Date: Feb 01, 2009 Author: Shara Enay Source: Hawaii Business (
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by Shara Enay
Archinoetics is a rapidly growing high-tech company that focuses on the research and development of products that improve human performance.
Sound simple? Not quite.
In fact, some of the company's projects are so sophisticated that their names alone are enough to draw blank stares. Take, for example, the functional brain-imaging system and human fatigue and performance monitoring device that Archinoetics' scientists have created; or, the functional, near-infrared brain-computer interface system that allowed renowned watercolorist Peggy Chun to continue painting, despite suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease. (Chun passed away in November.)
In the three years since Archinoetics was created, it has grown more than 400 percent, from a staff of six to 27. It has also developed numerous partnerships with entities such as the National Science Foundation, NASA and the University of Hawaii, to name just a few.
Perhaps the biggest reason Archinoetics is so successful is because its owners — the husband-and-wife team of Traci and J. Hunter Downs — have been able to leverage research conducted for its military contracts into other commercial, medical and rehabilitative applications.
Even though the company's research and services might seem complex, the fundamentals of the business are really quite simple, according to Archinoetics senior scientist John Caldwell. "The company is noteworthy for its internal work culture," he says. "People are No. 1 at Archinoetics — all the time and every day."
The company's corporate philosophy stresses the importance of teamwork, communication and personal development. The Downs firmly believe building a strong business culture that promotes creativity and collaboration ultimately maximizes each employee's contributions to the company.
