👨‍💻

Rick Jefferson

Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer

AI Security Expert | Building enterprise-grade secure mental healthcare technology that makes therapy accessible to everyone

🚀 The Mission

After years working in AI security, I saw a massive opportunity: apply enterprise-grade security architecture to healthcare technology that could actually help people. Mental healthcare is broken— not because therapists aren't skilled, but because the system makes access nearly impossible for 90M+ Americans.

That's why I partnered with Dr. Jessica Edwards to build Serene Space AI—a platform that delivers evidence-based therapy using AI, making professional mental health support available 24/7 from $4.99 trial ($29.99/month unlimited) instead of $300 per session.

"Technology should democratize access, not create more barriers. With Serene Space AI, we're using AI to make mental healthcare a basic right, not a luxury reserved for those who can afford $300/session and wait 2 months for an appointment."

📊 Building for Impact

24/7
Availability
100x
More Affordable
SOC 2
Compliant
24/7
System Availability

🛠️ Technical Expertise

My role at Serene Space AI combines deep AI security knowledge with healthcare compliance to build technology that's both innovative and trustworthy.

🔒 Security Architecture

End-to-end encryption, zero-knowledge architecture, SOC 2 Type II compliance roadmap

🏥 Healthcare Data Protection

Medical-grade security, secure PHI handling, audit logging, breach prevention, state health data privacy law compliance

🤖 AI/ML Engineering

Natural language processing, conversational AI, therapeutic protocol implementation

☁️ Cloud Infrastructure

Scalable architecture, 99.9% uptime, disaster recovery, data redundancy

📊 Data Privacy

Privacy-by-design, minimal data collection, user anonymization, GDPR compliance

⚡ Performance Optimization

Sub-second response times, efficient AI inference, cost optimization

💡 Why I Built Serene Space AI

The catalyst was simple: I watched friends and family struggle to access mental healthcare. One colleague waited 3 months for a therapist appointment, only to be told they weren't accepting new patients. Another friend paid $350/session out-of-pocket because their insurance didn't cover it.

Meanwhile, I was working on AI security systems for Fortune 500 companies—technology that could process millions of interactions securely and instantly. The disconnect was obvious: if we could build AI secure enough for banking and healthcare data, why weren't we using it to actually help people access care?

When Dr. Jessica Edwards approached me with the clinical framework for AI-powered therapy using evidence-based techniques (CBT, DBT, ACT), I knew we could build something transformative. Not a replacement for human therapists—but a solution for the 90M+ Americans who can't access them.

🔬 The Technical Approach

Building healthcare technology requires a different mindset than consumer apps. At Serene Space AI, security and privacy aren't afterthoughts—they're the foundation:

1. Zero-Knowledge Architecture: User conversations are encrypted end-to-end. We can't read them—only the user can decrypt their data.

2. Enterprise-Grade Secure Infrastructure: Every component—from data storage to AI processing—meets or exceeds medical-grade security standards (AES-256 encryption, SOC 2 compliance) and state health data privacy requirements.

3. AI Safety Layers: Multiple safeguards detect crisis situations, harmful content, and ensure clinical oversight. If the AI detects risk, it escalates to human clinicians or provides crisis resources.

4. Evidence-Based Protocols: Working with Dr. Edwards, we've encoded CBT, DBT, and ACT therapeutic techniques into AI responses—the same methods human therapists use.

5. Continuous Learning: Our AI improves with every interaction (while maintaining privacy), learning what approaches work best for different situations.

🌍 The Vision

My goal is simple: make mental healthcare accessible to anyone with a smartphone.

In 5 years, I want Serene Space AI to be the first place people turn when they're struggling—not because traditional therapy isn't valuable, but because we've removed every barrier that prevents access:

Cost barrier: $4.99 trial, then $29.99/month unlimited vs $300/session
Time barrier: 24/7 availability vs 2-month waitlists
Location barrier: Works anywhere with internet
Cultural barrier: AI understands 8+ cultural backgrounds
Stigma barrier: Private, judgment-free support

This isn't about replacing human connection—it's about ensuring that when someone needs help, they can get it immediately, affordably, and effectively.

🚀 Experience What We've Built

Serene Space AI is live and helping people access affordable, effective mental healthcare. See for yourself why we're different.

Try Serene Space AI

Join our waitlist to be first when we launch

🤝 Let's Connect

I'm always happy to discuss AI security, healthcare technology, or the future of mental healthcare access. Reach out on any platform: