Stephanie Sylvestre’s path to becoming CEO and co-founder of Avatar Buddy is anything but linear. Born and raised in Belize, Stephanie expected to return home after college and step into a defined future. When political change erased that path overnight, she was forced to adapt, relocate, and reimagine what building a life and career really meant.

That adaptability led her into diplomacy as the youngest Honorary Consul of Belize in Miami, where she spent years navigating relationships, influence, and advocacy at a deeply human level. In parallel, an unexpected internship at Hewlett-Packard introduced her to technology through systems thinking, mentorship, and early software development. Rather than chasing hype, Stephanie learned how complex systems actually work, and where they fail the people relying on them.

Those lessons carried forward into consulting, corporate IT, and eventually the founding of Avatar Buddy, a managed AI services company built around trust, safety, and human amplification. In this episode, Stephanie shares how a background rooted in diplomacy and quality-first thinking now shapes her approach to building AI systems that help humans do better at the work they already do.

Key Takeaways

Builder paths are rarely linear, and detours often create the strongest foundations
Trust and relationships drive real outcomes more than process alone
Early mentorship shapes how builders think about systems for life
Quality matters because real people live with the results
AI works best when it amplifies humans instead of replacing them
Experience outside of tech often produces better technology leaders

Stephanie Sylvestre – From Diplomat to AI Founder: Building AI That Helps Humans Do Better