Neurova Labs Joins the YMCA of Orange County at the 2026 YMCA General Assembly in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 17, 2026. Neurova Labs, the veteran-founded neurotechnology company behind Neurova Academy, is in New Orleans this week with the YMCA of Orange County for the 2026 General Assembly of YMCAs, September 17 to 19 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Y leaders can find the team at the Brain+ booth, number 2229 in Hall H.

More than 4,000 Y leaders are gathering for the YMCA General Assembly in the year the Y celebrates its 175th anniversary. It is where association executives, healthy living directors, and volunteer board members look at what comes next for their members.

"At the Y, we work every day to nurture the spirit, mind and body for everybody," said Dolores Daly, Chief Operating Officer of the YMCA of Orange County, in a welcome video for General Assembly attendees. "Because the truth is, most of us are carrying more than we let on."

Brain+ at the YMCA General Assembly, booth 2229

Brain+ is a small-group brain-wellness program from the YMCA of Orange County, built with Neurova Labs. Short, guided virtual reality sessions are designed to support how participants handle stress, how they sleep, and how they feel from one day to the next. The program runs over five consecutive days in small groups, with a follow-up 30 days later, and a trained Program Coordinator guides every session.

The YMCA of Orange County ran Brain+ as two cohort studies in its own branches. Y leadership and staff went through the program first, followed by Y members. More than 100 participants took part, and preliminary findings include:

• 96 percent positive participant experience

• 84 percent completed the program

• 28 percent improvement in stress and anxiety levels among the broader participant group

• 22 percent improvement in overall sleep quality, with the strongest responders gaining about 51 more minutes of sleep per night

"I spent a good part of this year in YMCA of Orange County branches, watching Y staff and then members go through Brain+ in small groups," said Craig Cooper, President and Co-Founder of Neurova Labs. "I went through it myself. We brought it to New Orleans so Y leaders can put on a headset and decide if it belongs in their branch."

Built to run inside a Y

Every YMCA association is independently run and chooses its own programs, and Brain+ was designed with that in mind. Sessions are done standing in about a square meter of space, with no clinical infrastructure required. Each Y decides how to offer the program, as part of membership or as a paid program.

"In the fire service, the hard conversations happened around the kitchen table with people we trusted," Cooper said. "Every Y already has that kind of table. Brain+ runs in small groups inside the branch for that reason, and Y leaders can try it at booth 2229."

Why it matters

Research suggests 60 to 70 percent of adults will experience at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime, and most simply carry it and get on with their day. Brain+ puts brain wellness inside a place members already trust, delivered by staff who know their community.

"Brain+ is a cognitive wellness program that's changing how we think about the Y's role in community health," Daly said. "While we're in New Orleans, we'd love to show you what we're learning."

Y leaders can visit booth 2229 during exhibit hours, or learn more at brainplus.org.

About Neurova Labs. Neurova Labs is a veteran-founded, veteran-led neurotechnology company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its flagship program, Neurova Academy, is the first neuro-immersive training platform built for real-world cognitive performance, with facilitator-led sessions designed to support focus, stress regulation, and mental endurance. Neurova Academy is in use with the Ukrainian military, Cleveland Police in the United Kingdom, veteran-friendly clinics in Utah and Idaho, Blue Rose Consulting Group's national clinician network, and the YMCA of Orange County. Learn more at neurovalabs.com.

Media contact: Nathaniel Free, Chief Communications Officer, Neurova Labs. nathaniel.free@neurovalabs.com.

Neurova Academy and Brain+ are general wellness programs. They are not medical devices and are not offered to diagnose, treat, cure, or mitigate any disease or condition, including PTSD, concussion, traumatic brain injury, or CTE. Outcomes described reflect preliminary, observational findings and individual experience, and are not a prediction of results for anyone else. Individual results vary. Laboratory testing is provided by iXpressGenes, a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory.