter campaign, Zen Thai will send you a sample page from the book--and he hopes you'll make and share a video of yourself tearing it from the book.

This is a very cool project both in terms of expanding the boundaries of a typical "book" and in terms of being fun and participatory. Really I think this is just the kind of thing that crowdfunding was made for, and I hope that Zen Thai reaches his $3000 goal. As of this writing, he's already one-sixth of the way there. Visit his Kickstarter page to learn more.

A Kickstarter to Bring a Fantasy Trilogy to Bookstores Near You

Are you a fan of sci-fi and/or fantasy novels? Want to see more of these books by independent authors make their way into your neighborhood brick and mortar bookstores? Check out the Kickstarter campaign currently being run by author Leeland Artra.

Leeland Artra is the author of the Golden Threads trilogy, and his books have a solid track history with strong sales and reader reviews. The first two books in the series are currently available in e-book and print-on-demand format, and with the Kickstarter funding, the books will be republished in hardback and pocket paperback editions.

As the author writes on his Kickstarter page, the novels "represent twenty years of world building, and thousands of hours of work crafting them for your enjoyment." He's using the money he raises to put the books through an additional editing and proofreading process, and then to get them distributed by Ingram.

The novels are set 20,000 years in the future, and the main characters are a young mercenary woman and a junior wizard. The books are described as an epic journey and have maintained an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon, with over 600 reviews so far.

Along with undertaking this project to get books one and two of the trilogy into the hands of more readers, Artra is also hard at work on book three, and he says it will be released very soon.

This is an author who has really put the time and effort into his books to develop a following of readers--and this Kickstarter could be just the boost he needs to help his work find an even wider following. If you want to get more of an idea of his work, you can read an excerpt of book one, Thread Silvers, here; and read an excerpt of book two, Thread Strands, here.

Meet Alanna Lin Ramage a.k.a. FASCINOMA, Singer and Songwriter

Alanna Lin Ramage a.k.a. FASCINOMA is an Asian-American (Taiwanese), LA-based (originally from OH), folk-pop, singer / songwriter who will be releasing an ten-track album featuring Beatles classics such as "Something" and "And I Love Her" under the auspices of a project reportedly dictated by an alter-ego named Chairmeowww. She has recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to help her bring the album to completion (mastering, videos, promotion, etc).

You may also recognize her work from FOX'S animated TV show American Dad which included her song, "I'm Walking This Road Because You Stole My Car (Don't Go)," in the episode, "Choosey Wives Choose Smith" in 2008.

1. As someone who didn't encounter The Beatles' music until you were an adult, how did you respond to it when you first heard it? 

I liked it! Who doesn't like the Beatles? I actually did hear some Beatles growing up. In movies and TV commercials, etc. They just weren't a part of my parents' record collection, because my parents are Taiwanese immigrants... who didn't like the Beatles I guess?

2. What inspired you to do a Beatles cover album, and how did you choose the songs for the album? 

I have an alter-ego named Chairmeowww who suggested it to me as an interesting challenge for me because I didn't grow up in an normal American household (if there is such a thing), and I wasn't that familiar with their music. It was also question of how do you take something that's everyone's and make it your own?

My friends Joey Maramba (who played bass), and Mike Corwin (who played guitar and Wurlitzer on the album), both know me well and sent over CDs with the tracks they thought I should do, and in the end they determined what got recorded for the album. We had a Beatles songbook and some lyric sheets so I could look at the words of some of the songs I had never seen before.

3. Why did you decide on Kickstarter as the means of funding the completion of the album/videos? 

I like the word "Kickstarter" because it brings to mind being kicked in the ass. 

4. As an independent artist, how do you balance a "day job" with finding the time to create music? 

I've changed my concept of time. :) You don't need a lot of time to be inspired every day. It's nice if you have all day, but if you do have to work or make ends meet, you need a creative life (sometimes only a few minutes a day of writing / reading), and people always says this--but a deadline is very important. It can help make things materialize that would otherwise just stay in the ether indefinitely.

