<p>What people lose first after a brain injury isn&#39;t intelligence. It&#39;s confidence, autonomy, and dignity.</p><p>In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Faviola Dadis, CEO and co-founder of BrainBoostXR, about how she&#39;s building AI-powered virtual reality rehabilitation that restores dignity for people recovering from acquired brain injuries. </p><p>Faviola explains why traditional cognitive rehab often fails — not because the exercises don&#39;t work, but because 50% of patients don&#39;t complete their protocols. </p><p>Her solution combines gamified VR experiences with AI-driven personalization to solve the adherence problem while addressing the emotional and social aspects of recovery that traditional rehab ignores.</p><p>We also explore the concept of digital twins in healthcare, how AI can personalize rehabilitation without reinforcing bias, and why loneliness erodes dignity faster than cognitive decline ever will.</p><p>This episode is for female founders, women in tech, health tech entrepreneurs, and anyone building products that need to balance clinical effectiveness with human dignity.</p><p><strong>What you&#39;ll learn in this episode</strong></p><ul><li>Why cognitive rehabilitation alone isn&#39;t enough — and what&#39;s missing</li><li>How gamified VR improves patient adherence in brain injury recovery</li><li>What digital twins are and how they personalize rehabilitation protocols</li><li>Why loneliness is a bigger threat to dignity than cognitive decline</li><li>How to build AI systems that avoid reinforcing existing biases in healthcare</li><li>What female founders should know about the investor relationship and funding expectations</li></ul><p><strong>Chapters:</strong></p><p>00:00 Introduction</p><p>02:55 Journey to BrainBoostXR</p><p>08:36 Understanding Acquired Brain Injury</p><p>14:39 The Role of Gamification in Rehabilitation</p><p>20:32 The Importance of Dignity in Recovery</p><p>26:21 Innovations in AI and Digital Twins</p><p>32:44 The Power of AI in Personalization</p><p>36:08 Ethics and Bias in AI Development</p><p>45:12 Commercializing BrainBoostXR</p><p>57:39 Defining Success in Cognitive Care</p><p>1:03:30 The Gender Funding Gap</p><p>1:05:11 Investor Expectations and Early-Stage Challenges</p><p>1:09:25 The Founder-Investor Relationship</p><p>1:14:55 Personal Health and Entrepreneurship</p><p>1:21:31 Building an AI Funding Coach</p><p><strong>Connect with Faviola Dadis and BrainBoost XR</strong></p><p>Faviola Dadis on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/favioladadis/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/favioladadis/</a></p><p>BrainBoostXR Website: <a href="https://www.brainboostxr.com/">https://www.brainboostxr.com/</a></p><p>BrainBoostXR on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainboostxr/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainboostxr/</a></p><p>BrainBoostXR on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brainboostxr/">https://www.instagram.com/brainboostxr/</a></p><p><strong>Connect with Dirkjan Hupkes</strong></p><p>Dirkjan Hupkes on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkjan-hupkes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer nofollow">https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkjan-hupkes/</a></p><p>Women Disrupting Tech Website: <a href="https://womendisruptingtech.blog/">https://womendisruptingtech.blog/</a><br></p><p>Women Disrupting Tech Substack: <a href="https://womendisruptingtech.substack.com/">https://womendisruptingtech.substack.com/</a></p><p>🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.</p><p>👉 Subscribe for more conversations with women building the future of tech.</p>