Monica Cepak’s Playbook for Scaling Wisp as a Brand Women Actually Trust

Monica Cepak didn’t take the traditional path to the CEO seat, and that’s exactly why Wisp is breaking new ground in women’s health. A former chief marketing officer turned chief executive, Cepak brings a patient-first mindset and fearless brand vision to a space long plagued by stigma.

Under Cepak’s leadership, Wisp has evolved from a telehealth startup into a comprehensive platform for sexual and reproductive health. It now delivers same-day care, launches new products in fertility and menopause, and has become the first company to put the word vagina on a Times Square billboard.

Leading Wisp, Boldly and Without Apology

Cepak believes in pushing the envelope in a way that’s really meaningful to her customer base.

“Solving for customer needs is what has made me a better CEO, and that comes directly from my marketing background,” said Cepak. “We’ve built the Wisp brand by doing things differently, leaning into those hard conversations, and building a bold and unapologetic brand.”

One way she’s doing that is by destigmatizing women’s health concerns so that they no longer feel they have to “whisper” about the conditions they are dealing with.

Instead, Cepak made it her mission that Wisp cultivate a mindset in women that conversations about sexual and reproductive health are normal and nothing to feel ashamed of. And this approach is not just a catchy marketing slogan either. Cepak is ensuring the company actually stands behind its convictions in bold and recognizable ways, which is why Wisp brought the word vagina to Times Square.

“Other people who don't come from a marketing background would've been more hesitant in that approach,” she explained.

The Origins of a Women’s Health Disrupter

As the daughter of an immigrant, Cepak says it is her mother’s determination, success, and approach to business relationships that continues to inspire Cepak’s career. Landing in the U.S. in the ‘80s, Cepak’s mother didn’t speak a word of English, yet she became one of the early female software engineers.

“I watched her leadership style as a woman in a male-dominated industry, and saw the way she held meetings and then talked to her team, and that has inspired me in my own style,” she said. “Being both firm and direct while also inclusive and collaborative is a very fine balance to strike. But I think she was able to do that, and in some ways her being an outsider as an immigrant helped her build greater empathy with her team members, and that's something that I have taken with me as I've developed my career.”

One of the first things Cepak did when she stepped into the CEO role at Wisp was to work with the entire organization to collectively decide and design the company’s core values. These values—which include leading with empathy, staying curious, and owning it—guide everything the Wisp team does day-to-day.

“Quite frankly, it is the secret sauce and the lifeblood of our team and organization,” she said. “It’s also reflective of my leadership style and a testament of the team-building consensus [at Wisp].”

Scalable for All of Women’s Health Needs

With Cepak at the helm, Wisp has morphed into a leading telehealth provider for women’s sexual and reproductive health. It also has achieved several significant milestones along the way, including providing care for more than 1.5 million people.

“While we started out addressing same-day care for episodic moments of need, we've since evolved and are becoming truly a one-stop shop…for all things women's health,” said Cepak.

She also has ensured that Wisp was first-to-market in a number of different areas, including DoxyPEP, a prescription “morning after” antibiotic regimen to reduce risk of sexually transmitted infections for both men and women, and BV Treatment for Men, Wisp’s prescription partner care therapy for bacterial vaginosis.

Wisp has no plans of stopping there. In fact, the company just added a home diagnostics vertical. Its recently launched products and services address the fertility and menopause spaces, with more products and services on the horizon.

“We have built that true ecosystem of care for women as they navigate all of the various stages of their health journey,” she said.

These successes have garnered Wisp several accolades, including notable awards like Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas, 5000 Fastest Growing Companies, and a Silver Cannes Lion in Pharma. Meanwhile, Cepak was recognized as one of Forbes’ Trailblazing Women in Healthcare 2024.

Patient Engagement Fuels Wisp’s Category-Defining Platform

Overall, Cepak describes her leadership style as collaborative and inclusive—both with her team and the people who use Wisp’s services. “I value the diversity of opinions on our team, and that is a key factor in my decision-making process.”

She says she doesn’t want to lead from a lonely tower at the top. Instead, she prefers to be in the trenches with her team, sharing ideas and committing to work together toward a common goal while meeting women’s healthcare needs.

To keep her finger on the pulse of Wisp’s patient needs, Cepak has a live feed of patient reviews that she reads in real time as they come in. This information not only lets her know how Wisp is doing in real time, but it also gives her insight into what women want or need in terms of their sexual and reproductive health.

Plus, these messages—like the one from a young woman who said Wisp saved her wedding day with its delay-your-period product—also serve as encouragement. They are a reminder to Cepak and the team that they are on the right track to achieve their mission of democratizing women’s access to healthcare once and for all, and that this goal is still a valid and relevant one despite the unexpected challenges they may face.

In five years, Cepak wants to see Wisp as the number one go-to platform for all things women's health, which, with a single sign-on experience, brings all of the pieces of women’s health together in a meaningful way, so they no longer have to piece together their healthcare needs from multiple sources.

“At the end of the day, I do what I do because I care deeply about building something that is long-lasting,” said Cepak. “The goal is to build a comprehensive platform so that women don't have to keep jumping around across different websites to get care. They will be able to get it all in one place.”