Sarah Lucena, CEO of Mappa, is tackling the persistent problem of bad hires in early-stage startups through her behavioral intelligence platform. After experiencing repeated hiring failures despite strong credentials on paper, Lucena developed Mappa to analyze candidates' compatibility through voice AI and speech patterns.

Mappa's technology decodes human behavior in under 60 seconds by examining biomarkers in speech, moving beyond traditional hiring markers like college degrees and work experience. The platform focuses on matching candidates to roles based on their natural tendencies and communication styles rather than just technical qualifications. Lucena's team built a proprietary dataset from hundreds of interviews to refine this approach.

The all-Latinx team behind Mappa brings personal experience to the challenge, having faced bias and being overlooked due to superficial criteria. This perspective drives their mission to create more equitable hiring practices. Lucena emphasizes that compatibility matters more than credentials alone, noting that traits aren't inherently good or bad but depend on role alignment and organizational culture.