'Equity and Access are vital components in our quest to ensure that quality childcare is available to everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances.'
Carefully is committed to breaking down barriers and creating a more equitable childcare landscape through community building, resource sharing, and advocating for policies that promote equity in childcare.
This month, we’re spotlighting community member Soraya Dib and her innovative app, Virna—an AI-powered assistant that's transforming the parenting game and is designed to be inclusive and accessible to all.
Community Spotlight: Soraya Dib
Meet Soraya Dib.
She's a mom and an engineer on a mission to educate parents about AI so it feels less scary.
Soraya and her active toddler boy live in Westchester, NY where she currently works as a technology leader. She has seven years of experience managing software engineering teams in large-scale organizations and isn't just passionate about tech—she’s also a fierce advocate for Women in Tech. She’s founded employee resource groups and organized several meetups in NYC to empower and support women in the field.
With a background in design, Soraya expresses her creativity through various media, including painting, music, and crafting.
She's always looking for ways to use technology for good and make it inclusive and accessible to everyone, which is why she created Virna. Virna is an AI-powered app that is designed to offer personalized guidance and support, allowing parents to navigate the complexities of parenthood with greater ease and confidence.
We love having Soraya as part of our Carefully Community and appreciate her taking the time to talk about her parenting journey, AI and Virna
What do you love the most about being a parent? What’s your biggest struggle as a parent?
Soraya: What I love most about being a parent is rediscovering the wonder in everyday life through my son’s eyes. Watching him grasp new concepts and experience everything with pure joy is a constant reminder of how amazing and beautiful our world can be.
Plus, the endless snuggles are a pretty great perk!
My biggest struggle is trying to keep up with everything while still savoring the moment. Even though my son is in daycare full-time, each day is filled with countless decisions and tasks before I even begin work.
In his first year, I spent so much time worrying about milestones — at one point I remember worrying that he wasn’t able to roll over. Once he did, he never stopped moving! Now he is incredibly active and agile and I’m constantly stressing over his safety.
How did Virna come about? What inspired you to create a virtual parenting assistant powered by AI?
Soraya: Virna was born from my struggles as a new mom. After an emergency C-section and minimal postpartum support, I found myself overwhelmed and without a support network, especially as an older mom who had moved during COVID-19. I was in desperate need of help but had no “village” to lean on.
Parenting websites and apps were time-consuming, and just when I thought I had things under control, a new challenge would pop up. Returning to work was particularly tough—my son seemed to hit every sleep regression, and pumping during the day was exhausting. By the time I finished my chores, I was ready to collapse into bed. Conversations with other parents facing similar challenges made me realize the need for something to manage the chaos and reassure us that everything would be okay.
Advances in generative AI made Virna possible.
These innovations allowed me to create an app that’s not just smart but intuitive—one that understands parents' natural language and provides personalized, real-time support.
With AI, Virna can continuously learn and adapt, offering the most relevant advice without demanding hours of research or data entry. As this technology advances, it becomes easier for parents to navigate the complexities of parenthood with greater ease and confidence.
Virna is an AI-powered app that provides personalized guidance and support for parents. With continuous learning and updates, it delivers the most relevant, up-to-date advice, making parenting easier. Since it is backed by a team of wonderful moms and security experts, Virna prioritizes your data privacy, giving you peace of mind as you navigate parenthood.
What do you say to parents who may have concerns about relying on AI for parenting support? How does Virna address these concerns and build trust with its users?
Soraya: Every parent could use more help and we spend countless hours scouring the internet and social for tips and advice. There is so much misinformation out there or people giving medical advice, especially in those Facebook mommy groups, that it’s borderline dangerous. Even well-meaning advice from older parents or grandparents can be outdated. At the end of the day, you have to use your best judgment.
I created Virna to save myself hours of research and back-and-forth discussions whenever I needed help. Virna uses AI to aggregate data from trusted sources and understand natural language, making it easier for parents to interact with the app in an intuitive way. Virna also goes beyond industry best practices by only using the data necessary to accomplish tasks. Your personal information is kept private and is never sold or used without your permission.
"Virna uses AI to aggregate data from trusted sources and understand natural language, making it easier for parents to interact with the app in an intuitive way. Virna also goes beyond industry best practices by only using the data necessary to accomplish tasks. Your personal information is kept private and is never sold or used without your permission."
How do you find the balance between working and parenting?
Soraya: Balancing work and parenting is an ongoing challenge. Becoming a parent, especially during the COVID era, forced me to reframe my approach to work. It’s now something I do to support my family and for personal fulfillment, but it no longer dominates my life. Mornings and evenings are sacred family time, and I’m fortunate to have a partner who steps in when work does encroach on these moments.
When my son was younger, I often felt like I was drowning in tasks—caring for him, managing the house, and working. It was exhausting and I was so burnt out. As he grew older, we began doing chores together, turning them into fun games. And I started to delegate more, like hiring wonderful cleaning ladies, which made a huge difference.
How has your experience been working with Carefully?
Soraya: I met Leslie, the founder of Carefully, during a dinner event, and we kept in touch over the years. When my son was about a year old, she launched Carefully, and we reconnected when I saw her post about it.
In addition to giving me parenting advice and lending an empathetic ear, Leslie became a mentor to me as I transformed Virna from an idea into a real product. We’ve since integrated Virna into Carefully, exploring how this kind of technology can support parents in meaningful ways.
We’re Curious--What’s Your take on AI in Parenting?
I'm 'Team AI to the rescue!'
I'm not sure. Let me think about this
You can vote for more than one answer.
What’s one feature of the Carefully app that you particularly love? Or, can you share a challenge you overcame while using the app?
Soraya: I love the verification feature—it’s such a welcome safety measure, especially when it comes to our children. As a parent, I’m always thinking about how to organize and prepare for what’s next, like the transition to kindergarten, especially with daycare costs skyrocketing. Apps like Carefully are great tools for moms who want to figure out how to organize as a community and support each other.
The biggest challenge is the lack of a Westchester group — so I will be starting one! If anyone’s interested in joining, please reach out for a group code.
Did you know all Carefully members can try Virna's beta version for FREE?
Download Carefully and try Virna to save yourself hours of research. Get personalized, real-time answers from a specially trained assistant that pulls from trusted sources to provide high-quality, up-to-date parenting information.