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Justin Shiffman

Co-Founder / CEO

A serial entrepreneur and investor passionate about unlocking human potential. Built and exited transformative technology platforms and now drives scalable, impactful solutions for athletes and organizations. Justin holds a JD and MBA, with extensive experience in education and tech innovation.

Dr. Lennie Waite

Chief Science Officer

A former Olympian and NCAA All-American, has over a decade of performance psychology experience. She applies cutting-edge research to build mental resilience, leading HITE EQ’s science-backed platform for athletes and teams.

Ian Peters

Co-Founder / President

A former Division I football safety at Kansas State University, co-founded HITE EQ to develop youth athletes. With over a decade of educational and coaching experience, he’s committed to accessible mental performance tools and academic-athletic success.

Dr. Joe Karlgaard

Chief Business Officer

Dr. Joe Karlgaard brings over 25 years in collegiate athletics, serving as AD at Rice and Oberlin, Senior AD at Stanford, and a track coach at Minnesota. He guides HITE EQ’s collegiate strategy through proven leadership.

Eugene Fine

Chief Technology Officer

A seasoned technology executive with 20+ years in product development and information systems. His agile and lean startup expertise drives HITE EQ’s innovation. He previously served as CTO at Explorer Surgical Corp., acquired by GHX.

Natasha Hastings

Director of Mental PerformanceEducation and Engagement

Olympic gold medalist and licensed professional counselor associate specializing in sports performance. She combines her athletic achievements with her expertise in mental health to support athletes’ development.

Billy Turner

Strategic Advisor

A decade-long NFL veteran for teams including the Dolphins and Packers, is a 2020 Ed Block Courage Award recipient. At HITE EQ, he advances strategic partnerships and holistic mental development for athletes.

Bradford Stein

Head of Customer Experience

Bradford Stein specializes in customer engagement and operational leadership. He has led cross-industry teams, implementing user-centric strategies and innovative solutions. Known for effective communication, he ensures seamless onboarding, support, and user satisfaction.

Terrell Jones

Strategic Advisor

Terrell Jones has over 20 years in sports, including NFL strength coaching for the 49ers and Buccaneers. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he advances mental health awareness at HITE EQ, crafting innovative strategies to enhance performance.

Dillon Stewart

Sports Science Analyst

A Ph.D. candidate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Rice University, researches systemic inequalities in sports organizations, recognized by the NSF and Ford Foundation. A former scholar-athlete decathlete, he shapes HITE EQ’s development strategies.

Alyssa Balandran

Mental Performance Program Specialist

Alyssa combines her expertise in sport performance and psychology to support athlete development at HITE-EQ. A former NCAA DI track record-holder at Rice University, she now competes post-collegiately and pursues an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Dr. Adebisi Akinyemi

Data Scientist

A research psychologist and former athlete with extensive doctoral training in statistics. At HITE EQ, she drives impact by providing research- and data-driven insights that help athletes and teams optimize their mental and physical performance.

Mimi Filkin

Mental Performance LinguisticSpecialist

Mimi combines her background in psychology and linguistics to assist in athlete development at HITE-EQ. As a former NCAA D1 swimmer and current record-holder at Rice University, she is pursuing an MS in Industrial and Organizational Psychology while remaining in the swim world as a coach.

Duy Nguyen

Strategic Advisor

A lifelong sports and data enthusiast with three decades at the crossroads of investment management and fintech. Expert in data science, predictive analytics, and AI innovation, Duy has built and scaled transformative solutions. He founded FactSet’s quantitative software division and led Invesco’s $90B+ Investment Solutions group.

Meet our expert team.

Built to Redefine Mental Performance

Led by Olympians, NFL veterans, PhDs, and tech innovators, HITE EQ’s leadership brings together the best of athletics, science, and technology. Our collective expertise drives one mission: to make mental performance measurable, actionable, and predictive.

Justin Shiffman

Co-Founder / CEO

Dr. Lennie Waite

Chief Science Officer

Ian Peters

Co-Founder / President

Dr. Joe Karlgaard

Chief Business Officer

Eugene Fine

Chief Technology Officer

Bradford Stein

Head of Customer Experience

Dr. Adebisi Akinyemi

Data Scientist

Dillon Stewart

Sports Science Analyst

Alyssa Balandran

Mental Performance Program Specialist

Mimi Filkin

Mental Performance Linguistic Specialist

Natasha Hastings

Director of Mental Performance Education and Engagement

Billy Turner

Strategic Advisor

Terrell Jones

Strategic Advisor

Duy Nguyen

Strategic Advisor

Experience That Spans Every Arena

Elite Athletics

First-hand experience competing and leading at the highest levels of sport.

Scientific Rigor

Advanced psychometric modeling integrates context-specific athlete data to ensure validity, reliability, and elite performance insights.

Athlete Lifespan

AI-driven solutions that scale from high school programs to professional teams.

More Than a Team — A Movement

Together, we’re shaping a future where mental performance is no longer overlooked but embraced as the edge that separates good from great.

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Get in Touch.

Let’s Build Mentally Stronger Teams—Together

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