Published by Sue Johns-Chapman
Published Date 10.02.2025 
Neha Sampat is proof that industry norms are meant to be challenged. As a female, non-technical CEO in a highly technical field, she has defied expectations and redefined what leadership looks like in SaaS. Her journey, from PR to pioneering Digital Experience Platforms (DXP) — a unified system of technologies designed to create, manage, and optimize personalised digital experiences across multiple channels —illustrates the power of vision, resilience, and an outsider’s perspective in driving real innovation.
More recently, Contentstack has unveiled the acquisition of hyper-personalisation customer data platform, Lytics. This partnership marks the unlocking of real-time personalisation for users at scale and brings comprehensive audience insights, content analytics and profile management to Contentstack, building on Neha’s mission to provide businesses with the right tools to remain relevant in an ever-changing landscape.
In her early 20s, Neha moved to Silicon Valley determined to become an entrepreneur, following in the footsteps of her father. She first launched a PR firm, representing major consumer technology brands before transitioning into product marketing roles at big tech companies. Immersed in the wave of digital transformation—enterprises shifting to mobile, cloud computing in its infancy—she saw a massive opportunity to help brands navigate these changes. This realisation led her to co-found Raw Engineering, a digital transformation consultancy. Over the years, she continued to satisfy her entrepreneurial drive, launching multiple ventures—including a parking app—before finding her ultimate passion in Martech.
Through her leadership at Raw Engineering and Built.io (acquired by Software AG), Neha and her team pinpointed a fundamental issue hindering enterprise growth: outdated, monolithic technology. Businesses were locked into legacy all-in-one suites that stifled innovation and slowed their ability to deliver great digital experiences. The rigid nature of these systems hampered creativity and productivity across business and tech teams alike.
Neha saw that the solution lay in composable architectures with a headless CMS at the core—an approach that would give brands the creative freedom and competitive edge they needed. But at the time, no one was offering such a platform. So, she built it.
Today, Contentstack is the leading composable digital experience platform (DXP) provider, aiming to empower marketers and developers to deliver digital experiences at the speed of their imagination. As a result, Contentstack has a remarkable track record of working with renowned brands to craft cutting-edge digital solutions including Burberry, Walmart, ASICS, Crocs, Mattel, and more.
With $169 million raised in the past four years, including an $80 million Series C round, Contentstack continues to innovate and scale. The platform enables brands to reach more customers globally while maximising return on investment (ROI). Its CMS provides a backbone for cross-channel content deployment, bringing all of a brand’s content infrastructure into a unified and scalable system that allows businesses to expand their tech stack as dynamically as they evolve. The full digital experience platform (DXP) offers businesses the ability to dynamically personalize digital experiences to both known and unknown visitors with its Personalize and real-time CDP products, as well as automate processes across technologies without coding, and scaling content creation with on-brand generative AI.
Beyond technology, Neha Sampat is a relentless advocate for workplace equity and diversity in tech, believing that great company culture is just as crucial as groundbreaking innovation. Her leadership has earned her recognition as “Best CEO for Diversity” and “Best CEO for Women” at the 2021 Comparably Best Places to Work Awards. But for Neha, inclusivity isn’t just a corporate initiative—it’s a deeply personal mission. Beyond the boardroom, she actively contributes to her community, working on the Board of Directors for Austin’s Habitat for Humanity. She is also a co-owner of the magazine and media company, Austin Woman, and has served on Mayor Kirk Watson’s Austin Women Entrepreneurs task force, championing representation and empowerment at every level. Under her leadership, Contentstack is not only breaking technological barriers but also setting new standards for inclusivity, innovation, and industry-wide transformation.
Her entrepreneurial journey is deeply rooted in her Indian heritage and family values, where the philosophy of community over competition was instilled from an early age. In her household, a seat was always open at the dinner table, teaching her that success isn’t just about personal achievement—it’s about uplifting others along the way. This mindset has shaped every company she has built, fostering collaboration, inclusion, and a strong sense of community. Whether it’s championing diverse hiring practices, cultivating an environment where every voice is valued, or leading with empathy, Neha ensures that a “tribe mentality” remains at the heart of her leadership and company culture.
In tandem with this, Neha views leadership as evolving with the company, not holding onto a title. Inspired by Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta’s belief that CEOs must regularly assess if they’re still the right leader, Neha has adopted a strategy of “firing and rehiring” herself to keep growing alongside Contentstack.
Every six months, Neha evaluates her leadership by asking tough questions: What can be improved from a leadership perspective? What would a new CEO do differently? This self-reflection helps her identify blind spots, refine her skills, and drive innovation across the team, ensuring Contentstack remains at the forefront of the composable digital experience revolution.
Being nominated for Best SaaS Company of the Year is more than just an accolade for Contentstack—it’s a testament to the relentless transformation, passion, and dedication that have shaped the company’s journey. For Neha, this recognition is significant, not just as a validation of Contentstack’s impact on the industry, but as a reflection of the culture and community that fuel its success.
Contentstack’s mission has always been to revolutionise digital experiences and break down barriers to give brands the freedom to build without constraints. This nomination reinforces the company’s belief that technology should empower, not limit, and that businesses thrive when they embrace a culture of creativity, agility, and inclusivity. Therefore, it’s not only a milestone – it’s a reflection of the impact they’re continuing to make in the industry and the incredible community being built.
Follow Contentstack:
Web: www.contentstack.com
Blog: www.contentstack.com/blog
Podcast: People Changing Enterprises
Community: www.community.contentstack.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/contentstack
Twitter: @Contentstack
About Contentstack
Contentstack is the creator of the Headless CMS and the Composable Digital Experience Platform (DXP) category leader. Iconic brands around the world such as Alaska Airlines, ASICS, Burberry, Mattel, Mitsubishi and Walmart invest in Contentstack to rise above the noise in today’s crowded and competitive digital markets and gain their unique Experience Edge.
Contentstack and its employees are dedicated to the customers and communities they serve. The company is recognized for its unmatched customer care and tradition of giving back globally through the Contentstack Cares program, including proud support of Pledge 1% and Girls Who Code.
Learn more at www.contentstack.com.
