Hi Everyone,
After months of sketching, testing ideas, and talking with many of you, I’ve officially signed with 20Spokes to build the first version of Contextual North.
We’re starting with an MVP - a “minimum viable product.” It’s not the polished end goal, but a first working version we can put in people’s hands soon.
What it will do:
Send real-time nudges on Apple Watch when stress spikes.
Use heart rate + HRV to trigger those nudges.
Capture quick reflections in the moment.
Keep everything private.
Brand note: Alongside development, I’m initiating conversations with creative designers on brand identity, iconography, and naming. Contextual North is the company - the app itself will launch with its own distinct look and name later this year.
Why This Matters
Across conversations from interns to executives, the theme is clear: unmanaged stress and poor communication cost people both time and wellbeing. In fact, research shows employees lose 10+ hours a week navigating these challenges - a problem that translates into billions in lost productivity across the workforce.
Early interviews reinforced this:
A creative freelancer described biometric nudges as “the most honest feedback you can get.”
An HR leader called current coaching tools “still chasing the mark.”
A Fortune 100 executive shared: “With so much constant change, people need a way to steady themselves. This kind of tool could be a real anchor.”
Across roles and industries, the theme is the same: how we handle ourselves matters more than what we know. Contextual North is here to help in those critical moments.
Looking Forward
The MVP is just step one. The long-term vision is to layer in an AI coach, grounded in behavioral science, that supports personalized and measurable growth. Over time, this will enable individuals and organizations to not only improve resilience in the moment, but also connect those insights to how we credential and recognize soft skills - a critical gap in today’s reskilling and workforce strategies.
For this MVP stage, success looks like early testers engaging daily, providing actionable feedback, and validating that these micro-moments of reflection can reduce stress and improve performance in measurable ways.
For those curious, I was grateful to discover research from Microsoft validating this exact problem space after I had already begun the journey. You can read it here: link to PDF.
Closing thought:
Contextual North is rooted in my Northwestern education in Organizational Behavior and Leadership, and 25 years of working with both small businesses and global corporations. The vision: helping people feel more present, resilient, and connected in the moments that matter most.
With gratitude,
