Built from Scratch

Welcome to Built from Scratch, a podcast hosted by Erik Libby, CEO and founder of the To-Do Dudes. On this show, Erik shares key lessons from his entrepreneurial journey and highlights the stories of entrepreneurs and business professionals who are all under 30. Built from Scratch is dedicated to spotlighting the next generation of leaders ready to change the world.

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Built from Scratch

Opal.ai: Cole Smith (28)

June 30, 2025 • Erik Libby • Episode 44

Originally from St. Pete, Florida, Cole is the founder of Opal, a mental health AI platform built to support therapists and patients. He began his career in machine learning after earning a Master’s in Computer Science from NYU. From there, he joined Morgan Stanley, then moved to Asapp, where he led the core AI team focused on improving communication efficiency for call centers.

That experience set the stage for his next chapter. In June 2024, Cole launched Opal—and in just one year, the platform has already reached 25,000 active users and earned a spot in the Techstars AI Health Accelerator, in partnership with Johns Hopkins and Florida Blue.

Cole is just 28 years old.

Contact info:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-s-smith/

Website: https://www.heyopal.com/

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