The App That Talks Back: How Empathy and AI Came Together in EverFriends.ai

From childhood days selling for his father’s business to launching cutting-edge AI tech for elder care, Daniel Hungerford’s journey is as heart-led as it is high-tech. In this edition of the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Spotlight series, Daniel shares how his passion for psychology, lived experience with ADHD, and deep empathy for underserved populations led to the creation of EverFriends.ai—a digital companion transforming the lives of older adults with dementia and loneliness. His story is one of resilience, innovation, and a powerful shift from solution-chasing to impact-driven entrepreneurship.

Hi, Daniel! Thanks for joining us today. Tell us about your business. Who do you serve, how do you serve them, and what's the impact that your business and work makes?

EverFriends.ai is a revolutionary mobile app that uses advanced AI to improve the quality of life for older adults with dementia or experiencing loneliness. Our innovative platform provides users with emotional, cognitive, and practical support while benefiting caregivers, family members, healthcare providers, and senior care facilities. 

Dementia puts a significant strain on both the healthcare system and families with loved ones suffering from this condition. Loneliness is also a widespread problem that affects emotional and mental health, with 43% of adults over 60 reporting challenges with loneliness and 24% of adults over 65 considered socially isolated. Traditional solutions, such as human companionship or in-person cognitive therapy, are resource-intensive and often inaccessible to many aging adults due to financial, geographic, or social limitations. EverFriends.ai harnesses AI technology to offer real-time, personalized interactions that mimic human conversations and provide memory cues, reminders, and emotional engagement. Through a combination of conversational AI, advanced natural language processing, and machine learning, our platform adapts to user behaviors, preferences, and emotional states, providing a level of care that was previously unattainable. EverFriends.ai offers a reliable source of companionship, engaging users in discussions about their interests, hobbies, and life experiences, thereby alleviating feelings of isolation for the user and minimizing caregiver strain. 

Our AI-driven digital companionship platform creates a comprehensive, user-friendly, and scalable solution for aging adult care. Our technology elevates continuity of care and enhances the quality of life for vulnerable populations, reducing caregiver burden. The key to EverFriends.ai’s quality is the realistic human avatar, capable of engaging users in more personalized conversations over time. The AI’s ability to learn from each interaction and become increasingly attuned to the user’s preferences, habits, and personality ensures a high-quality, personalized dialogue, enhancing the overall user experience. The app contains features that create a source of companionship that understands and responds to a person’s unique needs, providing emotional support and cognitive engagement. 

Tell us about the moment you finally felt like you went from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur.

As an ADHD adult, it feels like I went back and forth for a lot of years. My brain was always on overdrive, trying to come up with solutions to problems I would see in the world around me.  I believe the transition really took place when I started my education training company in 2015. For the first time, my goal wasn't necessarily solving a problem but rather making an impact on the people I served. I found that that change in perspective helped solidify my passion and drive, the same passion and drive that has carried me to the launch of EverFriends today. I still love finding solutions to problems, but the ones I pick to solve now are based on who I can impact most in a positive way.

Describe the moment or period in your life/career that motivated you to make the entrepreneurial leap.

I was raised by entrepreneurs who were raised by entrepreneurs. I started working in my dad's company at ten years old and was selling by the time I turned 12.  I went to college for Psychology because human behavior has always fascinated me, but after graduating with my degree, I was bitten by the entrepreneur bug and haven't looked back since.

Describe a tool, service, or software that has been a game-changer for your business. How does it contribute to your success?

The software that has been a game changer for my company is the Empathetic Voice Technology. We partnered with Hume AI to bring the best possible conversation to those we serve. EV2 is the engine that makes the conversations so meaningful and realistic. We also partnered with Tavus.io, whose digital human technology is what allows us to have ultra-realistic digital humans.

We know that success is very often a non-linear path. Tell us about a failure, pivot point, or lesson that changed your course or direction and helped to get you where you are today.

I have had a lot of failures. Sometimes lack of funding, sometimes, building too quickly without time to put a stable framework in place. Early on, I also had a lot to learn about leading people. The way I would run my companies wasn't sustainable because I didn't know how to develop the people around me. That cost me more than once.  I think the pivot point or lesson that was most meaningful for me and the reason I am probably here today came from one of my mentors in 2009. He showed me the possibilities in using technology and automation to build full companies from your laptop. I have never forgotten that, and to this day, I can run my whole company from my laptop. Sometimes you just need someone to show you what's possible.

What unconventional strategy did you employ that significantly impacted your business?

I think the most unconventional strategy I used was investing heavily in personalization. Many businesses make people feel like just another customer or just a number. I wanted each and every person who used our app to feel like it was built just for them. Of course, the AI technology absolutely helps make that happen. :)

What’s something you wish you knew sooner that you’d give as advice for aspiring or newer entrepreneurs?

I wish I had known/believed that failure was okay. I tried so hard in my first companies to be perfect and not fail. As I have gotten older, I have realized that failure is not the opposite of success; it is the path to it and usually the best way to learn if you take time to figure out the lesson.

Want to dive deeper into Daniel's work? Find out more in the links below:

• Visit EverFriends' website everfriends.ai
• Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn: Daniel Hungerford
• Find EverFriends on Facebook
• Follow EverFriends on Instagram @everfriends.ai
• Find EverFriends on X @EverfriendsAI
• Subscribe to EverFriends' YouTube Channel