Meet Paul Embleton | Psychologist (Dr. Paul Embleton)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Paul Embleton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paul, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Like many entrepreneurs, I saw a market opportunity for a product in my field. At first I took my time developing the product and making it “just right”. But, recent advances in generative language spurned me accelerate development and spin up a company that could offer my project as a product. With the help of by good friend Bryan Grengs, and my colleague Dr. Gabriela Metzler, we worked daily to get everything in order. Ultimately, at first, I was driven to create a solution for a pain point that I personally experienced as a psychologist working in schools and clinics. While I’d always had an entrepreneurial spirit, I hadn’t planned to start a business and act as its leader. At the end of the day, I’m probably more of a product person. But that’s just it – a successful business needs a good product. We’ve got one, now we’re working on the other.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our company, Cerebral Code, makes software in the field of psychology. Our projects range from data science explorations to psychoeducational apps to provider-facing tools. Our main focus right now is a product called Assessment Assistant (https://www.assessmentassistant.app/). This app helps psychologist and similarly qualified providers do their jobs more quickly and accurately, saving time and reducing burnout. We have another contract on the horizon with a university who wants to research an AI-powered twelve step treatment model facilitation.

For us, our biggest challenge right now is getting to market among the noise. We are competing with companies that have much bigger advertising budgets. Many of these companies were funded with Big Tech dollars. Their boards sought out and hired professionals like me, they rounded up engineers, put together plans, and set sail hoping to capture some clear market opportunities. For me though, these projects were born out of passion and talent. They weren’t guided by stakeholders unfamiliar with my field. They weren’t developed by engineers who had no background in my field. And I must question – do they truly operate with a mission and vision that a helping professional would hold?

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Take the Winter Park Ski Train and shred the slopes. Get a drink at Brother’s Bar,and eat some Dave’s Hot Chicken. Cruise the botanical gardens scattered across the city and then hop a gap at the Denver Skate Park. Catch some yoga at Red Rocks and enjoy the nightlife in RiNo. Visit the Confluence mural under Speer by Elitch Gardens. (Hit up Fright Fest briefly too). Catch a Nuggets, Avs, or Broncos game. Finish it off with a meal from a little taco truck I know about and send them home with a six pack of craft brew from Upslope.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
For one, my family, for another, my friends. Those are the obvious ones most people will cite. However, a couple other organizations helped us get going at first and those include the Colorado Small Business Development Center Network (https://sbdc.colorado.gov/center-locations/denver). They gave great advice and guidance which pointed us in the right directions. Through them we found another couple organizations including SCORE, a volunteer-run organization that provides free business advice. Also, I need to give a shoutout to the area professionals in my field who took the chance to spend some time with me, complete an ask, make a connection, write an article, or send a message.

Website: https://www.cerebralcode.dev/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/assessment_assistant_app/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-embleton-476b7372/

Other: https://www.assessmentassistant.app