What if the key to fairer hiring lies not in better policies, but in understanding how our brains actually make decisions?

In this episode of Oxford+, host Susannah de Jager speaks with Riham Satti, co-founder and CEO of MeVitae, about her journey from studying neuroscience at Oxford to building an AI-driven platform that transforms workforce decision-making. They explore how cognitive biases shape recruitment, why ten seconds of CV screening can derail a hiring process, and how organisations can use data and responsible AI to make fairer, faster, and smarter people decisions.

With recent research showing that recruiters using biased AI tools mirror those inequitable choices up to 90% of the time, the conversation could not be more timely. Riham explains how MeVitae integrates neuroscience, anonymised recruiting, and transparent algorithms to help organisations identify hidden risks, improve candidate experience, and build genuinely inclusive workplaces. From bootstrapping with grant funding to working with global enterprise clients, her story is a blueprint for turning academic curiosity into commercial impact.

(00:00) - Welcome to Oxford Plus
(01:42) - The Academic Path to Entrepreneurship
(03:12) - Stumbling into the World of Startups
(04:21) - From a CV App to Uncovering a Broken Industry
(06:37) - Funding the Early Days with Grants and Grit
(09:59) - How MeVitae Evolved from B2C to Enterprise AI
(13:58) - Neuroscience in Action: Eye Tracking and Hiring Bias
(15:55) - Practical Steps to Reduce Unconscious Bias
(22:16) - The Benefits Beyond Efficiency: Candidate Experience
(27:48) - Connecting HR Data to Uncover Hidden Risks
(32:12) - Company Retreats and Building Team Culture
(37:01) - The Future of MeVitae and Responsible AI

Riham Satti: Riham Satti is the co-founder and CEO of MeVitae, an award-winning people intelligence platform that combines neuroscience, behavioural economics, and responsible AI to help organisations make fairer, faster, and fully explainable workforce decisions. A neuroscientist by training, Riham studied medical engineering at Imperial College London before completing her research at Oxford, where she developed a deep fascination with how the brain makes decisions. Through the Oxford University Innovation incubator, she co-founded MeVitae with computer scientist Vivek Doraiswamy to tackle bias and inefficiency in hiring. MeVitae now works with global enterprise clients including Transport for London, HS2, and Taylor Wessing, delivering up to 90% time and cost savings while reducing employee turnover by 25%. The company has been honoured with the Norrsken Impact/100 Award, nominated by Microsoft, and was selected by the UK Information Commissioner's Office to co-develop the national AI Data Protection Audit. Riham is a TEDx and keynote speaker and sits on the TechUK Council, advising on the responsible use of AI in business.

Connect with Riham on LinkedIn

Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.

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Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya, HSBC Innovation Banking, and James Cowper Kreston.

Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.