5. If you could tell people just three things about yourself to help them get to know you, what would you say? 

1. FASCINOMA is pronounced like "fascinate" and "carcinoma" mixed together.   2. I grew up in Cleveland, OH: the home of rock n’ roll. 3. My favorite book for 2014 was called The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson. If you want to time travel and mind travel, it's an amazing experience.

Thanks, Alanna!

Meet R.L. Terry, Creator of Swaggapuss Gets a Job

R.L. Terry is the creator and producer of Swaggapuss Gets a Job, an independent variety sitcom. Check out the show's pilot episode on YouTube, or by watching below.

1. Who is Swaggapuss and how did you come up with the name?

Swaggapuss was originally a joke one of my bandmates Mikey Hendrix and his wife came up with about four years ago. He was supposed to be a cartoon that's too cool for everything he does. His name kind of mocks pop culture because at the time the slang "swag" was popular.

2. What is the concept of Swaggapuss Gets a Job?

The concept of the show is Swaggapuss getting kicked out of his mom's for being a lazy adult. He moves in with his cousin R.L. (me) with one rule: that he has to get a job. Faced with the real world, he constantly messes up his chances of keeping a job. His best friend Chips plays a heavy influence on Swaggapuss as he is more concerned with being cool to his friends than anything else.

3. What do you find the most fun--and what do you find the most challenging--of creating your show?

The most fun is coming up with the concepts and jokes. Also, it's fun seeing people's reactions when we are shooting. The most challenging is the actual behind-the-scenes work of shooting, editing, writing, and acting. Being currently independent, we are all playing multiple roles which makes it more demanding and time-consuming to get the job done.

4. As an independent artist, how do you put together the funding for your projects?

Right now, the funding comes out of my pocket. We have a Kickstarter that is currently running, and we will soon start a merchandise campaign. Once he is a household name, it will pay for itself.

5. What can viewers who follow your YouTube channel expect to see in the months ahead?

We have five more main episodes left to release from the pilot season and a blooper episode to top it off. We will be in many locations and and attending events where we could be shooting if you ever see us.

Thanks, R.L.!

A Kickstarter for a Cool New iPhone Case

You know I love an interesting crowdfunding campaign, so here's a Kickstarter for a product called CasePlug. It's an iPhone case which has built-in mounting, charging, syncing, and a kickstand, all in one. It's a compact and easy to use product.

As someone who is apt to lose things like plugs, adapters, and so on, I like the convenience of having everything in one case. It has great appeal for minimalists who want something that looks sleek and is highly functional. In short, it's a "plug & play" replacement for all the accessories you need for your phone. It works by having an integrated USB plug that you can plug into an outlet, car radio, or laptop computer. It has wireless capability as well. And it allows you to use your phone to control the device you're connecting to.

Through the Kickstarter, you can buy CasePlug for $25, which is the introductory price. Check out the Kickstarter link for more info. Today (July 31, 2014) marks the official launch of the Kickstarter campaign, which is cool if you're someone who likes to be one of the first to sign up for a new product!

Introducing War Kids, a Young Adult Novel about Syria

Hayley Lawson is the author of War Kids, a young adult contemporary novel set in Syria which tells a story about the Syrian Civil war though the eyes of children. Today (March 27. 2014) is the official launch of Hayley's Kickstarter campaign to support the publication of War Kids.

Hayley was born in Lancaster, England. Growing up in a single parent household with five other siblings was hard and also character building. Diagnosed with dyslexia at an early age, she always believed if you work hard, you can do anything you want. If she didn't know how to do something, she would research until she did.

As a young child, Hayley found a passion for drawing and continued this into adulthood, graduating from the University of Central Lancashire, England with a BA (Hons) in fashion design. At age 27, Hayley and her husband packed up their belongings for a lifelong dream to move to California. Her American dream was complete with the birth of her daughter. Her love for traveling continued after the birth of her daughter traveling around America with the family, and the best-traveled dog.

