In this episode of The Critical Window, Carlton Ulmer, host and co-founder of Build a Brain, Build a Life, Build a Community®, talks with Jim Hoskins, President of CogAbility, and Vernon Niven, COO of CogAbility, about how Buddy, the parenting chatbot trained with information from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is being integrated into Build a Brain partner communities to support families with research-based guidance during their child’s most critical years. Buddy was created to provide parents with trusted, evidence-based answers when pediatricians are not immediately available. Every response is grounded in pediatric research, helping families feel confident as they navigate early development. Through Build a Brain, Build a Life, Build a Community® partnerships with hospitals, health systems, and community organizations, families will have direct access to Buddy as part of their early childhood education and support programs. The goal is to make credible, science-based parenting information accessible to every family—especially during the first three years of life when 80–85% of brain development occurs. 🧠 You’ll hear: • How CogAbility developed Buddy using pediatric research • Why Build a Brain is integrating Buddy into its community partnerships • How technology like Buddy supports families beyond the clinic visit • What makes Buddy different from general-purpose AI tools
