I’m Rafa Ballestiero. Mindful technologist, entrepreneur and writer.
I'm extremely lucky to consider myself native to many cultures. Born to a Uruguayo-Brazilian family, I was given the opportunity to call many places home: Boston during in my teenage years, London for university, Paris at the onset of my career and, after over a year of digital nomad, I have landed in Barcelona in Spring 2023.
Ever since I can remember, I've been fascinated by technology, philosophy and the human mind.
During my teenage years, I stumbled upon meditation through Headspace. Little did I know that this introduction to mindfulness would become a guiding light in my lifelong journey ofu self-discovery. Over the past decade, my mindfulness practice has evolved, yet I still consider myself a novice, continuously learning and growing.
At university, I discovered my passion for human-computer interaction while writing my Master's thesis on User Engagement. This ignited a fire within me to explore the intersection of technology and behavior science. A short year later, I co-founded Behale to help everyone build a fitness habit.
As a true technologist by both nature and nurture, I believe in the immense positive impact technology can have on our lives. However, our current relationship with digital technology is extractive and anxiety-inducing, by design.
We find ourselves at a crucial juncture where a paradigm shift is urgently needed in how we build and utilize technology today. As a mindful technologist, my intention is to lead this paradigm shift within the tech and AI industry. I believe that by embracing mindfulness, ethics, and wisdom, we can transform our current extractive models into ones that are more compassionate, mindful, and aligned with our human values.