Q&A with Miran Mirza - Discussing Mindfulli and Their AI-driven Mental Health Support

By David Armaah

This Q&A session with Miran Mirza, the Founder & CEO of Mindfulli, dives into their innovative approach to breaking down cultural stigmas in mental health through AI-driven personalisation and culturally sensitive content. This bridges the gap between content engagement and professional care for underserved communities.

The FutureList: What inspired Mindfulli to develop this particular innovation?

Miran Mirza: We looked at our own Middle Eastern background and recognised the need to break down barriers of shame and cultural stigma surrounding mental health. Seeing Gen Z and Millennials turning to social media, like Instagram and TikTok, for support instead of traditional psychotherapy, we saw an opportunity to fill that void with high-quality content. Our goal is to create equitable access to mental health care in settings where such access is often limited by social and cultural obstacles.

The FutureList: How does Mindfulli’s innovation address your industry’s unique need or challenge?

Miran Mirza: We recognised a gap in the current industry landscape, where most app-based mental health care focuses either on psychotherapy with video sessions or meditation apps. While these tools are valuable, they often address only specific parts of the mental health journey. Mindfulli aims to fill this gap by offering a comprehensive solution that supports users throughout their entire journey, not just the intermediate gap of content.

We collaborate with mental health professionals to create culturally relevant and effective content. By engaging with this content, users can build trust and familiarity with these professionals. Over time, when users find value in the content, they will be more open to connecting with these trusted professionals for further support. This approach encourages users to take the next step in their mental health journey by bridging the gap between content engagement and professional care, all while maintaining their trust and privacy.

The FutureList: How does the design of the Mindfulli application enhance its functionality and user experience?

Miran Mirza: When we talk about culturally informed design, especially in the context of the Arab world we’ve looked at different startups to see where they’ve succeeded in appealing to their customers. Where Careem thrived Uber didn’t do as well and that is because they understood the cultural context where their customers are but still looked at it from a global lens to make that work for anyone, and that is the sort of success we wish to emulate. Mindfulli has been designed from day 1 to support right-to-left, we’ve also thoroughly looked at our onboarding process to see how we can make our users feel safe and private by limiting what we ask them to enter. Our understanding of that context informs the way we design our app and we believe it will help us succeed in the future.

The FutureList: What long-term concerns or potential disruptions do you anticipate in your industry?

Miran Mirza: We anticipate with the growth of the app-based mental health market we may run into more regulation in the future regarding what is and is not acceptable areas for mental health practice as well as AI, which we believe will be necessary. We currently work with mental health professionals to ensure that we do not cross any existing boundaries but are also aware that changes in the regulatory landscape can definitely have an impact on the industry as a whole.

The FutureList: How have you integrated AI into your innovation process, and how do you see AI technology shaping the future trajectory of your innovation and industry?

Miran Mirza: As a mental health startup we understand how sensitive the subject matter can be and so we needed to find a balance between technological innovation and making sure we are still able to build trust with our users. We use AI in a context of recommendation and personalisation rather than in a generative way, and in doing so we can avoid issues of AI making things up and potentially misleading our users. As AI evolves as a technology we see it being useful in helping users gain insight into their own mental health practices and seeing their journey in a quantifiable way.

The FutureList: Are there areas where external collaboration or expertise could significantly accelerate your progress or amplify the impact of your innovation as a startup?

Miran Mirza: We are incredibly passionate about working closely with our customers to create a product that truly resonates with them, however, we are very aware that building a successful business takes more than just a great idea and a great product. As a new startup, we’d love to connect with business leaders, investors, and mentors who can guide us in growing Mindfulli into something truly impactful. We also know how valuable it is to continue teaming up with mental health professionals, cultural experts, and business partners who can help us gain more visibility and reach, as well as help us grow as a business and create a strong foundation for long-term success.

Miran Mirza is the Founder & CEO of Mindfulli. He is an Experienced Frontend developer with 9+ years of demonstrated experience. He is a strong engineering professional with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Carleton University.

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