She used to be a nutritionist. Now her startup wants to make advice on healthy eating as common as going to the dentist

Good morning! Cynthia Fisher will inherit her husband’s shares in the Samuel Adams brewery, Lara Trump is withdrawing from the run for senator from Florida and AssetsEllie Austin reports on one founder’s efforts to democratize food.

– Food is important. We all know that healthy eating leads to better health outcomes. So while working as a nutritionist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, Vanessa Rissetto had a big question: Why wasn’t insurance paying to help people eat better and avoid expensive procedures and costly treatment for chronic diseases?

During her time at Mount Sinai and later as director of a dietetic internship at NYU, Rissetto became passionate about making nutrition care not only more financially accessible, but also more culturally inclusive. In 2020, she co-founded Culina Health, a virtual nutrition startup, with Tamar Samuels, a nutritionist and a former student of Rissetto. The couple had one goal: to provide high-quality, culturally competent care to patients across the country, regardless of their income level. “We wanted to democratize access to nutritionists and normalize the use of your health insurance,” says Rissetto.

Patients can contact Culina directly or through a doctor’s referral. They are then paired with a nutritionist based on their goals and personal needs. An initial consultation is then carried out via the company’s online platform, during which patients are asked about their lifestyle, their history and their relationship to food. “What happened to you as a child?” says Rissetto. “What do you like? How do you work? Do you have $20 left over for groceries at the end of the week?” This process leads to a personalized care plan, complemented by regular follow-ups with the nutritionist to ensure accountability and aimed at maintaining nutrition to improve the patient’s overall self-confidence in making food choices.

Almost five years later, the company employs 90 doctors who have cared for over 10,000 patients. Earlier this month, the company announced a $7.9 million Series A funding round led by Healthworx, the innovation and investment arm of CareFirst. Sales have also more than doubled compared to last year: “Last year we ended at $3 million and this year we ended at $6.5 million,” says Rissetto.

Culina Health operates in all fifty states and accepts all commercial insurance and Medicare, Rissetto says. (It doesn’t accept Medicaid because it would result in “very low” margins for its dietitians, who conduct 60-minute sessions and are paid “above market rate,” she says.) More than 80, according to the Commission of Dietetic Registration % of registered dietitians in the United States are white. However, the composition of Culina’s workforce is intentionally far more representative of the population as a whole. “Our physician base is 42% Caucasian, the rest is intentionally diverse,” says Rissetto. The company’s patient base is predominantly female and consists of approximately 40% people of color. While weight loss is a priority for many, others seek preventive treatment for conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The new influx of funds will help the company improve its user experience and technology, allowing doctors to spend “less administrative time and more time with patients,” Rissetto says. She also wants to raise awareness about working in rural communities. Ultimately, she hopes Americans of all backgrounds will view visiting a nutritionist as a non-negotiable part of their well-being. “You go to the doctor once a year. “You go to the dentist twice a year,” she says. “You see a nutritionist twelve times a year and the nutritionist will put you in touch with your doctor. That’s really the goal.”

Ellie Austin
[email protected]

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This story was originally published on Fortune.com