A new job positioned opened up New York, and the family decide to relocate to Long Island, NY, which is where she currently resides. On August 21, 2013, Hayley was moved by the images of the Syrian conflict, and she embarked on a unlikely journey of writing her first novel.

She is currently working on the War Kids sequel, a comedy for adults, and a children's book she is co-writing with her daughter.

- Synopsis of War Kids -

When a fourteen-year-old Jada wakes up in a hospital, the last thing she thinks is that her life has completely changed forever. But when the very real civil war forces her to flee from every open space, she must use the firearm skills her father taught her to reunite with him and protect herself.

Armed with a single gun and a key to an unknown locker, Jada crosses Syria on a journey with a group of children called the Fearless Freedom Fighters. With the leader, Zak, they mount a plan to rescue their fathers while they try to cope with the merciless murders of their families. As Jada and Zak lead the group together, but with soldiers hot on their tail, they need to stay vigilant in the face of war.

To help fund the contemporary young adult novel War Kids - A Syrian Story, visit the Kickstarter Campaign page here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/warkids/war-kids-a-syrian-story.

Introducing the 50 State Flowers Project of Artist Arlissa Vaughn

Painter Arlissa Vaughn from Murphy, North Carolina has a unique idea for a project to paint each of the 50 officially-designated state flowers of the United States. On November 1, she started a Kickstarter campaign to support the creative project.

Arlissa's Kickstarter also gives art enthusiasts a limited-time opportunity to become a patron and pre-purchase a state flower painting, sketch, or limited-edition signed print. At lower funding levels, donors receive other great premiums like original art posters and calendars. Below is an example of Arlissa's work, depicting the white pine cone and tassle, which interestingly is the state flower of Maine even though it's not a flower at all!

To help get the word out about her project, Arlissa is also sponsoring a contest: anyone who "likes" or "shares" the innovative project on Facebook or signs up to receive exciting email updates will be entered in a free drawing for a chance to win a limited-edition signed art print.

Funding will help Arlissa travel to paint live flower specimens at sites including the North Carolina Arboretum and the New York Botanical Gardens. So far she has located sites for 44 of the flowers and is still on the hunt for the other six, most of which don't grow in the Southeast.

Arlissa is an internationally-recognized acrylic painter, known for her calming atmospheric effects and unusual use of texture. She paints in a contemporary style with vivid color reminiscent of the Expressionist era, and is available for live events and custom portrait painting. Her work has been exhibited across the USA and as far away as Taiwan, and can be found in both corporate and private collections. She holds a BFA degree from East Carolina University's School of Art & Design and has been a professional working artist since 2005.

Meet Adam Montierth, Film Producer and Director

Adam Montierth, along with his twin brother Donovan, formed a production company in 2004 and they have produced and directed films which were screened in over 40 film festivals across the country. They won over 20 awards for their films and screenplays, and several of the films have aired on TV. Donovan and Adam won a Rocky Mountain Emmy® Award for Reveille on October 6th, 2007. Adam has written, optioned and produced several screenplays.

Locker 13 is Adam and Donovan's first feature film, and they have started a Kickstarter campaign to raise funding to finish their post-production work.

Locker 13 is thriller anthology feature film, in the style of The Twilight Zone, revolving around a mysterious locker 13. The cast includes well-known actors from movies and TV: Ricky Schroder (Silver Spoons, Lonesome Dove, 24), Rick Hoffman (Suits), Jon Gries (Napoleon Dynamite), Tatyana Ali (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), and many more.

Below is a preview of the film.

