Because the Co-Founder & CTO of Zen (PostureHealth Inc.), Ion-Alexandru Secara spearheads the event of groundbreaking posture correction software, redefining how people monitor and enhance their well-being while working in front of computers. His passion for addressing the private problem of bad posture led to the creation of Zen, a revolutionary app that uses artificial intelligence to softly alert users after they slouch and remind them to take breaks for stretching and standing.

Ion-Alexandru’s journey as an entrepreneur is rooted in a deep commitment to improving the lives of people through modern technology. With Zen’s posture correction software impacting each enterprises and individual consumers, Ion-Alexandru’s visionary leadership is propelling the corporate forward within the wellness and technology landscape.

What initially attracted you to computer science?

What initially attracted me to computer science was the boundless potential for creativity and problem-solving that it offered. From a young age, I used to be drawn to technology and the thought of using it to construct modern solutions. Computer science provided the right platform to show ideas into reality, and I used to be captivated by the limitless possibilities it offered. The power to create software and applications that would make a positive impact on people’s lives was incredibly exciting to me. As I delved deeper into the sphere, I noticed that computer science also provided a dynamic and ever-evolving environment, where I could repeatedly learn and challenge myself. The mix of creativity, problem-solving, and continuous growth is what sparked my passion for computer science and has driven me throughout my journey as an entrepreneur and CTO at Zen (PostureHealth Inc.).

You’re currently the Co-Founder & CTO at Zen, what are a few of your responsibilities and what does your average day seem like?

Because the Co-Founder & CTO at Zen, my responsibilities are multifaceted and revolve around leading the technical facets of the corporate. One among my predominant roles is to drive the event and innovation of Zen’s posture correction software. On top of the technological development, I also lead the expansion team at Zen, which mixes the efforts of our marketing, product and tech teams to develop experiment ideas that will be implemented in our business.

As a Co-Founder, I’m also involved in strategic decision-making, working closely with my co-founder, Daniel James, to set goals and define the corporate’s vision. Collaborating with the marketing and business development teams, we aim to expand our customer base and explore latest opportunities for growth.

As for my average day, I often begin by reviewing progress updates from our development team after which spend the remaining of the day peer-programming all together. On Thursdays, I spent a lot of the day collecting user analytics and compiling it right into a report that the team at Zen can access and on Friday, I lead the expansion meeting where we analyze experiment ideas that we are able to implement and plan our next week. Several times every week, I’ll even be jumping on calls with customers to listen to about their experience with Zen and see how we are able to provide them with more value.

Are you able to discuss how the pc app uses AI to evaluate users posture using the webcam?

The pc app we have developed at Zen utilizes AI algorithms, mainly computer vision and complicated mathematical models, to evaluate users’ posture in real-time through their computer’s webcam.

When a user sits in front of their computer, the pc app analyzes the video stream from the webcam as a way to discover key points and markers on the user’s body, resembling the position of the top, shoulders, spine, and hips. The pc app identifies a complete of 18 points on the users’ body. Those points are then analyzed against the users’s base healthy posture. The app then gently alerts the user every time they exhibit poor posture, reminding them to correct their posture to avoid unnecessary strain on their body.

What were the explanations behind developing a mobile app, since Zen already had a pc app?

Developing a mobile app was a natural progression for Zen because we wanted to increase the advantages of posture correction beyond the confines of the pc setup. While our computer app provided significant value for users during their work hours, we recognized that maintaining good posture is important even when individuals should not in front of their computers. By expanding our platform to incorporate a mobile app, we’re offering users greater flexibility and accessibility. They will now seamlessly use Zen on any platform, whether it’s their computer or mobile device, without compromising on the standard and effectiveness of the posture correction experience.

Specifically, one exciting feature of the mobile app is its integration with AirPods. Using the AirPods’ spatial audio sensors, Zen’s mobile app can accurately assess posture for users after they’re using their AirPods. Our users can now receive the identical advantages from the pc app, wherever they’re.

How do you’re thinking that generative AI will impact a business resembling Zen?

Generative AI holds immense potential to revolutionize a business like Zen, especially within the realm of posture correction and wellness. As an entrepreneur and technologist, I’m incredibly enthusiastic about the chances that generative AI brings to our app and its impact on our users’ well-being.

Since we’re a technology company, I can say that our engineering team already uses GitHub Copilot to make product development faster. I’ve also began using LLM algorithms to investigate vasts amount of information so I can discover trends and patterns quicker, without having to spend hours on repetitive data evaluation tasks.

Furthermore, generative AI can contribute to expanding our database of postural data. By generating realistic simulated postures, we are able to augment the training data available for our AI algorithms, resulting in much more accurate posture assessment and correction recommendations. This continuous improvement in data quality will bolster Zen’s capabilities in providing real-time feedback to users, no matter their location or device.

Embracing generative AI aligns with our commitment to staying on the forefront of technology and delivering the most effective possible solutions for our users’ well-being and health.