Up to 40% of people with an acquired brain injury never complete their rehabilitation.
Not because they don’t want to get better, but because the process is long, repetitive, and often disconnected from how they actually live their lives.
In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I speak with Faviola Dadis, founder of BrainBoostXR, about how AI and VR can change that. Not just by improving treatment, but by restoring something people lose early in recovery: dignity.
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Or scroll down for the key moments and insights from the conversation that will transform how you see cognitive decline and dignity.
3 Lessons From This Conversation
When almost half of the people with an acquired brain injury do not complete the rehabilitation program, health outcomes suffer. In our conversation, Faviola and I spent quite a bit of time unpacking why people drop out. It turns out, the problem isn’t just medical. It’s human.
1. The real problem is dignity
After a stroke or concussion, simple things feel harder, which often leads to frustration and self-doubt. That loss of control is what impacts dignity, even more than the injury itself. It also makes it harder to stay engaged with long, slow, repetitive rehab programs. If you don’t feel like yourself anymore, it’s difficult to keep showing up. The good news is that rehabilitation can still create new neural pathways, even years after the injury.
2. Recovery only works when it includes the human side
Cognitive training on its own is not enough. Recovery also depends on how people feel, how connected they are, and whether they find meaning in what they’re doing. Faviola points out that many patients are told how to live with their condition, rather than how to make the most out of their lives. And she explains how turning rehabilitation into something that feels more like a game improves outcomes. Because when something is engaging, people are more likely to stick with it.
3. Personalization changes everything
What makes BrainBoostXR different is the level of personalization that is powered by AI. By working with digital twins, or virtual representations of patients, clinicians can simulate different scenarios and adjust treatment based on real data like reaction time or gaze. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, each person gets a program that adapts to their needs. That increases both effectiveness and motivation.
What binds these lessons is that better outcomes don’t come from more treatment, but from treatment people actually want to continue.
💬 Know a founder who should hear this perspective? Share this episode with them.
Or scroll down for magical moments, practical takeaways, and my own observations on the conversation that bring these lessons to life.
- 3 Lessons From This Conversation
- Highlights and timestamps
- 3 Magic Moments In The Episode
- Practical Takeaways for Founders
- The Quote From The Episode
- 3 Things That Changed The Way I Think
- Coming up on Women Disrupting Tech
- Listen to Episode 146 on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube
- About Faviola Dadis
- About BrainBoostXR
- Amplify The Voices of Women Disrupting Tech and Close The Funding Gap
- Events that Women Disrupting Tech Must-Attend
- Diverse Leaders in Tech Events
- What I Want To Leave You With
- A Question for You
Highlights and timestamps
| Time | Highlight |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | Introduction |
| 02:55 | Journey to BrainBoostXR |
| 08:36 | Understanding Acquired Brain Injury |
| 14:39 | The Role of Gamification in Rehabilitation |
| 20:32 | The Importance of Dignity in Recovery |
| 26:21 | Innovations in AI and Digital Twins |
| 32:44 | The Power of AI in Personalization |
| 36:08 | Ethics and Bias in AI Development |
| 45:12 | Commercializing BrainBoostXR |
| 57:39 | Defining Success in Cognitive Care |
| 1:03:30 | The Gender Funding Gap |
| 1:05:11 | Investor Expectations and Early-Stage Challenges |
| 1:09:25 | The Founder-Investor Relationship |
| 1:14:55 | Personal Health and Entrepreneurship |
| 1:21:31 | Building an AI Funding Coach |
3 Magic Moments In The Episode
Because Faviola has a neurological condition herself, she has a unique way of making the impact of brain injury feel real. Not in theory, but in how people experience their lives day to day. Here are three moments from our conversation where this stands out.
1. Her “Neuroscience Barbie” persona
Faviola embraces her identity as both a researcher and an entrepreneur through her handle @NeuroscienceBarbie. It’s more than a name. It’s a way to make complex science accessible and relatable. By doing that, she bridges two worlds that are often kept apart, and shows that expertise and approachability can go together.
2. Becoming a superhero instead of a patient
When we talk about how her being a patient benefits her as an entrepreneur, she shares this story of a fellow patient who was worried about how his daughter would see him after his injury. Instead of focusing on what he had lost, Faviola helped him to reframe it to become a superhero in her eyes. It is a beautiful reminder that even a brain injury can enable you to inspire and support others.
3. “Loneliness erodes dignity long before cognitive decline will set in.”
Faviola explains that the impact of brain injury is not just cognitive. People often become isolated, and that isolation affects how they see themselves. BrainBoostXR addresses this directly with an AI companion that supports patients outside clinical sessions and helps reduce that sense of isolation. This underscores her point that recovery is also about staying connected and feeling part of the world.
