How can a purpose-driven innovation scale without compromising care? Devika Wood, CEO of Brain+, shares how she’s helping pioneer the global expansion of Cognitive Simulation Therapy (CST) - the world-leading non-drug treatment for dementia.
Brain+ is a publicly listed health tech company championing Ayla, a proven digital CST intervention that can delay cognitive decline for up to six months. Devika discusses the opportunities and challenges of scaling CST through the UK’s care home sector while ensuring that ethics, clinical standards, and public trust remain central to the approach.
In this episode, Devika reflects on the strategic and emotional dimensions of leading a mission-led business in a high-regulation, high-stakes sector. She explains why raising awareness, building clinician and caregiver trust, and testing narratives are just as vital as product design. She also opens up about the balancing act between purpose and profit, the importance of board support, and the ongoing work of aligning commercial delivery with personal mission.
Devika Wood