Ava Jones
Ava Jones is the self-taught Founder of Simplanica, a voice-driven lifestlye app designed to help users not just reach life goals, but grow through them. By combining emotionally attuned AI interaction with structured planning, Simplanica guides users through milestones like personal reinvention, fitness, and family vision-setting with clarity and care. Set to launch in the App Store in the coming months, the app centers on strengthening human-to-AI relationships through personalized encouragement, voice-led rituals and step-by-step support.
Ava’s journey into technology began in 2021, when she led the development of a custom CRM system for her employer, an experience that revealed her instict for designing digital tools with real-world impact. Curious to build more, she began experiementing with AI models, teaching herself how to prototype, refine and ship features using platforms like ChatGPT. Simplanica emerged from this momentum: a fusion of her operational expertise, product intuition, and deep belief in the emotional power of human-centered design. Prior to Simplanica, Ava explored multiple early-stage product concepts, gaining hands-on experience with user flow design, AI logic, and agile testing. Those skills now shape her unique approach to building, along with some inspiration. Ava credits her early interest in AI to specific influential voices in the field. After hearing OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap speak about ChatGPT power-user behaviors and adoption patterns, she refined her approach to AI, shifting her focus more deeply toward the emotional nuances of human connection. She modeled his philosophy, attributing his statements about making models more human, trusted, and real to her approach.
"Life is in fact messy-- so are humans. AI that's too polished, too clean leans more toward superiority than a companion model should allow. I want the slightly messy, because it's emotionally resonant of the human experience."
Outside of her work on Simplanica, Ava is a Senior Operations Leader with a track record of building high-performing teams across life sciences, biotechnology, and education, sometimes in a startup environment. She currently serves as Regional Operations Manager for Coastline Academy, a modern driving school redefining how teens and adults learn to drive safely. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she brings her trademark blend of structure, empathy, and innovation to both her professional role and her emerging work in tech.
Speaking about the traction of her app, Ava is optimistic and anticipates real-life use cases and the formation of a lifestyle, not just an app.
"I hope users feel the togetherness in Simplanica, and know it was built to walk alongside them, not to dictate to them."
• CPLC Certified Productivity Leadership Coach
• Certified Neurodiversity Coach
• Indiana University School of Liberal Arts - BA
• Philadelphia Next-Gen Women for Good - Founding Member
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to two things: emotional discernment and stubborn belief. I've learned to read the room, even when the room is silent. Whether it's building a team, product, or a vision, I trust the emotional current under the surface more than anyu loud pitch deck or polished persona. That, and I don't walk away from things I believe in. I evolve, but never quit.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
"Decide what hill you're willing to die on, then don't apologize for building it." It reminded me that alignment matters more than approval. You can be liked and still lose your voice. The best work I've done, whether in operations or tech, has come from listening to myself before anyone else.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Build in public. Don't wait until your work is perfect. Let people watch you grow. Let them see your process. The world doesn't just reward the polished, especially in tech. It rewards the persistent. And remember: you're building a product while also building proof that you belong.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in AI right now is forgetting that the "H" in HCI stands for human. We're racing toward capabilities, but what users actually crave is care. AI that reflects their messiness, their complexity, their feeling. The opportunity is in creating interfaces that don't just solve problems, but see people. That's where I'm placing my bet.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity, emotional safety, and clear intentions. In both life and work, I don't believe in performance-- I belive in presence. I try to build products and relationships that give people the space to show up fully as they are. That's what I want for myself, too.
Locations
Simplanica AI
San Francisco, CA 94102