1. Could you tell us a bit about some of the stores that intersect around the mysterious locker 13 in your film?

Locker 13 is the story of Skip (Jason Spisak, The Vampire Diaries), a young ex-convict who takes a position as a night janitor at an old-west theme park. His supervisor Archie (Jon Gries, Napoleon Dynamite), teaches him the ropes, but more importantly attempts to convey critical philosophical messages through a series of four stories: a down and out boxer (Ricky Schroder, NYPD Blue, Silver Spoons, The Champ) is given the opportunity to become a real golden gloves killer; an assassin (Rick Hoffman, Suits, Battleship) kidnaps three people in order to find out who hired him for his latest hit; a new recruit (Bart Johnson, High School Musical) is initiated into a lodge of fez-wearing businessmen where hazing can take a malevolent turn; and a member of a suicide club (Jason Marsden, Boy Meets World, White Squall) introduces real fear into a man about to jump to his death. The four stories suddenly come into play when Skip is faced with a life-or-death decision of his own.

2. How did you secure such a great and eclectic cast?

Many of the actors that we approached told us virtually the same thing: they wanted to be a part of Locker 13 because of the writing. The stories are interesting with a few surprise twists and the characters are strong. Being an anthology also allowed us to break up the shooting schedule into three-day blocks. The actors were able to participate without having to say no to a larger project. We were very fortunate, as we only had a fraction of the budget that a Hollywood production has.

3. Why did you choose Kickstarter to help fund your post-production costs?

We've worked very hard to maintain a high level of quality for this project. We've had to pinch every penny and call in a lot of favors, but we're really proud of the film. We're at the tail end of Post and needed that last little boost to help us finish. We turned to Kickstarter, because we knew they had a solid reputation of helping artistic projects. We also really like the reward aspect and wanted to give back to those that help us.

4. What will backers of the Kickstarter campaign receive in exchange for their support?

The rewards range from digital copies of a stand-alone e-book, the full length feature script, and graphic novel; to a digital copy of Locker 13, real props from the film signed by the actors, and even a wedding in the chapel on the set of Gunsight Pass.

A lot of very cool rewards, but my favorite is the ULTIMATE BACKER PREMIERE - YOU AND 1 GUEST (in Fort McDowell, Arizona, airfare and lodging not provided): Visit the Wild West Town set built for the movie, Gunsight Pass, eat a chuckwagon dinner AND watch an ADVANCED SCREENING of Locker 13 in a replica of the Birdcage Theatre!

5. What's your goal in terms of timing for Locker 13's release, and will it be on the festival circuit?

We are looking to have a limited theatrical release beginning on December 13th 2013, but we haven't set anything in stone for distribution yet, as we are focusing on finishing Post. We are however, entertaining many different offers. We've always liked the festival circuit and would definitely consider going to many of the festivals. We will keep everyone posted on locker13.com. Please check it out.

Thanks, Adam!

DoGoodCon and Social Entrepreneurship

Have you heard about DoGoodCon? It's an event that will be held from May 27-29 at The Altman Building in New York, with a focus on social entrepreneurs who use technology and design to help their communities by creating sustainable solutions. While these entrepreneurs work from a for-profit business model, they also keep a social mission in mind as a key part of their work.

Speakers at the event will represent a wide range of industries, such as education, fashion, finance, food, transportation, and entertainment.

Founder Alison Potvin describes her motivation for starting DoGoodCon as follows: "I became disillusioned with the existing non-profit model of fundraising to support worthy causes. I feel the answer to creating sustainable change lies in scalable solutions. The traditional charitable model is not a sustainable one, especially during these times of economic uncertainty and political gamesmanship. So, I went out in search of social entrepreneurs who are pursuing the work they love while creating sustainable change in both local and global communities."

Tickets for DoGoodCon are available on Kickstarter, as are additional rewards for contributors, such as capability to livestream content from the event. Potvin chose to launch DoGoodCon on Kickstarter because, in her words, "The Kickstarter community embraces Doers and Innovators and DoGoodCon is all about action and innovation."

For more information, see the "about" page on the DoGoodCon website, and/or watch the video embedded below.