Together, these moments show that recovery is not just about what people can do, but how they see themselves and how connected they feel to others.
💬 What was your favorite moment from the episode? Let me know in the comments.
Or keep scrolling for practical takeaways if you want to discover what Faviola took away from building NeuroReality.
Practical Takeaways for Founders
After exiting her first company, NeuroReality, Faviola co-founded BrainBoostXR. This time, the technology had caught up with her vision. In an earlier episode, we learned about the importance of experience as a founder. As a repeat founder, Faviola shares these three valuable and specific lessons to help other founders.
1. The 3 C’s of a healthy founder-investor relationship.
Faviola compares the relationship with investors to a marriage. It only works when there is real alignment. She summarizes this as three C’s: communication, compromise, and compatibility. You need open dialogue, a shared way of evaluating progress, and the ability to adjust when things change. Without that, misalignment shows up quickly.
2. Pay attention to early signals.
Some of the strongest signals show up early. Who gets the time, how conversations are handled, and whether there is mutual respect. These moments may seem small, but they often reflect how the relationship will evolve. If something feels off in the beginning, it usually doesn’t improve later.
3. Don’t accept every check or term sheet.
Not every investment is a good one. A term sheet can look attractive on the surface, while creating pressure or loss of control later on. Faviola’s experience shows how important it is to look beyond the money and understand what kind of relationship you are entering into.
In the end, the pattern to spot is that choosing the right investors on the right terms is as important as building the right product.
💬 Know a founder you want to benefit from these lessons? Use the share buttons below to share these takeaways with them.
Or scroll down to discover an inspiring quote and learn about my own takeaways.
The Quote From The Episode
“Loneliness erodes diginity far before cognitive decline will set in.”
Faviola Dadis – CEO and co-founder of BrainBoostXR
It’s a simple observation that captures the human side of this conversation better than anything else.
3 Things That Changed The Way I Think
One of the wonders of the human brain is its ability to rebuild and rewire itself after being damaged. Similarly, it gives us the ability to reframe the beliefs we hold. Here are three moments in my conversation with Faviola that did just that.
Founders need truth, not reassurance
Many people, myself included, believe founders need confidence when raising funding. The conversation with Faviola taught me that it is also about clarity. Honest signals early on, even when they are uncomfortable. Because the wrong questions, endless due diligence, or unclear expectations are signals of what working together could look like.
We may not be as far along as we think
There is a moment where Faviola shares how she was treated by investors, being kept waiting even when time was allocated. I assumed we had moved past that kind of behavior. Hearing that it still happens forced me to question how much progress we have really made.
What you see as a limitation can become an advantage
Faviola talks about her own condition and how she chose to work with it instead of against it. Not as something to hide, but as something that gives her a different perspective. That is not an easy shift to make. But it is a powerful one, especially for founders who feel they do not fit the standard mold.
In the end, this conversation changed how I think about what helps founders move forward, not just support, but clarity, perspective, and the ability to reframe their situation.
💬 What changed your thinking as you listened to Faviola? I would love to hear from you in the comments.
Coming up on Women Disrupting Tech
Imagine having a story that could change how people see your company, and not telling it.
Not because it isn’t there. But because you assume it’s not interesting enough.
In episode 147 of Women Disrupting Tech, Jennifer Cloer, founder of Story Changes Culture, explains why that assumption is often wrong. She shows how storytelling turns personal experience into something others recognize, and how that recognition shapes what people do next.
In this clip, she describes how sharing the right stories is a truly transformative experience for women and why it is necessary for women to share their stories.
Want to hear the rest of this episode? When you’re subscribed, you’ll find it in your inbox on 9 April 2026 at 8:00 hours CET.
Until then, as always, keep being awesome.
Dirkjan
Listen to Episode 146 on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube
How a Female Founder Restores Dignity for Brain Injury Patients with Faviola Dadis | Ep. 146 – Women Disrupting Tech
About Faviola Dadis
Faviola Dadis is a founder, researcher, and educator working at the intersection of neuroscience, technology, and patient care. With a multicultural background and experience living in nine countries, she brings a global perspective to how innovation can solve complex healthcare challenges. Her work is driven by a clear belief: technology should bridge the gap between research and real-world impact.
She first founded NeuroReality, a medtech company focused on virtual reality-based cognitive rehabilitation. There, she developed Koji’s Quest, a gamified software platform that has supported thousands of patients across a wide range of conditions, including brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. In that capacity, she was a guest on episode 4.
