Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal
At 18, I wanted to own a restaurant. Everyone told me it was impossible. I did it anyway — a 50s-themed diner that taught me more about building trust with people than any business school ever could. Customers came back because they trusted the experience. Staff stayed because they trusted the mission. That lesson never left me. In the late 1990s, I founded one of the world's first telepathology companies — using AI and imaging technology to enable early detection of skin cancer. That was my first experience building AI systems for high-stakes human decisions, and it taught me something I've been working on ever since: technology only matters when people trust it enough to act on it. Then I lost my grandmother. She was the person who believed in me before anyone else did. I made her a promise that I'd use what I know to help people. That promise led me to cofound Stuward Health, a telehealth company built to make expert care accessible to those who need it most. That same promise eventually led me to the question I'm working on today: Why do enterprises invest heavily in AI and then watch most of their people ignore it? The answer isn't capability. It's trust. That's why I founded AzinAI Intelligence. We build the RAI Framework — trust infrastructure for AI agents. The core idea is one I've been circling for 25 years: AI works when humans trust it, and trust isn't a switch you flip. It's a relationship you build. Our AI agents earn their access the same way a new colleague does — start limited, demonstrate competence, earn responsibility over time. I've spent three decades building technology businesses across healthcare, AI, and enterprise — from early AI-powered diagnostics in the 90s, to telehealth, to the AI colleague trust infrastructure we're building now. The thread connecting all of it is the same: the gap between what technology can do and what people will actually adopt is almost always a trust gap, not a capability gap. I'm a builder, not a promoter. A self-described introvert and innovation geek who'd rather architect a system than work a room. But I believe what we're building matters: a world where AI earns its way in rather than being imposed from the top down. If you're building AI agents, deploying them in enterprise, or investing in AI infrastructure — I'd welcome the conversation. azinai.com
Building the trust infrastructure for AI agents. AzinAI Intelligence develops the RAI™ (Relationship AI) Framework — patent-protected infrastructure that enables AI agents to earn trust progressively, the same way a new colleague earns responsibility over time. The AI agent industry has a trust architecture problem. Agents are capable, but enterprises don't adopt them — the industry average sits at 23%. The reason isn't capability. It's that every framework grants full access from day one and hopes for the best. We took the opposite approach. RAI enables progressive trust expansion: agents start with limited access, demonstrate competence, and earn autonomy through relationship stages. As CEO, I lead product architecture, IP strategy, and market positioning. What we've built so far: → RAI Framework powering AI Colleagues™ across 5 industries → 11 patents pending across relationship-aware AI, trust-calibrated memory, and progressive autonomy → 10+ enterprise clients with 96%+ retention → Zero security incidents in 2 years of production AzinAI Intelligence Inc. is a Delaware C-Corp with EU operations. azinai.com
At Stuward Health, we're pioneering an intelligent employee health operating system to preempt physical and mental health issues, emphasizing early intervention and continuous care.
Startup Acceleration and Advisory Services. Product Innovation. Startup Investments.
In my consultancy role, I work closely with the founders to harness AI in revolutionizing health advice delivery. I specialize in crafting AI solutions and prompt engineering, blending health innovation with AI to offer personalized guidance.
Leading HealthInc, a digital health accelerator, I steered startups towards impactful innovation in healthcare, fostering an ecosystem of growth, collaboration, and digital transformation.