The Download: Riser Founders Lamees Butt and Suz Bannister on Rewriting the Rules of Recruitment

If LinkedIn is the conference meeting of corporate recruitment, then Riser is the speed-dating cocktail party that actually leads to a second date. Founded by tech veteran Lamees Butt and experiential marketing powerhouse Suz Bannister, Riser is using video – and a dash of AI – to bring human connection back into hiring.

“The truth is, hiring is broken,” says Lamees. “We’re still relying on CVs, a tool first coined in the 1400s by Leonardo da Vinci, and rarely questioned since.” For her, Riser wasn’t just another startup idea; it was “the manifestation of my life’s work.” After fifteen years scaling global tech companies, she knew the system was due for a reboot.

The spark? Conversations from her podcast In Her Shoes, where women confessed that their careers were built through connection, not cold applications. Pair that with a generation exhausted by “easy apply” burnout, and you have the perfect storm for innovation.

Enter Suz. “My career has always revolved around human connection,” she says. “When Lamees and I crossed paths, I could instantly see the potential in what she had built.” Together, they’ve created a “human-led, technology-backed” platform where candidates can tell their stories in motion, not in bullet points.

As Riser rolls out new features – like a Canva integration that left audiences teary-eyed – it’s clear this isn’t just a tech company. It’s a movement to make being seen the new standard for success.

From their favourite gadgets to their favourite AI hacks, here’s how the Riser founders are rewriting the rulebook on recruitment – one video at a time.

The Download With Lamees Butt and Suz Bannister, Founding team of Riser:

Riser is…

Lamees: A bit like a dating app, but for careers. We use video to give everyone the chance to tell their own story. The truth is, hiring is broken. We’re still relying on CVs, a tool first coined in the 1400s by Leonardo da Vinci, and rarely questioned since. No one has stopped to ask if it’s still fit for purpose.

Without realising it, Riser became the manifestation of my life’s work. Over a 15-year career growing companies in the tech industry and building operational teams across the globe, I’d always ended up sourcing my own talent – because the generic CVs I would receive were never enough. The spark for Riser came through conversations on my podcast, In Her Shoes, with successful women who’d built their careers through networks and relationships – not endless applications.

At the same time, I was hearing from young people exhausted by the “easy apply” grind, sending out hundreds of CVs with no response. The system wasn’t just inefficient, it was crushing potential.

I’d spent a decade helping companies transform supply chains using AI, but I knew this problem wasn’t going to be solved by automation alone. The root cause was deeper: the outdated tools and processes that strip away human connection. That’s when I became obsessed with reimagining the process. What if technology could amplify human connection, not replace it? What if it could empower people to be seen beyond the CV?

A few months later, with an MVP in hand, the Riser app was launched to the world. The response was electric. Having built my first startup at 19, I knew the road ahead was a marathon, not a sprint. As the African proverb says: If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. When Suz joined me as co‑founder, it was the perfect match. 

Suz: My career has always revolved around human connection – 15 years in events and experiential marketing have shown me its power first‑hand. When Lamees and I crossed paths, I could instantly see the potential in what she had built.

Riser is: a human‑led, technology‑backed platform that connects talent with opportunity through video. We recently launched our Canva integration with a short film that captured the power – and the need – for human connection in hiring. You could have heard a pin drop in the room. I never imagined seeing people shed a tear over CVs… but here we are.

Our 3 favourite gadgets are…

Lamees:

• Suz’s portable battery back, it’s our love language 
• My mini ring light
• My portable mic, audio is everything!

Suz:

• Multi charger station by my bed (watch, airpods and phone in one? Yep!)
• My AirPods for zoning in
• Foldable phone stand, hands free filming!

Our favourite productivity platforms & apps are…

Lamees:

• Canva 
• Notes 
• Family planner (the shared cal is life)
• Am I allowed to say Riser? haha

Suz:

• Also Canva & Notes!
• Google sheets for the producer in me 

A tech tip that has significantly improved my workflow is…

Lamees: One tech tip that’s really changed the game for me is using AI smartly, not to start from scratch, but to do the boring repetitive stuff, like whipping up project plans. Instead of wasting time building everything myself, I let AI pull together the best ideas from all over the internet and create a solid plan. It’s all about using AI to boost what I bring to the table, not replace creativity. Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn’s co-founder, said it best, it’s the human + AI combo that gives you real superpowers.

