Mindie Kaplan, VP of Innovation at MediaMint, on founding RatedVR from a one-year experiment after leaving Microsoft, how a personal breast cancer diagnosis became the Million Manograms campaign now operating in 40 markets, and why the what if question is the one that matters most.
"I thought, am I risk-averse? But I was more hung up on what if I don't do this."
Why the what if question drove a startup founder to leave Microsoft and why a personal health experience became a global marketing campaign
Mindie Kaplan has worked at Microsoft, CBS, Nissan, and Ford before co-founding RatedVR, a VR and AR marketing agency, which was subsequently acquired by MediaMint where she now serves as VP of Innovation. Her career has moved from traditional automotive marketing to digital to immersive media, with each transition driven by seeing a need that no one else was yet meeting.
In this conversation Kaplan describes the what if question that drove her to leave Microsoft and start RatedVR on a one-year experiment, the personal journey through an early breast cancer diagnosis that became the Million Manograms public health campaign now aiming for a million mammograms by 2028, and why personal storytelling in the marketing industry has changed from a liability into one of its greatest commercial assets.
"I had this voice year after year saying what if. I thought, am I risk-averse? But I was more hung up on what if I don't do this. I was with Microsoft for a while. My clients were always asking about VR and AR at conferences but nobody was sure when to jump in or how to measure it. I thought, I'm going to give this one year."
The what if question is the entrepreneurial motivator.
"I saw the need. I jumped in because everyone was new to it. I created the agency and grew it. Eventually RatedVR was acquired by MediaMint, which is where I am today as VP of Innovation."
The acquisition is the commercial validation of the original bet.
"When I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, no family history, I shared it on social. I posted a photo of myself recovering. I just wrote: ladies, post your mammogram dates. And it went everywhere. Everyone was posting."
The simplest campaign brief imaginable, born from genuine experience.
"An out-of-home agency offered remnant inventory. We did an activation in Times Square. We launched in 40 markets. The Financial Times has been giving us full-page ads. The goal is a million mammograms by 2028. I get messages from women all over the world I have never met saying, you reminded me. I just made my appointment."
Genuine impact at scale from an authentic origin.
"Our industry has jumped all over this in support. It showed me that personal storytelling, which I was trained not to do early in my career, is actually one of the most powerful things a marketer can do. People want to work with people they have real relationships with. Authenticity builds the kind of trust that professional credentials alone cannot."
The commercial lesson from a personal experience.
"I just posted on social: ladies, post your mammogram dates. It went everywhere. Everyone was posting."
Host Tell us about your journey from corporate to founder.
Kaplan I had this voice year after year saying what if. Not what if this fails, but what if I don't do this. I was with Microsoft and clients were asking about VR and AR constantly but nobody knew when to jump in. I gave myself one year. Started RatedVR. It was acquired by MediaMint.
Host Tell me about Million Manograms.
Kaplan I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. I shared my recovery on social. Just posted: ladies, post your mammogram dates. It went everywhere. Now we are in 40 markets, Times Square, Financial Times full-page ads. Goal: a million mammograms by 2028. Authenticity built something no polished campaign could have.
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