Embodied Labs

Embodied Labs, Inc. operates as a specialized training platform within the age-tech and digital health markets, focusing on improving care for older adults through immersive experiences. The company was established in 2016 by co-founders Carrie Shaw, Thomas Leahy, and Erin Washington. The inspiration for the company came from CEO Carrie Shaw's personal experience as the primary caregiver for her mother, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. This journey highlighted the communication gap between patients and caregivers, leading Shaw to first create a modified pair of glasses to simulate her mother's visual impairment for care providers.

Shaw's background, which includes a Bachelor of Science in Public Health, a Master of Science in Biomedical Visualization, and time as a Peace Corps health education volunteer, provided the foundation for the company's approach. The venture began as her master's thesis project at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she explored how virtual reality could allow caregivers to embody the patient's perspective. This academic project was commercialized to form Embodied Labs after Shaw's plan to pursue a Ph.D. was altered due to a cut in program funding.

The company's core business revolves around a subscription-based immersive training platform for organizations in the aging care sector. Clients include senior living providers, home care agencies, hospitals, and academic institutions, with notable customers like Best Buy Health. Embodied Labs generates revenue by providing these organizations with access to its library of training modules, which can be deployed through VR headsets or a web-based platform. The company offers turn-key hardware kits that include a VR-ready laptop, headset, and other necessary accessories for immediate use.

The product allows healthcare professionals, students, and family caregivers to experience the world from the first-person perspective of an older adult. The platform's library contains interactive modules covering a range of conditions and situations, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, Lewy body dementia, macular degeneration, hearing loss, social isolation, and LGBTQ+ aging. Each module, developed with subject matter experts, is designed to build "actionable empathy" by simulating the cognitive, visual, and auditory challenges associated with these conditions, thereby improving caregiver understanding and patient outcomes. The training curriculum follows a structured model of preparing the learner, embodying the experience, and reflecting on it afterward. Since its founding, the company has raised approximately $7.58 million through several funding rounds, including a significant seed round in 2020.

Keywords: caregiver training, virtual reality healthcare, age-tech, geriatric care education, empathy training, digital health platform, immersive learning, senior care, Alzheimer's simulation, person-centered care, VR training, health education technology, elder care, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's disease simulation, medical simulation, workforce development, healthcare innovation, Carrie Shaw, patient perspective