Podcast Summary: The Entrepreneur DNA

Episode: Inside Cornerstone X: How this 'She-E-O' Built the $30M AI Revolution
Host: Justin Colby
Guest: Chantelle Bacon, CEO of Cornerstone X
Date: October 6, 2025

Overview:

This episode features Chantal Bacon, the dynamic founder and CEO of Cornerstone X, a fast-growing AI company that has rocketed to a $30M valuation in under two years. Chantal shares her unlikely journey from a non-business background in theology to leading disruptive technological innovation with AI metahumans, tackling not only business challenges but also societal ones. Her story blends themes of entrepreneurship, faith, resilience, mentorship, and a bold, global vision for AI.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genesis and Mission of Cornerstone X

• Current Focus:

  • Cornerstone X creates “metahumans”—AI-powered avatars with human-like empathy and reasoning, aimed at solving customer experience challenges globally.
  • Applications span real estate, education, automotive, and governmental sectors.
  • Team of 22 people; now servicing clients internationally after 18 months of rapid growth.
  • “We went from slideware to now software that’s getting sold globally, internationally.” (Chantal, 03:54)

• AI Metahumans Explained:

  • Avatars function as virtual assistants with advanced business logic and real-time empathetic reasoning.
  • Businesses can design their own AI avatars with customizable personas and empathetic frameworks.
  • “If you get software engineers and people really designing and thinking those Persona frameworks that's given behind AI metahumans, you unleash gold dust.” (Chantal, 11:03)

2. The Power—and Limits—of AI

• Empathy and Reasoning:

  • The competitive edge of Cornerstone X is embedding empathy into metahuman AI, giving them actual reasoning abilities similar to humans.
  • “When you're able to design algorithms or think about empathy coming into the equation, it gives different outputs that come forth.” (Chantal, 07:18)

• AI as Productivity Tool, Not Replacement:

  • Chantal stresses that AI should augment, not replace, humans—especially in service roles.
  • “I don't see it as replacing humans. I see it as augmenting the way that a human can work using an AI tool.” (24:31)
  • Critical thinking and self-awareness are key to avoiding overdependence on AI tools like ChatGPT.

3. Growth, Clients, and Global Partnerships

• Client Base:

  • From small startups to government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security (Customs and Border Protection), Valornet (supporting veterans and first responders), automotive giants in Germany, and partnerships in the UK and UAE.
  • “We had a whole list of about 35 pages where we saw translation as a big issue…that helped us think about how we intelligently designed a metahuman.” (Chantal, 13:34)

• Sales & Expansion Approach:

  • Growth has been largely organic—built through direct relationships, word-of-mouth, and personal referrals rather than classic marketing.
  • “I don't have a PR team. I don't have a marketing division.” (Chantal, 34:05)
  • Heavy reliance on building trust, mentorship, and delivering on promises.

4. Personal Journey & Entrepreneurial DNA

• Foundations:

  • Raised as the child of Sri Lankan immigrants in Canada, Chantal credits her “limitless” upbringing, faith, and resilience to her entrepreneurial drive.
  • Background in theology increasingly informs her human-centric leadership and business philosophy.
  • “Sometimes many people underestimate philosophy or theology or liberal arts degrees there, but that taught me how to think…It starts with people.” (Chantal, 21:31)

• Faith and Perspective:

  • Faith is the cornerstone: “I'm a child of God. I'm a strong believer in Jesus Christ and I carry my FAIth with me no matter where I go.” (Chantal, 17:00)
  • Emphasizes never time-bounding her goals, instead focusing on “doing the right thing every single day.” (Chantal, 44:35)

5. Building a Team & Sacrifices

• Assembled a team significantly older than herself, focusing on finding the “right people in the right seats.”
• Made personal sacrifices, including not taking a paycheck for over two and a half years to fund the company and hire talent.
• “I sacrifice a lot of time and I sacrifice a lot of money … I've actually not taken a paycheck in over two and a half years because I use my paycheck to fund many people join the team and to come in.” (Chantal, 37:53)

