HXI: It's Birth
by Phillipa
How It Started
The Human Experience Interaction Lab started the way many meaningful things do, as a hobbyist project. A small group of friends tinkering with ideas. Ideas that impact human lives. Ideas that make living more meaningful.
What initially drew me to Jerry and Ephraim's work was something subtle but powerful. Even though it was Christmas, they were still making time to work on what they loved. At the time, it was only a proof of concept, an AI legal assistant they were experimenting with, but their commitment stood out.
My theme that year was simple, "learning, unlearning, and relearning." So when I saw an opportunity to learn alongside people who were genuinely curious and building with intention, I took it. I told Jerry that whatever ideas he was working on, I was happy to tag along.
For a while, I honestly thought he had forgotten. Then, sometime before April, he reached out and asked if I wanted to officially join the team, Jerry, Ben, Ephraim, and Serlorm. So I did.
At the beginning, it was still very much a hobbyist effort, the early version of what would become Council, an AI legal assistant Ben, Jerry, and Ephraim were toying with. As the idea evolved, things started to get more serious. We brought in a consultant to help sign off on ideas, since none of us were lawyers, aside from Jerry, who had a master's in suits hahaha 😂😂.
Those conversations introduced a lot of pushback, and that pushback forced the idea to mature. Council began to change, and so did we.
Our First IRL Meeting
By the time we met in person, we already had strong online synergy. I had met Ben and Ephraim before, but this was the first time I met Jerry & Selorm.
It was a good meeting. We reviewed early designs for Council and topped it off with fried rice from Kukun, except for Ephraim, who ordered chicken alfredo. I still think about that fried rice. It was perfect.
First IRL meeting @Kukun
I won the bowling competition and had to buy them drinks to make them feel better. It's not easy being a winner.
At the time, Council was the only project we were working on. None of us knew what it would eventually become, or that it would later give birth to HXI itself.
From Council to HXI
After that first IRL meeting, we began meeting biweekly online to refine ideas and give progress updates on Council. This continued consistently up until early August.
During one of those project debriefs, Jerry proposed that we work on another idea, Heartpins. In that same conversation, Ephraim made a simple but pivotal suggestion. Instead of creating a new organization for every project we wanted to hack on, why not create one home for all of them.
That was the moment everything clicked.
Right there, we decided on a name. We worked on a website. We started early investor conversations. And we began inviting more people to collaborate. That was the real birth of The Human Experience Interaction Lab.
How HXI Works and Why It's Different
What I love most about HXI is our project first approach. Fellows are not admitted based on resumes or titles, but on projects. The idea is simple. If you join HXI, you are here to build something worthwhile.
Our work sits at the intersection of research and hands on product development. Our projects are not just apps. They reflect a deeper interest in bridging the gap between technology and how it actually brings people closer. Our research focuses on meaningful topics that push conversations forward, not just for the sake of theory, but for real world impact.
Once you are onboarded, you start contributing immediately.
Where We Are Now
Today, HXI is home to multiple projects, including Council, Tiny, and Heartpins, alongside ongoing research efforts. What started as a small hobbyist experiment has grown into a shared space for thoughtful building, experimentation, and collaboration.