MIAMI, Florida — July 2026 — Some of the best ideas don't begin in a boardroom. They begin in everyday life.
For technology builder Gabriela Ayala and two-time USA National Cycling Champion Jake Silverberg, the inspiration for Pulse came from a simple realization: despite living in the most connected era in history, people often struggle to express what they truly feel during life's most emotional moments.
Text messages can be misunderstood. Phone calls sometimes come at the wrong time. And when emotions run high, finding the right words isn't always easy.
They believed there had to be a simpler way.
Few people would expect a technology builder and an elite cyclist to create a mobile app together. Yet it was precisely their different backgrounds that made the idea possible.
Ayala has spent more than a decade at the intersection of technology and human experience, designing digital products, improving user experiences, and leading innovation across artificial intelligence, payments, fintech, and consumer software. Author of Tech Warrior, she believes technology is at its best when it solves real human problems rather than simply adding more complexity. Continuing that pursuit, she is currently advancing her expertise through the MIT Professional Education Applied Agentic Artificial Intelligence Program, exploring how emerging AI can be used to build more thoughtful, human-centered products.
Silverberg's journey followed a completely different path.
As one of America's top competitive cyclists, he became a two-time USA National Champion and the youngest American selected to compete in the 2015 UCI Elite Men's World Championships. His career took him around the world, competing in Switzerland, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, and Trinidad & Tobago, where success depended on discipline, resilience, trust, timing, and performing under constant pressure.
After professional cycling, Silverberg has built a successful career in the automotive industry, consistently ranking among the top sales professionals in his field. Years of working closely with people taught him something no competition ever could: how trust is earned, how emotions shape decisions, and how meaningful relationships are built one interaction at a time. Those insights became just as valuable as his years in elite sports and helped shape the vision behind Pulse.
Although their careers could not have been more different, they discovered they had learned many of the same lessons.
Technology can connect people instantly, but meaningful connection requires empathy. Elite sports demand physical strength, but lasting success depends just as much on emotional resilience and communication.
Those ideas became the foundation of Pulse.
Pulse is a mobile app that allows people to send simple emotional signals to those who matter most, helping them express support, affection, reassurance, or the need for space without the pressure of long conversations. Whether it's asking for a timeout during a disagreement, sending encouragement to a loved one, or reminding someone they're being thought of, Pulse was designed for the moments when a small gesture can mean more than a paragraph.
Rather than replacing conversations, Pulse encourages healthier ones by helping people reconnect with empathy before words become overwhelming.
“We didn't set out to build another messaging app. We set out to solve a very human problem. Every relationship has moments when words feel too heavy or simply aren't enough. We wanted to create a simple way for people to reach each other before distance turns into disconnection.”
— Gabriela Ayala
For Ayala and Silverberg, Pulse reflects a simple belief: the best technology does not replace human connection. It helps protect it.
Neuroscience has shown that during moments of intense anger, stress, or emotional conflict, the brain's emotional centers can temporarily overpower the prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for rational thinking, empathy, and self control. In those moments, people are more likely to react impulsively, say things they do not truly mean, and unintentionally create distance from the people they care about most.
That understanding became one of the driving ideas behind Pulse.
Ayala and Silverberg hope the app encourages people to pause before reacting, approach difficult moments with greater emotional intelligence, and remember that a small act of empathy can change the direction of a conversation and even preserve a relationship. They believe the strongest relationships are not built by avoiding conflict, but by learning how to navigate it with understanding, kindness, and intention.
In a world where technology often competes for our attention, Pulse was created to bring attention back to what matters most: the people we love. Because sometimes the most meaningful act is not finding the perfect words. It is choosing connection before conflict.
About Pulse
Pulse is a mobile app designed to help people communicate through simple emotional signals when words feel difficult. Built for couples, families, and close friends, Pulse encourages healthier communication by making it easier to express support, reassurance, affection, and understanding during life's most meaningful moments.