Hello hello, Diego here!
I always struggle to define myself, so here is the “minibio-v25-final”: I’m a developer, designer, and rider of the chaos from ideation to iteration.
My tech journey began with a TK90X computer as a kid, a fascination that quickly evolved into hacking adventures using Remote Access Trojans (RAT). That thrill didn’t last long, my dad, a police officer, discovered my antics and made me left a txt file on people’s desktop saying that I was hacking them, how to fix it and then deleting the Trojan file. In college, I dove headfirst into starting a company with friends, convinced we were the next big thing. Things fell apart spectacularly, complete with a lawsuit.
After two decades in the educational and gaming industry, burnout came knocking hard. I was this close to ditching tech entirely. I embarked on a life-changing sabbatical around South America, rediscovering my purpose.
That journey eventually led me to immigrate from Brazil to the US to pursue the dream of building Youper AI, where I combined psychology and artificial intelligence to create an empathetic and clinically validated mental health platform. Along the way, I fell in love with the Bay Area’s energy and innovation.
Currently, I’m the founder of Smart Keys, an AI-powered keyboard that allows people to communicate clearly and break down language barriers, and an advisor to Prospera Mental Health, tackling maternal mental health accessibility.
Designing and delivering something meaningful is what drives me. I thrive on curiosity, growth, and making a real difference. I’m here to build horses, not unicorns.
That’s me; here’s what I’m up to now and my goals for this year.