Suz: That said, I’m still a fan of good old pen and paper (you’ll find me doodling on a big A3 sheet often!). But I’ve also jumped on AI note-takers lately—they’re amazing for capturing all the little details so I can actually remember what went on without having to dig through messy notes later. So yeah, a nice mix of doodling and AI magic keeps things flowing and organized.

I stay updated with the latest tech trends by…

Lamees: Love this question. In every role I’ve had, I’ve always made it a point to carve out time each week just to get smarter about what’s happening in tech. It’s such a game-changer – whether I’m heading into a conference or a networking event, having fresh, relevant topics up my sleeve makes those conversations so much more interesting (and memorable).

Suz: For me, it’s all about working smarter, not harder. I’ve set up Google Alerts for keywords tied to what we’re building, so the most relevant news just lands in my inbox. Plus, to be honest, I rely on Lamees and our CTO – whenever they spot something big or game-changing, it’s straight in our group chat!

The emerging technologies I tools we’re excited about are…

Lamees: Honestly, I get a real buzz seeing the idea behind my startup start to go mainstream. Fashtech and styling apps powered by AI are now doing things we couldn’t have even dreamed of fifteen years ago – back then, there just wasn’t the infrastructure, the data, or even much appetite to experiment at scale. It’s wild to see how much has changed. Google’s ‘try it on’ feature is definitely one that’s caught my eye lately.

Suz: Totally! For me, anything that helps take the stress out of deciding what to wear is a win. But I’m also loving how fast wearable tech and femtech are moving right now. I’m super health-conscious, so seeing how these innovations are making a difference for women is genuinely exciting – and, honestly, it feels like we’re just getting started.

The podcasts and books that have shaped us are…

Lamees: You know, I am partial to a great podcast, but what I’ve really enjoyed over the last year when life gets really manic is to find time, sit in a comfy spot and read a book. Granted these books are typically always self improvement and business related books. My top picks are: Pattern Breakers, Mike Maples & Peter Ziebelman, Hiring for attitude, Mark Murphy and Building a story brand by Donald Miller. 

Suz: That’s tough to pick! Biz inspo pods I go to Ladies Who Launch and DOAC. To calm my mind it’s On Purpose with Jay Shetty. To get me deep dive thinking, it’s Slo Mo with Mo Gawdat. I also love to read a physical book to take me away from tech for a moment – last read was Yellowface, excellent. I’d like to get into Substack.

Beauty tech we’re loving at the moment…

Lamees: For me, any beauty tech that ups the convenience factor is a total win. Beauty Pie is such a great example – signing up was a no‑brainer once I realised I could get top‑tier products straight from the source without all the usual markups. It just makes life easier, and who doesn’t love that?

Suz: I’m all about the gadgets! My Dr Dennis Gross LED mask is a game changer, and I’m hooked on at‑home laser tools. But I have to admit, I’ve got my eye on salon treatments like Hydrafacial – haven’t tried it yet, but it’s high on my list.

The Modems’ Byte-Sized Questions:

💻 iOS or Android?

iOS 

🎧 Earbuds or over-ear headphones?

Earbuds

📱 Text or voice notes?

So dependant of mood 

📸 Phone Selfie or Proper Digi camera?

Selfie 

💡 Dark mode or light mode?

Dark Mode

💄 filters or no filter?

No filters

💳 Apple Pay or designer wallet?

Apple Pay

📺 Netflix marathon or TikTok scroll?

A Productive Doom Scroll 

📖 E-book or Audiobook?

Audiobook

🎶 Spotify playlists or YouTube deep dives?

Youtube deep dive

🖥️ Desktop setup or laptop on-the-go?

Lappy on the go

Download RISER on the App Store & Google Play.