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How Entrepreneur Jenny Stojkovic Helped Create an App That Lets Her Blind Dad 'See' the World Around Him
She's the driving force behind a new documentary that tells the inspiring story
Entrepreneur, investor and digital pioneer Jenny Stojkovic has spent over a decade shaping the intersection of technology, policy and media. She is recognized as one of the most influential venture capitalists and voices in tech.
When it comes to AI companies, Jenny doesn’t mince words: “Be useful. Do not innovate for the sake of innovating. Innovate to solve a human problem. It’s important for companies to think like humans first.”
This applies directly to an app she and her father—who is blind—created during the documentary “Blind Grandpa Builds His Own App So He Can ‘See’ His Grandson.”
As the founder of Joyful VC, a bestselling author and executive evangelist with Wispr Flow, Jenny has become a trailblazer for women in tech and venture capital. Most recently, she has been at the forefront of AI, dedicated to empowering women with the tools needed to lead and thrive now and in the future.
Jenny’s career began in government affairs under Silicon Valley investor Ron Conway at SV Angel, where she helped Google, Meta and Y Combinator to navigate landmark, billion-dollar regulatory policies. She went on to build a 7-figure media company before shifting her focus to investment.
We spent a few minutes with Jenny during AWNY 2026 to learn more about the doc and its potential impact on the disabled community at large.
How did this doc project come about?
About four years ago, I started posting about my father, who is blind, and how he uses technology. Various stories have gone viral over the years. So, I really had it in my mind that we could find the right partner to tell the story. When I met with the Wispr Flow team, I found that they focused on voice dictation [voice to text AI], which is how my dad operates in the world. I knew immediately that they would be the right partner. I sent over a pitch. And by April, we started working on the documentary. We began filming in May, and released it on Oct. 6th.
Why did you put this project on YouTube?
We wanted to get the most penetration and eyeballs possible. As a creator myself, I thought that it made sense to do a creator-led documentary.
This is obviously a very personal project. Can you address that aspect? And how does it relate on a business level?
My father was my stay-at-home-dad. While I knew he was blind, I didn’t actually understand what that meant when I was a child. It wasn’t until I was much older that I learned that is pretty rare, and that I had a much different experience than most children. You can live a very good, happy life as a person who is permanently disabled. But the majority of my dad’s problems are really entering the world—and the world not knowing how to help him. There’s so many modern ways to help the blind that are unknown because of old misconceptions of what blindness is. That’s why this documentary was important for me to make.
[On the business front] Brands that can tell a story that resonates will be more successful in the long term, especially when it comes to AI. Any way that you can showcase a use case that could reach a large audience will be beneficial. The disabled, I believe, are actually a very significant audience. Disability is the only minority that you can enter at any point in your life. The vast majority of people will become disabled themselves, and this was a great opportunity to showcase how this technology could be used for good … and also get a new customer base for family members who would buy it for their loved ones.
Can you walk us through the reality-TV feel?
We wanted to take viewers directly into our home. A lot of people don’t know what a blind person’s home looks like. That was important to show. It’s also important for people to see the true lived experience of what it’s like to be the daughter of a blind person. The more we can showcase what it means to live as a disabled person—or love a disabled person—the better.
Tell us about Wispr Flow and how you are using AI for good.
Wispr Flow is a tool that I was using myself as a new mom. I wasn’t able to respond to emails, and so I started using voice dictation with Wispr Flow, which is very good. That gave me the realization that my dad could start using it as well. It allows him to feel confident in the way that he is reaching out and talking to people since we vibe-coded this entire app literally just with his voice, which it captured so perfectly.
Your dad is part creator here. It seems very empowering because of his desire for an app like this.
My dad’s a techie. He loves gadgets and building things. When I was a kid, we used to watch all kinds of sci-fi movies and he’s read—via audio—every sci-fi book on the planet. So the idea of being able to code and create an app was really cool for him. How it unfolded in the documentary is legitimately what happened. We didn’t know if the app was going to work. We were shocked that it actually did.
Can you talk about the emotions both of you shared together in the creation of this app?
Most millennials, I believe, would say they don’t live near their parents anymore. Much of the communication is through text messaging and FaceTime. The fact that my dad can’t participate in those things is really devastating for him, because he has a grandson thousands of miles away, and he feels he can’t be a part of his life. So being able to feel like he’s meaningfully included was huge for him.
This also speaks to the broader narrative of what it means to have a modern family in 2026.
How are you getting the word out about this documentary?
We are doing a lot of press outreach right now: social media content, podcasts, press interviews, morning show interviews. It’s Blindness Awareness Month right now, so we’re continuing to promote it as much as we can. October 15 is White Cane Safety Day, by the way. [Established by U.S. Congress in 1964, it celebrates the right of blind people to move freely and independently with cane or guide dog, as affirmed by White Cane laws in all 50 states.]
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
