March 2026
Challenge
For people newly affected by spinal cord injury, access to peer mentorship can be life changing. Hearing directly from someone with lived experience can offer practical guidance, emotional reassurance, and a sense of possibility during an overwhelming time.
Spinal Cord Injury Boston recognized the value of its peer mentors, but traditional mentorship models are limited by availability, geography, scheduling, and the emotional demands placed on mentors themselves. The challenge was to preserve and extend these voices in a way that remained personal, credible, and human.
Capture
As a capability pilot, Geminai worked with Spinal Cord Injury Boston to explore how holographic storytelling could preserve and extend the voices of peer mentors living with spinal cord injury.
Three mentors who were being honored at SCI Boston’s annual gala were invited to share brief reflections on their experiences as peer mentors. Their holographic stories were displayed during the reception ahead of the award ceremony, allowing guests to engage with their voices, perspectives, and impact in a more personal and memorable way.
Experience
Through Geminai’s holographic storytelling platform this pilot demonstrated that patients, families, clinicians, and support teams can encounter personal peer mentor stories in a more personal and emotionally resonant way.
Instead of relying only on printed materials, videos, or scheduled conversations, newly spinal cord injured individuals can experience mentors through 3D high definition experiences that offers a sense of presence, helping them feel less alone and more connected to people who understand the road ahead.
Impact
The project demonstrates how holographic storytelling can preserve the voices of peer mentors and make their guidance accessible to patients and families in real time when reassurance, perspective, and connection matter most.