Wayne Li took on the role of “helper” at a very young age. The oldest grandson and the oldest of four children, he was often the advice giver. He offered support and acted as the peace keeper among friends and family. For a while, he assumed this path would lead him to the classroom as a teacher. 

Coming from a traditional Chinese upbringing, Li admitted that “mental health wasn’t a topic of conversation.” His parents wanted him to pursue a traditional path like medicine or law. This is perhaps why, at the University of California, Berkeley, he cycled through pre-med and coding before settling on a degree in cognitive science and psychology.

After a stint in BioTech, he realized that his true passion wasn’t in a lab, but was instead with people, so he went on to the University of San Francisco to get his masters in counseling psychology. He enjoyed talking to people about their lives and was driven by the mission of  providing the resources and language for mental health that he had been taught to keep silent.

A clinician first and foremost

Becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist was a natural fit for Li, who has always been deeply family-oriented. For nearly 15 years, he worked within the Kaiser Permanente system, based out of the department of psychiatry and focused on patient triage, intensive outpatient programming (IOP) and crisis care. He took on-call shifts in the ER, led CBT and DBT groups, and met one-on-one with individuals for therapy.

The demand was high and the day-to-day work was draining. Providers were expected to do 5-6 intakes per week, which meant that some patients wouldn’t be seen again for 4-6 weeks. Li recognized the onset of burnout during a one-on-one session and reached a pivotal conclusion: He didn’t just want to work within the system, he wanted to fix it.

“If there are no providers, there is no business,” Li says. Understanding that care operations thrived on a “provider-first” mentality, he decided to get his MBA at Cornell University to prepare for a transition into the business side of healthcare, where he could impact lives at a much greater scale.

Taking a “provider-first” approach to scaling care

Li joined the Series C startup Ginger, where he merged clinical expertise with operational rigor. He managed everything from provider hiring and credentialing to the strategic expansion of the clinical and coaching networks, all with a keen eye on provider experience matched with quality care. When Ginger merged with Headspace in 2021, Li took over care operations.

“Startups are hard but they’re supposed to be hard,” he said. “What’s exciting is that you get to contribute and get creative about the future state of mental health. Working closely with senior leaders, you’re able to provide direct feedback, impact change, and contribute to the building of something truly special.”

Today, as the VP of Care Delivery and Operations at Mantra Health, Li serves as the bridge between clinical quality and commercial viability. For him, the mission is personal. 

He remembers his own days as an undergraduate, experiencing periods of loneliness, a lack of motivation, undiagnosed ADHD, and the struggle to find a therapist who understood his cultural background. At Mantra Health, he’s helping to build the very service he needed back then.

Tackling operations from a clinical lens, Li wants to ensure Mantra Health never loses sight of the “human-to-human” connection that makes clinical care so successful and is the very essence of what differentiates Mantra Health from its competitors.

“You can experience significant growth, but you can’t scale if you don’t have a sturdy foundation,” Li said. 

Leading with empathy and authenticity 

Even in an executive role, Li approaches operations through a clinical lens. While growth is necessary for long-term success, Li has found that a sturdy foundation is critical for sustainability and scale. 

As a leader who priorities relationships and authenticity, he has a rare ability to stay level-headed and compassionate regardless of the pressure. He isn’t afraid of the hard conversations, believing firmly in the art of disagreeing and committing, and is committed to being a vulnerable, transparent leader. 

“I may be relaxed and composed on the outside, but I’ve put in the work and I still focus on deep breathing before a big meeting,” Li said. Energized by the startup environment and the mission to advance student mental health, he’s excited for what’s to come.

This commitment to mental wellness isn’t just a professional mandate; it’s a personal practice. Li has learned to put relationships before his own ego and to keep his own anxiety at bay. He credits much of this to a 10-year relationship with his own therapist, who reminds him that even the experts need a space to be heard.

Despite his busy schedule, he finds time for his own passions as a foodie, musician, hiker, and camper. He also remains anchored by his family and his 70-pound rescue dog Josie. When he’s not in the office, he’s a proud uncle and father and spends as much time as he can with his teenage sons who are actively involved in rowing and soccer. 

It won’t be long before his 14- and 16-year-old sons consider college and “can you imagine if the campus they choose has Mantra Health?” he wonders. “That would be so amazing and comforting to me as a parent.”