UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the eighth episode of Invent Penn State’s “Dare to Disrupt” podcast, host Ryan Newman interviews Litesprite founder Swatee Surve, who received her master of science in mechanical engineering degree in control systems and biomechanics from Penn State in 1998.
Litesprite is a health-tech startup developing award-winning, digital, therapeutic purpose-driven games for chronic conditions. On the podcast, Surve talks about how her love for interdisciplinary fields, or “mashups,” grew, starting with her biomedical engineering studies as an undergraduate. She discusses the difference between "gamification" and creating a full-game experience. Litesprite's flagship, clinically validated, mental-health mobile game, Sinasprite, provides players with a full-game experience, including a storyline and an animated character, "Socks the Fox," who guides players through each game interaction. Surve also shares success stories from individuals who have used Sinasprite and said they've seen positive results in their mental health.
Listen to the interview to learn more about Surve’s journey.
At the end of each Dare to Disrupt episode, a current Penn State student is given the opportunity to speak with the successful Penn State alum and ask questions specific to the student’s startup and career goals. In episode 8, Jeff Brozena, a graduate student at Penn State studying informatics, joins the conversation. Brozena is a participant in the 2022 Nittany AI Challenge and is working on a fintech tool to assist individuals with serious mental illnesses. He talks to Surve about the importance and usage of data in the mental health industry, as well as the concept of readiness, both on a personal and professional level.
Students can apply or be nominated to be on the show here.
About Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt is a podcast from Invent Penn State about University alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, and the stories behind their success. The podcast is hosted by alumnus Ryan Newman, a graduate of the Smeal College of Business and a Schreyer Scholar alumnus who is now a managing director at Goldman Sachs.
Past episodes of Dare to Disrupt include interviews with Matt Brezina, David Rusenko and Jess Weiner.
New episodes of Dare to Disrupt release monthly. Learn more at invent.psu.edu/dare-to-disrupt and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play.
Invent Penn State is a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success.