Today, she is the co-founder of BrainboostXR, where she builds intelligent, immersive tools to support cognitive health. By combining VR, AI, and personalized data, the platform helps people regain independence through simulated everyday activities that adapt to their needs. The focus is not just on cognitive function, but on restoring autonomy, confidence, and social connection.
You can connect with Faviola on LinkedIn and on Instagram. And you can listen to our earlier conversation on this podcast in episode 4.
About BrainBoostXR
BrainBoostXR is a digital health company focused on redefining how we support brain health and cognitive recovery. At its core, the company combines artificial intelligence, immersive virtual reality, and digital twin technology to create personalized, adaptive experiences that go beyond traditional rehabilitation.
The mission is not only to improve cognitive function, but to restore independence, reduce loneliness, and return a sense of dignity to people living with brain injury, neurological conditions, or age-related decline. BrainBoostXR approaches recovery as something that happens both clinically and socially, recognizing that connection and engagement are essential to long-term outcomes.
Through immersive, game-based environments, users practice everyday activities such as navigating public spaces, socializing, or managing daily tasks. These experiences are continuously adapted using real-time data and AI, creating a personalized feedback loop that supports both patients and clinicians with more responsive and precise interventions.
By bringing together neuroscience, gaming, and data-driven technology, BrainBoostXR aims to move healthcare from static, one-size-fits-all treatment toward dynamic, individualized care. The broader goal is to help people not just recover function, but rebuild confidence, autonomy, and participation in daily life.
You can learn more about BrainBoostXR on the website and by following them on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Amplify The Voices of Women Disrupting Tech and Close The Funding Gap
Want to help close the funding gap? Here’s how you can help:
Follow the Women Disrupting Tech Podcast
Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. Every follow brings these stories to more people.
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Share the episodes that move you.
Send this episode to a friend, a colleague, or someone who needs to hear it. Every share helps to build a more inclusive tech future and supports my guests in getting the stage they deserve.
Events that Women Disrupting Tech Must-Attend
Some great events take place this spring. Below are three that you definitely want to check out. For a full overview of all events, including links to buy tickets, please check the events page.
Featured Event – Trek XIII – 23-30 May 2026
Trek is the program for founders and funders to learn from—and connect with—Silicon Valley, the epicenter of innovation and technological disruption.
Participating offers a unique insider perspective, lots of fun, and access to the investors behind Dutch successes like Mollie, FLYR, Weaviate, and HackerOne. Previous participants have raised funding in both the U.S. and the Netherlands, found inspiration, and made new friends.
Trek is an activity by DutchTechX, which spun out from DutchTechSF—the Dutch-American entrepreneurial community. Funded by Dutch-American founders, the initiative fosters collaboration between the U.S.
The next edition will take place from May 23–30, 2026. About five spots are still available. DM the organizer, Oliver Binkhorst, or click here for more information. FAQs are available here.
I’ve done a previous version of this program, and I can absolutely recommend that female founders who are thinking about taking their business to the US follow this program to understand the ecosystem and connect to investors and founders in the Valley.
Featured Event: Understanding Women’s Health – 24 June 2026
Learn how hormone cycles or perimenopause impact your life, and discover more about conditions like PCOS or Endometriosis at the quarterly Understanding Women’s Health Events hosted by Kasia Pokrop.
Women’s health is a topic near and dear to my heart. Which is why I’m happy to support and attend the events that 3mbrace Health organizes at Equals every quarter.
Men are expressly invited to join. In fact, send me an email if you want to be a women’s health pioneer. More info and tickets can be found here.
Diverse Leaders in Tech Events
If you like being in the know about what is happening in the DEI space, Diverse Leaders in Tech is the place to be.
Every last Thursday of the month, they have monthly in-person meetups for tech people, HR leaders and supporters of diversity to exchange insights, tackle challenges, and take action. It’s a vibrant, safe space where diversity is celebrated.
You can find their events on the website. Joining your first event is free.
What I Want To Leave You With
If there is one thing I took from this conversation, it is how much impact we can have in small, everyday moments.
Faviola explains that loneliness affects how people see themselves, even before cognitive decline becomes visible. That means recovery is not just something that happens in clinics. It also happens in how we show up for each other. A conversation, a walk, or simply taking the time to include someone can make a real difference.
We often think of brain injury as something distant. Something that happens to other people. But the moment where we joked about crossing the street while looking at our phones is a reminder of how fragile some of these abilities actually are. And how easily they can change.
So if you know someone who feels isolated, reach out. Not because you can fix anything, but because connection matters more than we often realize.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
A Question for You
💬 What do you think about using gaming in rehabilitation?
👇 Share your thoughts in the comments. Let’s keep this conversation going and discover new truths.
Women Disrupting Tech | The Podcast 
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