Dr. Alison Smith
Dr. Alison Smith (CSO) holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Waterloo, where she
was formerly an adjunct Professor of Applied Sciences. She has spent her career studying
neurophysiology and the applications that can alter brain functioning. She also served as
lead scientist for neuroscience research company Vielight, investigating the neural effects
of devices on high performance athletics, brain training, and meditation. Originally from
Canada, she currently lives in Toronto.
Ami Lebendiker (CEO)
Ami Lebendiker (CEO) holds a Master's from the London School of Economics and an MSc from the
Ivy Business School in Canada. Previously, he was a product manager at Google, where he led
the development of the Google Home and the Pixel phones.
Dr. Alison and Ami got motivated to create Roga after years of searching for ways to soothe
their own stress and burnout. Ami had been at Google for 10 years working under intense
pressure. After years of dealing with burnout he found that the available treatment methods
of therapy and medication were expensive, time-consuming, and full of adverse side effects.
Dr. Alison has also struggled with severe stress most of her life and she has been studying
for a better way to treat it for years.
Alison and Ami realized that they shared a common mission: to create a convenient,
affordable, and highly effective alternative that could help millions of people get relief.
Together, they founded Roga and spent two years developing a new alternative treatment for
stress management.
