Our booth at the AI Show @ GSV + ASU was tiny—just 3×3. We were flanked by past winners of the Tools Competition, NewSchools Venture Fund, and Fast Forward Accelerator—programs we’re now going through ourselves. It was inspiring to be among them—but I’ll admit, I had a moment of doubt. Had I waited too long? Most startup advice says the founder’s job is to fundraise, first and foremost. But I chose to build first, not sell or pitch.
Down the aisle were larger, more established companies with massive booths and polished demos. And yet, I found myself quietly comparing: while others were showing pieces of the puzzle, we’ve spent three years building an end-to-end solution—designed with and for the people it serves. It wasn’t a judgment. Just a realization: how different curaJOY is and how substance can grow from small spaces.
In the AI4C Accelerator—sponsored by Google.org and AWS—we’ve found ourselves on the more mature end of the spectrum, with an AI strategy and infrastructure already operating in real-world settings. Every organization in the cohort brings something unique to the table, and for curaJOY, our edge came from years of quiet groundwork: building responsibly, listening to the people we serve, and resisting the pressure to launch before we were truly ready.
Still, I couldn’t shake the guilt–We could’ve gone to market earlier. We had the talent. We had the science. We had the need. So why didn’t we?
Because sometimes, going fast isn’t going forward.
We Didn’t Just Build an App—We Built an Ecosystem
curaJOY spent three years in deep product development. Coming from the electronics industry, where product cycles rarely last more than a year, I used to feel uneasy about that number—three years. But this wasn’t consumer tech. We weren’t optimizing for speed; we were safeguarding lives.
Unlike traditional tech rollouts, we were operating in a space where the stakes are deeply human. When a platform claims to support a child’s behavioral or emotional development, the margin for error is razor-thin. Getting it wrong doesn’t just lose a user. It can do harm.
We weren’t just cautious—we really care, so we were concerned: that a rush to market would teach families to self-diagnose and self-treat without oversight; that irreplaceable professionals—therapists, teachers, clinicians—would be undermined or replaced; that we’d contribute to the very burnout and misinformation we set out to solve.
That’s why curaJOY didn’t rush.
We trained clinicians, educators, youth, musicians, and parents in AI/ML and UX. We built safety nets with human escalation triggers. We ensured cultural adaptation went beyond translation—because behavioral expectations, family roles, and even reward systems vary widely across communities. And we made clinician supervision—not optional, but foundational.
This is why the tech giants haven’t cracked behavioral health. And it’s why venture-backed autism centers often collapse: faster and bigger is not always better in this space.
The Hidden Cost of “Move Fast and Break Things”
Big tech is built to optimize—for clicks, retention, and revenue. But behavioral health isn’t about quick wins. You can’t A/B test which way lashes out less trauma. You can’t “growth-hack” your way into trust between a therapist and a child.
We’ve already made this mistake once. We let social media and constant connectivity reshape childhood without a plan—and now we’re paying the price in rising loneliness, shrinking attention spans, and mental health crises. It’s not that these technologies were inherently bad. It’s that we let them lead, instead of leading them. With AI, we have a second chance. Let’s do things differently this time. Let’s not go blind into this one.
We’ve seen what happens when technology rolls out without foresight:
– Social media reshaped childhood and relationships without a wellness blueprint
– Apps promised “mental health support” but lacked supervision, equity, and follow-through
– The behavioral health workforce is burning out—and burning out silently
curaJOY made the difficult decision to go slow because the easy path would have cost us integrity—and maybe even lives.
Ready for Prime Time, and Built for the Long Game
Today, curaJOY is ready for scale—not because we went fast, but because we built right.
Our AI doesn’t just chat—it collaborates with teachers, clinicians, and families to surface root causes of behavior. It drafts FBAs and support plans. It nudges users toward completion. It logs every step for transparency and compliance. And it delivers culturally responsive, 24/7 behavioral support in the places kids actually turn to—like Discord, WhatsApp, and social media.
We’ve built partnerships with school districts, outpatient clinics, and global researchers. We’ve validated our models with PhD-level clinicians. And we’ve co-created our system with youth ambassadors, educators, and caregivers.
We’re not just launching a product. We’re shaping how AI will enter education and healthcare—safely, ethically, and equitably.
Going Places—Intentionally
Yes, I wish our incredible team saw the fruits of their labor sooner. But I’m proud that we didn’t trade speed for responsibility.
The part that weighs on me most isn’t lost time—it’s the people. The volunteers who’ve given their weekends, the clinicians and engineers who’ve built beside me without pay, trusting the mission. I haven’t paid myself in years, and I fund curaJOY personally—but not everyone can do that. I owe it to them to scale this the right way. To ensure their sacrifices turn into impact—and into sustainability.
curaJOY is a grassroots nonprofit by design, because lasting solutions to access and equity challenges must be shaped by the communities they serve. Real change takes time—and that’s something we seem to forget.
Some of society’s biggest problems—like the behavioral health crisis or inequities in education—didn’t appear overnight. Yet we keep falling for the illusion of overnight miracle cures. It’s like expecting to undo years of weight gain in a 30-day crash diet. We know that doesn’t work for our bodies—so why do we expect it to work for systems this complex?
We can’t patch over long-standing pain with quick fixes. We need to build intentionally. Inclusively. Responsibly.
curaJOY is ready to scale not because we sprinted, but because we prepared. If you’re a funder, educator, technologist, or healthcare leader who believes in getting it right—and just getting it done—let’s talk.
Good things take time–It’s easy to forget this in our society of instant fame, viral launches, and one-click everything. But responsible technology and thoughtful innovation can’t be rushed—especially in healthcare and education. We’ve seen what happens when tech moves too fast and too big. Innovation with integrity cannot be rushed. It’s designed, tested, and built to last.
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