The intent layer of AI
AI chat is becoming the front door to the internet. We're building what connects it into every company and surface on earth.
THE SHIFT
About echo
We are people-focused in what we build and our commitment to those who build it. We believe the most meaningful innovation happens as the result of high-functioning teammates working together to create something larger than themselves.
Regardless of where our employees are physically located, the echo team contributes and collaborates, with an ownership mindset - fiercely committed to our mission. We embrace that not everyone thinks alike. We expect and value radical candor, thoughtful engagement and the willingness to challenge ideas constructively. Diverse perspectives and lived experiences strengthens our decisions and ultimately the technology we create.
Innovating at the intersection of AI and human interaction, echo is uniquely positioned to help shape how companies and people engage with one another. We believe the future is not AI replacing people, but people maintaining agency over AI and blending the two in pursuit of smarter systems, better understanding, and disruption to legacy infrastructure.
Respect for each other is foundational at echo. Ideas are strengthened through challenges. Progress is the result of a shared commitment to these values.
ABOUT OUR FOUNDER
Cole Johnson
Cole founded echo around a simple belief: AI shouldn't just replace human action - it should help us understand human intent. He's focused on building systems that make it possible to listen to people at scale, turning natural expression into clear, usable understanding.
At echo, that means creating technology that helps organizations move beyond clicks, proxies, and guesswork toward something more direct. His vision is to build infrastructure for a world where listening scales - and where human insight becomes more legible, useful, and powerful.
CORE VALUES
What we stand for.
our foundation
Representation without Vulnerability
how we think
Truth Over Comfort
what we create
Signal Over Noise
how we build AI
Human-Centered Intelligence
how we operate
Small Teams. Big Impact.
Great companies are built by talented people who bring different experiences, viewpoints, and ways of thinking to the table. We value this diversity because it strengthens judgment, sharpens ideas, and leads to better products and better decisions.
We are committed to building a workplace that is welcoming, fair, and respectful to everyone. Echo team members have the opportunity to contribute fully, are treated equitably, and evaluated by the quality of their work, character, and impact.
We do not hire, promote, or build simply to satisfy demographic optics. Our commitment is to excellence, openness, and inclusion: bringing together the best people, encouraging real diversity of thought, and creating an environment where strong ideas come from anywhere and anyone.
The value we deliver to customers, partners, and investors will reflect our ability to execute on these principles. Our diverse, inspired team is the key to that delivery.
NEWS & EVENTS
Where we're showing up.
Conferences we're at, talks we're giving, and where echo is in the world.
ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Proof, not black boxes.
We publish auditable methods and results – so you can verify outcomes end-to-end, not blindly trust a black box.
TEAM
Built for outcomes, not optics.
echo sits at the intersection of AI, proof, and distribution – and we've built systems that verify what works, ship it fast, and scale it through partners.
Core Team
Advisors
Dennis Cardoza
Purpose-Based Policy & Public Affairs
Former Member of Congress / Public Affairs Director @ Foley & Lardner
Jeremiah Owyang
AI Strategy & Industry Insight
GP, AI Investments @ Blitzscaling Ventures / Founder of Llama Lounge
Ainsley MacLean, MD, FACR
Healthcare AI & Regulated Enterprise Strategy
Former CAIO @ Kaiser Permanente / GP @ Ainsley Capital
Jason Papier
Founder Finance & Liquidity Strategy
Managing Partner @ WRP Wealth Management