WASHINGTON, D.C., [July 30, 2026] – WaveLab Recovery, LLC and Cofactor Systems, Inc. d/b/a Shiftwave today announced a collaboration to develop and deploy “WaveLab Recovery, Powered by Shiftwave,” a staffed reset and recovery service designed initially for airports, travel workforces, airlines and other high-demand operating environments.
Under the initial framework, Shiftwave will serve as the underlying technology and equipment provider, while WaveLab will build and operate the customer-facing managed service. WaveLab’s responsibilities will include site operations, trained personnel, customer guidance, scheduling, booking, payments, memberships, sanitation, partner programs and utilization reporting. Shiftwave will support deployments through operator education, recommended protocols, safety guidance, product support and approved wellness positioning.
The concept is intentionally different from a traditional airport spa. Customers will not need to change clothes, reserve a treatment room or commit a large portion of their travel day. WaveLab is being designed as a practical, time-based reset that can fit within the natural rhythm of an airport journey or work shift, with shorter sessions for travelers on the move and longer recovery experiences for customers with more dwell time.
“We are not trying to build another airport spa,” said Kelly Hoggan, President and Co-Founder of WaveLab Recovery. “Travelers, crews and airport employees frequently do not have the time or desire for a traditional wellness appointment. What they need is a reliable place where they can step out of the noise, sit down for 15 or 30 minutes, reset and continue with their day. Shiftwave provides an extraordinary underlying experience. WaveLab is building the people, operating standards, booking systems, memberships and institutional partnerships required to make that experience accessible, consistent and scalable.”
A Technology Used Where Performance and Readiness Matter
Shiftwave is designed to create an immersive, guided reset through pulsed pressure waves, breath cues, audio, supported positioning and reduced visual input. Its protocols are intended to support calm, focus, recovery, readiness and general well-being. Shiftwave is a non-medical wellness platform and is not presented as a replacement for diagnosis, treatment or established medical care.
Shiftwave has established traction in elite performance environments. The company has announced collaborations with the NFL Players Association, Exos and OneTeam, and reports adoption by NFL teams and players. Shiftwave also reports use across other professional sports, including UFC, as well as performance, corporate wellness and humanitarian settings.
That elite-performance experience is relevant to airports because the underlying need is similar: people operating under pressure need a practical way to recover, regulate and return ready. Airports bring together passengers, flight crews, frontline employees, concession teams, public-safety personnel and federal workforces in one of the most dynamic operating environments in the world.
“Shiftwave was created to help people reset when the demands being placed on them are at their highest,” said Mike North, Ph.D., Founder of Shiftwave. “We have seen that need across elite sports, military and special operations environments, and high-pressure organizations. Airports present the same human challenge at extraordinary scale. We are excited to work with WaveLab because they understand that access and execution matter just as much as the technology. Together, we have an opportunity to bring a reliable reset closer to travelers, airline teams and frontline workforces exactly where they need it.”
From U.S. Air Force Research and SOCOM Support to Broader Federal Readiness
Shiftwave is currently performing a $1,792,510 U.S. Air Force Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer project titled “Shiftwave: A Deployable Solution for Rapid Recovery, Stress Reduction, and Enhanced Human Performance for Air Force Operational Support Teams.” The public federal award record identifies field testing with Air Force Operational Support Teams, controlled research with the Air Force Research Laboratory STRONG Lab and The Ohio State University, military-specific protocol development, ruggedization for austere environments and cybersecurity compliance as central objectives of the program.
The same federal award record states that Shiftwave has undergone clinical trials and operational testing with elite U.S. military personnel, professional athletes and special operations forces. It also cites a $2 million U.S. Special Operations Command Science and Technology funding commitment intended to support Shiftwave’s transition toward TACFI, STRATFI and AFWERX Phase III procurement pathways. References to those programs describe Shiftwave’s own federal work and do not imply an endorsement, procurement decision or award involving WaveLab.
WaveLab believes that lessons from this work can inform how professionally managed reset and recovery access may ultimately be introduced across the broader federal workforce. The goal is not to convert a research program directly into a government-wide claim, but to build an accountable operating model around a technology already being tested against demanding military and performance requirements.
