Influential Women Features Ava Jones: Bridging Humanity and Technology Through Emotionally Intelligent Innovation
Influential Women proudly recognizes Ava Jones in its 2025 series, celebrating her as a self-taught tech innovator and host of The Incognito Mode Podcast with Ava Jones, a human-centered, tech-forward show where founders, operators, and outsiders cut through industry noise with unfiltered conversations on AI, innovation, and what it really takes to build in today’s world. She is also the founder of Simplanica, a groundbreaking voice-driven lifestyle app designed to help users not only achieve their life goals, but evolve through them. Combining emotionally attuned AI interactions with structured, goal-oriented planning, Simplanica provides guided pathways through milestones such as personal reinvention, fitness, and family vision-setting.
Set to debut in the App Store in the coming months, Simplanica distinguishes itself by prioritizing emotional resonance over mechanical efficiency. With personalized encouragement, voice-led rituals, and step-by-step support, the app reimagines how people connect with technology—transforming artificial intelligence into a companion that listens, adapts, and grows with its users.
Ava’s journey into technology was anything but conventional. Armed with a BA from the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts, she entered the tech world in 2021 after spearheading the development of a custom CRM system for her employer. That project unlocked her natural instinct for designing digital tools with tangible real-world impact. Driven by curiosity, she began exploring AI models, teaching herself how to prototype and refine user experiences using emerging platforms such as ChatGPT. The result was Simplanica—a fusion of her operational expertise, creative intuition, and belief that technology should feel human.
Before founding Simplanica, Ava experimented with several early-stage product concepts, gaining invaluable experience in user flow design, AI logic, and agile testing. Her development philosophy was shaped by influential thought leaders in the AI space—most notably OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap. After hearing him speak about the behaviors and emotional engagement of ChatGPT power users, Ava deepened her focus on designing emotionally intelligent AI. “Life is, in fact, messy—and so are humans,” she explains. “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 with the human experience.”
Outside her work on Simplanica, Ava is a Senior Operations Leader with a strong background in life sciences, biotechnology, and education—often thriving in startup environments. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she blends empathy, structure, and creativity in both her leadership and her approach to product design.
Ava attributes her success to emotional discernment and unwavering belief. “I’ve learned to read the room, even when the room is silent,” she reflects. “Whether it’s building a team, product, or vision, I trust the emotional current beneath the surface more than any loud pitch deck or polished persona. That, and I don’t walk away from things I believe in. I evolve—but I never quit.”
The best career advice Ava has ever received still guides her: “Decide what hill you’re willing to die on, then don’t apologize for building it.” For her, alignment matters more than approval. Her most impactful work, whether in operations or technology, stems from trusting her own judgment before seeking validation from others.
To women entering the tech industry, Ava offers this advice: “Build in public.” She urges young innovators not to wait for perfection but to share their process and progress openly. “The world doesn’t just reward the polished, especially in tech,” she says. “It rewards the persistent. And remember: you’re building a product while also building proof that you belong.”
When it comes to the future of artificial intelligence, Ava points out that one of the greatest challenges is forgetting the “H” in HCI—human. While the industry races toward advanced capabilities, users crave technology that reflects their complexity, messiness, and emotions. She believes the real opportunity lies in designing interfaces that not only solve problems but also truly see and understand people—a focus that guides her current work and ambitions.
Speaking about Simplanica’s upcoming launch, Ava envisions it as more than just an app—it’s a companion for life transitions. “I hope users feel the togetherness in Simplanica and know it was built to walk alongside them, not dictate to them,” she says.
At the heart of Ava’s work are the values of integrity, emotional safety, and clear intention. She doesn’t believe in performance for performance’s sake—she believes in presence. Through her leadership and creativity, Ava continues to bridge the gap between humanity and technology, reminding the world that the future of innovation isn’t just about smarter machines—it’s about more human connections.
Learn More about Ava Jones:
Listen to The Incognito Mode Podcast with Ava Jones on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or at incognitomodepodcast.com
Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/ava-jones or through her website, https://www.simplanica.com/
Influential Women
Influential Women provides a platform where women from all backgrounds can connect, share their perspectives, and create content that empowers themselves and others. Through storytelling, thought leadership, and creative expression, Influential Women amplifies voices that inspire change.
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