{"id":297420,"date":"2026-06-05T17:06:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T17:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/297420\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T17:06:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T17:06:12","slug":"how-an-mdc-student-turned-a-personal-wellness-journey-into-an-ai-powered-app-for-everyday-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/297420\/","title":{"rendered":"How an MDC student turned a personal wellness journey into an AI-powered app for everyday peace"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Farah Cadet first enrolled in coding classes, she wasn\u2019t planning to launch a startup.<\/p>\n

The Miami-based consultant had already pursued several careers, starting in healthcare,
switching over to interior design, and building a career working on large-scale hospitality
projects like hotels and cruise ships. But during the pandemic, when the hospitality industry
slowed and her role with Virgin Voyages came to an end, Cadet found herself searching for
something new.<\/p>\n

What started as a way to \u201cexercise the brain\u201d with an online bootcamp quickly became
something more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t intend to pivot,\u201d said Cadet [pictured above]. \u201cI just really enjoyed it. I could feel it calling me. I could see the patterns, even when I didn\u2019t fully understand the language yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

That spark from the bootcamp eventually led her to a job in software engineering, and
eventually led her to enroll in Miami Dade College, where an Apple Swift programming class
would spark the idea for her first app.<\/p>\n

Cadet\u2019s inspiration didn\u2019t come from a technical problem. It came from something deeply
personal. Years earlier, she had committed to a \u201cyear of wellness,\u201d experimenting with everything from
sunrise walks and yoga to meditation, breathwork, and sound baths. Some habits stuck. Others
didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

But her journey showed her that there\u2019s no single path to feeling better, and everyone
experiences wellness differently.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized people need to know all the different options without having to dedicate a year to
figuring it out,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I told myself that I really wanted to make an app that helps people.\u201d<\/p>\n

That insight became the foundation for Ritually, an AI-powered app that helps users find quick,
personalized wellness practices based on how they feel in the moment.<\/p>\n

When they first download the app, users answer four questions:
\u25cf How are you feeling?
\u25cf How much time do you have?
\u25cf What\u2019s your energy level?
\u25cf What feeling do you want to lean into?<\/p>\n

\u2713<\/p>\n

Check your inbox for a confirmation email.<\/p>\n

From there, the app generates a short, guided \u201critual,\u201d or a set of mindful steps and activities
tailored to the user\u2019s state of mind. \u201cIf you say you have five minutes, the app gives you three things that you can do in five minutes to go from feeling overwhelmed to more balanced,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not one-size-fits-all, but it\u2019s about helping people find their own path.<\/p>\n

The idea came together fast. After learning about an upcoming demo day at Miami Dade College, Cadet gave herself just a few weeks to build, often staying up until 2 or 3 a.m. to make it happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just started building,\u201d she said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what my limitations were supposed to be.\u201d Working solo, she developed a minimum viable product (MVP) using Swift and integrated AI to
generate personalized wellness routines. By April 2025, she was ready to present.<\/p>\n

That demo opened doors. Cadet was selected to showcase Ritually at the Apple Store in Aventura, where she presented the app to a live audience. Even without actively promoting downloads, people in the audience sought it out. \u201cI had about 10 people download it that day,\u201d she said. \u201cThat was really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cadet didn\u2019t raise capital to build Ritually. Instead, she leaned heavily on the tech ecosystem,
communities, and resources around her at Miami Dade College.<\/p>\n

From faculty mentorship to branding guidance and demo opportunities, the college became
essential throughout her building journey. \u201cI feel like my partner in this has been Miami Dade,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ve been there at every step, offering resources and opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also conducted beta testing with real users, collecting weekly feedback and refining the
app\u2019s experience, like adding in audio-guided rituals for a more immersive experience and
smartwatch integrations. Today, Ritually continues to evolve based on user input.<\/p>\n

The app is currently free, with plans to launch a premium model that includes features like
expanded personalization and unlimited ritual generation.<\/p>\n

While Ritually started as a personal project, Cadet sees bigger potential ahead. She envisions the app becoming part of workplace wellness programs, offering a more personalized alternative for employees and organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a gap in how employers approach wellness,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s often very one-size-fits-all,
and that doesn\u2019t really meet people where they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s also exploring a version tailored for children, aiming to introduce them to emotional
regulation and mindfulness earlier in life. At its core, though, the mission remains simple: helping people find calm in a chaotic world.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeace is a skill,\u201d Cadet said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to wait for things to get peaceful, you can cultivate
that within yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

For founders looking to launch their own startups, Cadet has one piece of advice: just start.
\u201cI was scared too. I had no idea what I was doing at certain points,\u201d she said. \u201cBut in the doing, you end up with something.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:<\/p>\n

\"Nancy<\/a> I am a writer and editor with extensive media experience and a passion for journalism and serving the community. Most of my career has been spent with the Miami Herald in business news, and my expertise is writing about tech and entrepreneurs. I love hosting this blog for Refresh Miami and we aim to be the go-to site for South Florida startup and tech news, features and views. Have news? Contact me at [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>. Thanks for reading! \"Nancy<\/a>Latest posts by Nancy Dahlberg (see all<\/a>) \t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Farah Cadet first enrolled in coding classes, she wasn\u2019t planning to launch a startup. The Miami-based consultant…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":297421,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[225,227,226],"class_list":["post-297420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hialeah","tag-hialeah","tag-hialeah-headlines","tag-hialeah-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=297420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/297421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=297420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=297420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=297420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}