I’m a technologist, entrepreneur, marketer, and community builder who loves turning curiosity into something real.
I started programming at eight and went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in software engineering. My work has taken me from building mobile apps and leading engineering teams to founding startups and helping brands like Priceline and Equinox bring digital products to life. Along the way, I’ve shared what I’ve learned by coaching founders and creatives.
I founded Liberate, a meditation app for the Black community, and served as its CEO. I raised over $400,000 in pre-seed funding from angel investors and backers including Debut Capital, Unseen Capital, and Camelback Ventures. At its peak, Liberate reached $80,000 a month in subscription revenue, and I built business partnerships with Snapchat and Blavity. Its work was featured in The Washington Post, CNN, and Fortune, under my birth name, Julio Rivera.
Building Liberate deepened my belief that technology can help people feel seen, supported, and connected. I’m originally from Connecticut and New York City and now based in Orlando. I started Florida One AI to bring people together around a shared curiosity: learning about AI, trying things out, and helping each other build.