About
VirtueStrong is built on a simple but powerful idea: what we focus on grows.
Most approaches to personal growth start by analyzing problems—what’s broken, what’s wrong, what needs fixing. VirtueStrong takes a different path. Instead of centering attention on problems, we focus on virtues—timeless human capacities like compassion, courage, boundaries, trust, and resilience.
Life inevitably presents us with challenges. Stress, conflict, self-doubt, loss, confusion—these experiences are not mistakes or failures. When approached with the right lens, they become invitations to grow. And when growth happens, the “problem” often dissolves on its own—not because it was fought or fixed, but because the person has outgrown it.
At VirtueStrong, we believe real growth doesn’t come from force or willpower alone. It emerges through insight, recontextualization, and reframing—seeing your experience differently, understanding yourself more clearly, and relating to life from a wiser, steadier place.
Our AI Guides are designed to help you do exactly that. They meet you where you are, help you make sense of what you’re feeling in the moment, and gently guide your attention toward the virtue that can transform the experience from the inside out.
VirtueStrong isn’t about becoming someone new.
It’s about uncovering what’s already within you—and letting it grow.
Jay Foster
Co-founder, Vision & Product
Jay Foster is a serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience launching and leading successful technology companies, including Canopy Software, UnderStory, Mediation Case Manager, Prolydian, and VirtueStrong.ai. A graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Business and Marketing, Jay has designed and implemented enterprise-scale software platforms serving thousands of users across diverse industries.
Driven by a lifelong passion for education, self-understanding, and healing, Jay is devoted to creating tools that promote peace of mind, emotional awareness, and meaningful personal growth. A relentless self-improver and seeker of truth, he brings a rare blend of business discipline, philosophical depth, and creative vision to the development of ethical, emotionally intelligent AI systems.
At VirtueStrong, Jay leads product vision and system design, ensuring the technology remains deeply human—grounded in wisdom, clarity, and respect for the lived experience of users.
Michelle Pargman
Co-founder, Clinical Advisor
Michelle Pargman is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 25 years of experience supporting individuals, workplaces, and communities through counseling, education, and wellness programs. She has worked in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) field since 1999, serving in both administrative and clinical roles.
Her work includes individual counseling, critical incident response, workplace presentations on mental well-being, and facilitating worksite-based support groups. In addition to her EAP work, Michelle maintains a private practice where she provides support groups and educational presentations to community organizations.
Michelle is deeply committed to expanding access to mental health support and reducing stigma. She serves on the Board of Directors for NAMI Jacksonville, helping amplify the message that no one is alone—and that recovery, growth, and hope are always possible.
She earned her Master’s and Specialist degrees in Counselor Education from the University of Florida in Gainesville.
At VirtueStrong, Michelle brings essential clinical wisdom, trauma-informed perspective, and deep compassion—helping ensure the platform supports growth with care, integrity, and respect for human complexity.