“Over nearly four decades in federal law enforcement—including serving as Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP Deputy Commissioner, and National Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol—I learned that our greatest operational advantage has always been our people. Technology can enhance a mission, but success ultimately depends on the men and women making difficult decisions under demanding conditions,” said David V. Aguilar, Co-Founder of WaveLab Recovery.
Throughout my career, I watched outstanding professionals work long hours, rotating shifts, and high-consequence missions with little opportunity to reset before returning to the job. That reality is not unique to federal law enforcement. Airline crews, airport personnel, first responders, and countless others operate under the same demands every day. As leaders, we devote enormous resources to training and equipping our workforce. We should be equally committed to providing practical tools that help them sustain that level of performance throughout demanding operations.
What drew me to Shiftwave wasn’t a marketing presentation. It was seeing the technology being evaluated in environments where readiness and performance genuinely matter. The Air Force program and the SOCOM Science and Technology commitment identified in the public award record demonstrate that this technology is being examined for serious operational applications, not simply positioned as a consumer wellness product. When organizations responsible for some of our nation’s most demanding missions invest the time and resources to evaluate a capability, I believe it’s worth understanding what value it may bring.
WaveLab’s role is not to sell a device. It is to build a disciplined, professionally managed service around technology intended to help people step away from sustained operational pressure, regain focus, and return better prepared for the work ahead. This approach is not intended to replace medical care or established employee support programs. It is intended to complement them by providing another practical resource for people working in demanding operational environments.
My interest is simple: Does it help the people carrying out the mission? If the answer is yes, then it’s worth pursuing. That’s why I chose to become involved with WaveLab. I believe this approach deserves serious consideration because it is focused on supporting the people who make mission success possible every day.”
An Airport-First Managed-Service Platform
WaveLab is currently pursuing initial airport deployment opportunities in the Washington metropolitan region. Any airport location remains subject to the applicable competitive selection process, airport approvals, design review and final agreements.
The initial WaveLab model is expected to include a staffed, three-chair recovery location; time-based sessions designed around common airport dwell periods; walk-up purchases, prepaid packages and recurring memberships; airline, lounge and corporate-travel session credits; access programs for airline crews, airport employees and eligible federal workforces; operational and utilization reporting for institutional partners; and a modular physical design capable of being adapted for additional airport locations.
WaveLab’s longer-term objective is to establish a connected network where members and institutional partners can access a consistent recovery experience across multiple airports, workforce locations and mobile deployments. The company intends to combine high-visibility traveler access with programs for airline crews, airport employees and mission-critical workforces, creating one operating platform capable of serving multiple constituencies in the same location.
“The opportunity is much larger than a single kiosk or a single airport,” Hoggan said. “We are building a managed-service system that can travel with the customer and serve the organizations responsible for moving people, protecting infrastructure and keeping the transportation system operating.”
About WaveLab Recovery
WaveLab Recovery is a technology-enabled managed recovery company developing staffed, time-based reset and recovery services for airports, travel workforces, corporate environments and future federal deployments. WaveLab manages the customer experience around its technology partners, including locations, personnel, booking, payment, memberships, sanitation, partner programs and operating data. WaveLab is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region.
About Shiftwave
Shiftwave, operated by Cofactor Systems, Inc., develops an immersive wellness platform designed to support on-demand reset and recovery through pulsed pressure waves, guided breathwork, audio and adaptive technology. Shiftwave is used across individual, professional, performance and organizational settings. The company has announced collaborations with the NFL Players Association, Exos and OneTeam, and its technology is currently the subject of federally funded work involving the U.S. Air Force. For additional information, visit www.shiftwave.co.
Important Notice
WaveLab Recovery and Shiftwave provide non-medical wellness and recovery services and technology. Nothing in this release should be interpreted as a diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention claim. References to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Special Operations Command, AFRL, AFWERX, the NFL, NFLPA, UFC or other organizations describe publicly reported Shiftwave activities and do not imply endorsement, certification, sponsorship or procurement of WaveLab by those organizations. References to future deployments, partnerships, federal applications and airport locations reflect current plans and objectives and remain subject to further evaluation, approvals, procurement processes and definitive agreements.
