When Mental Health Meets Tech: Inside the Labayh Journey!

“Don’t fall in love with the solution—fall in love with the problem.”


In this episode of Founder’s Voice, we sit down with Mazen Rukayni, co-founder of Labayh—the leading digital mental health platform in the MENA region. What started as a social initiative during COVID has grown into a platform supporting over 3.5 million users across 120 countries.

Mazen shares his raw journey from quitting his job after a life-or-death emergency with a user to building a privacy-first platform that prioritizes cultural context, human connection, and real impact. We explore how AI should support therapists—not replace them—and why building trust, not just tech, is the true innovation in mental wellness.

Topics:

  • The emotional turning point that made Mazen quit his job to go all-in on Labayh

  • Mental health and startup growth in a region with deep stigma

  • How Labayh differs from BetterHelp—and why that matters

  • Scaling without losing privacy, culture, or purpose

  • Why AI should help therapists, not replace them

  • Culture, hiring, and the future of wellness beyond mental health

⸻

Founders’ Voice
Hosted by Dan Mellins from AraGeek, Founders’ Voice brings you raw, honest conversations with the entrepreneurs and dreamers reshaping the MENA region. From bootstrapping in tough times to building businesses that make a real impact—these are stories of grit, hope, and community. No jargon. No fluff. Just real voices making it happen.

Listen Now:
• Website: https://en.arageek.com
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AOiMKhmwUSBjElxrWP6No?si=yP0CtF2dTDmfZocUNZ_HWw
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/475543d2-24b4-4de1-b247-27ceb584436c/founders’-voice-from-arageek-com

Follow AraGeek:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Arageek_en
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/arageek-com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arageek.english/
• AraGeek TV: https://en.arageek.com/tv

Explore Labayh:
• Website: https://labayh.net
• Connect with Mazen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mazen-rukayni

When Mental Health Meets Tech: Inside the Labayh Journey!

“Don’t fall in love with the solution—fall in love with the problem.”


In this episode of Founder’s Voice, we sit down with Mazen Rukayni, co-founder of Labayh—the leading digital mental health platform in the MENA region. What started as a social initiative during COVID has grown into a platform supporting over 3.5 million users across 120 countries.

Mazen shares his raw journey from quitting his job after a life-or-death emergency with a user to building a privacy-first platform that prioritizes cultural context, human connection, and real impact. We explore how AI should support therapists—not replace them—and why building trust, not just tech, is the true innovation in mental wellness.

Topics:

  • The emotional turning point that made Mazen quit his job to go all-in on Labayh

  • Mental health and startup growth in a region with deep stigma

  • How Labayh differs from BetterHelp—and why that matters

  • Scaling without losing privacy, culture, or purpose

  • Why AI should help therapists, not replace them

  • Culture, hiring, and the future of wellness beyond mental health

⸻

Founders’ Voice
Hosted by Dan Mellins from AraGeek, Founders’ Voice brings you raw, honest conversations with the entrepreneurs and dreamers reshaping the MENA region. From bootstrapping in tough times to building businesses that make a real impact—these are stories of grit, hope, and community. No jargon. No fluff. Just real voices making it happen.

Listen Now:
• Website: https://en.arageek.com
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AOiMKhmwUSBjElxrWP6No?si=yP0CtF2dTDmfZocUNZ_HWw
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/475543d2-24b4-4de1-b247-27ceb584436c/founders’-voice-from-arageek-com

Follow AraGeek:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Arageek_en
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/arageek-com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arageek.english/
• AraGeek TV: https://en.arageek.com/tv

Explore Labayh:
• Website: https://labayh.net
• Connect with Mazen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mazen-rukayni