We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sophia Fuentes. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sophia below.

Alright, Sophia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?

One of the most impactful moments for me was visiting Monarch Coopers Corner to spend time with their memory care residents. I had brought over 50 handmade cards, each with bright colors and personalized messages. As I handed them out, I watched faces light up, some residents tracing the letters with their fingers, others smiling as if they were holding a piece of home. That day reminded all of us at NeuroFirst why our mission matters: fostering moments of joy, connection, and dignity for individuals whose memories may fade, but whose capacity to feel seen and valued never does.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

NeuroFirst provides educational programs, community outreach events, and collaborative research initiatives designed to inspire the next generation of neuroscientists while supporting current patients and caregivers. We host youth neuroscience summits, lead interactive workshops, and partner local libraries for card-making programs. One of our signature outreach projects is delivering personalized letters, artwork, and conversation to memory care residents, small moments that can have an enormous emotional impact.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As an Alzheimer’s disease caregiver, resilience often means finding strength in moments that feel impossibly heavy, from managing the daily challenges of memory loss to navigating the emotional toll of watching someone you love slowly fade. The role demands patience, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment, even on the hardest days, because dignity and compassion must remain constant no matter how unpredictable the journey becomes. These experiences fuel my work with NeuroFirst, driving our mission to support patients, caregivers, and research that aims for a future without neurodegenerative diseases.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande deeply shaped my approach to leadership and caregiving. It reframed my perspective on aging, illness, and dignity, reminding me that success isn’t just about efficiency or innovation, but about centering the human experience in every decision. In entrepreneurship, that has translated into building NeuroFirst around empathy-driven solutions, where both patient care and scientific progress are held in equal regard. Videos from the Alzheimer’s Association and TED Talks on longevity science have also reinforced the importance of merging compassion with cutting-edge research.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.neurofirstt.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neurofirstt?igsh=MW5rOWZqNjlqMnAxbA==
• Other: TikTok: @neurofirstt