Stephanie Sylvestre doesn’t believe AI should be handed over like a software subscription. She sees it more like hiring a person: one who needs to be trained, introduced to the team, and checked in on regularly.
That thinking is behind the rebrand of her Miami-based startup, Avatar Buddy. Now operating under a new umbrella, the company calls itself a “Managed AI as a Service” provider, with a hands-on approach to helping businesses roll out AI tools that are specific, secure, and human-centered.
“Just giving people AI tools isn’t enough,” Sylvestre told Refresh Miami. “They really need support and advice. Because AI is more of a social construct than a piece of software.”
The company builds function-specific AI agents and digital twins of key employees. These agents can help teams with onboarding, training, mentorship, or support tasks – but always with a human in the loop.
Sylvestre emphasized that her team avoids features like auto-sending emails or operating without oversight. “Our solutions require a human in the loop,” she said. “We’re not here to replace people, we’re here to help them be the best versions of themselves.”
That theme of empowerment runs deep. The onboarding process Sylvestre’s team uses for these AI agents mirrors how companies bring on real employees: a welcome process, a buddy system, and a gradual integration into the team.
Clients typically range from $5M to $50M in revenue and are interested in AI but don’t know where to begin, or don’t want to hire an in-house AI team. The process starts with an “AI opportunity mapping” session and ends with a customized roadmap. If a company decides to move forward, Avatar Buddy assesses its data, builds out four to six AI “buddies,” and regularly checks in to refine them as new models emerge.
This refinement process is called “refactoring,” basically updating and cleaning up the AI agent’s prompts and setup to keep up with evolving capabilities. As Sylvestre put it: “AI is moving fast. We intentionally refactor all our buddies every six to nine months.” One example? They no longer need to hard-code a preferred language. The AI can just adapt on its own.
A core part of the strategy is staying lean by partnering instead of overbuilding. That’s where a new collaboration with Miami-based Sapient Advisors comes in. If a client’s data isn’t clean or ready for AI use, they’re referred to Sapient for help. “Rather than stretch ourselves thin, we decided to partner with someone great at what they do,” Sylvestre said.
The startup’s ethos around “responsible AI” also runs counter to some of the flashier, automation-heavy tools on the market. For Sylvestre, the goal isn’t efficiency at the cost of people. Rather, it’s about helping employees do more meaningful work.
“If AI is eliminating people, it’s not making them better,” she said. “We believe AI can help people feel better about themselves, do higher-order thinking, and bring more value to their company. That leads to better communities, too. People who feel good about themselves don’t engage in hate.”
Sylvestre has lived in Miami for over 30 years, and her community roots run deep. That local pride shows up in the company’s goals, too.
“We think we can become one of the next big tech stars in Miami,” she said. The team is building out its sales function and even using its own AI tools internally to boost performance without increasing headcount. “Whatever we’re selling to customers, we’re using ourselves.”
Next up? A push to bring on more customers, expand integrations, and make things like month-end and quarter-end financial close processes smoother using AI. “That way a CFO can spend time analyzing instead of compiling,” Sylvestre added.
Source – https://refreshmiami.com/news/training-ai-like-an-employee-this-miami-founder-says-thats-the-key/