6. Mentorship & Relationship Building

• The critical role of mentorship (notably Dave Wood)—connections rooted in trust and consistently delivering value.
• “Many of these connections that now come forth are because of good mentors that saw growth in my life. I was never perfect. Nobody’s ever perfect. But I was able to grow from opportunities, grow from—and I treated people with kindness and respect.” (Chantal, 33:10)

7. Vision for the Future

• Ambitious goals: Make Cornerstone X technology accessible and impactful for every culture and context globally.
• Upcoming expansions in small business support, partnerships, and new markets.
• “I want this technology to be used by every single culture that's there on this world. Otherwise I haven't succeeded.” (Chantal, 35:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AI Empathy:
  “When you're able to design algorithms or think about empathy coming into the equation, it gives different outputs that come forth.”
  — Chantal Bacon, 07:18

• On Limiting Beliefs:
  “I grew up not ever knowing a limit. My parents raised me in a way to never see a limit in front of me other than my height … When you grow up in that framework of never knowing a limit, anything can be possible and achieved.”
  — Chantal Bacon, 16:45

• On Business and Theology:
  “Sometimes many people underestimate philosophy or theology or liberal arts degrees … but that taught me how to think and that taught me how to look at a person to figure out what is their meaning, their morality, their destiny and their virtues. And when you see a person from that perspective, then it's very easy for you to build that relationship and care about a person first for the business dealing that is supposed to come out of it.”
  — Chantal Bacon, 21:31

• On Sacrifice:
  “I've actually not taken a paycheck in over two and a half years because I use my paycheck to fund many people join the team and to come in.”
  — Chantal Bacon, 37:53

• On Global Vision:
  “I want this technology to be used by every single culture that's there on this world. Otherwise I haven't succeeded.”
  — Chantal Bacon, 35:35

• On Routine and Resilience:
  “6:30 alarm rings, I snuggle with my husband and have to force myself to get out of bed because I know by 6:45 if I'm up, I'm out … 7am My sister calls me … and we pray together. … 7:15 onwards meetings back to back to back.”
  — Chantal Bacon, 42:15

• On Success and Timing:
  “All you need to do is focus every single day on doing the right thing, making the right ethical decision … the next thing comes as a byproduct of it. Which is why I never time bound myself.”
  — Chantal Bacon, 44:35

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Chantal’s background, Founder Story – 02:54–04:23
• Explaining Metahumans & AI Reasoning – 04:23–07:18
• Empathy in AI & Use Cases – 07:18–11:03
• Client Stories (Valornet, DHS, Germany, UK) – 12:46–15:36
• Personal Journey & Limitless Upbringing – 16:45–18:19
• Theology to Tech: Bridging the Gap – 21:28–23:38
• AI—Augmenting vs. Replacing Humans – 24:31–25:10
• Entrepreneurial Instincts and Calls to Action – 27:30–30:22
• Growth Without Marketing – 34:05–35:04
• Global Vision for Cornerstone X – 35:35–37:53
• Personal Sacrifice & Building a Team – 37:53–39:45
• Daily Routine & Faith Practices – 42:15–43:30
• Success Principles & Timeless Focus – 44:15–45:30
• Chantel’s Contact Info & Closing Thoughts – 45:42–46:27

Summary

This episode serves as an inspiring and practical masterclass in self-made entrepreneurship, purposeful technology, and faith-driven leadership. Chantal Bacon's journey from theology to AI disruptor demonstrates that a strong vision, focus on people, and commitment to doing the right thing can create outsized, global impact—even without a traditional business background or playbook.

Listeners are left with actionable insights:

• Dream audaciously, build relentlessly, don’t limit your pace or scope.
• Invest in relationships and mentorship.
• Augment human effort with technology—never replace the heart of it.
• Center your leadership and success on purpose, faith, and values.

Find Chantal on LinkedIn: Chantal Bacon

For Entrepreneurs:
If you're hesitant or stuck, take heart from Chantal’s story: “Anything is possible—sometimes, you just have to start.”