Interview with Vanessa Rissetto, MS, RDN, Co-founder of Culina Health
Nutrition is a messy topic. While most can agree on the basics—limit super processed foods, don’t drink too much, eat whole foods, eat lots of fiber and protein—beyond that, it’s the Wild West. The internet is filled with conflicting advice, fad diets, and misinformation that can make even the most health-educated person feel lost.
Vanessa is a dietitian by trade and has personally helped over 10,000 patients (!!!). Pre-COVID, she started working with Tamar Samuels, her now Culina Health co-founder, to start their own private practice. They wanted to provide personalized, practical nutrition advice that could make a real difference in people’s lives. Then 2020 hit, and the world turned upside down.
When the pandemic forced healthcare to go virtual, something surprising happened—virtual visits were reimbursed at the same rate as in-person visits for the first time. With this new opportunity, Vanessa and Tamar’s private practice took off, generating $1 million in revenue in less than a year without spending a single dollar on marketing. This was a game-changer, as it became the first nutrition private practice to ever reach this kind of scale, signaling they were onto something big.
To continue their growth, Vanessa and Tamar raised a $3 million seed round in September 2021, laying the foundation to expand their practice beyond its early success. By April 2023, they secured a $6 million Series A, which enabled Culina Health to scale significantly—from 20 to 85 registered dietitians (RDs).
Vanessa and Tamar were committed to creating a supportive environment for their dietitians, making sure that all of them were full-time employees, not contractors. This decision wasn’t just about job security—it was about ensuring that their RDs were fully invested in their work, leading to better care for patients.
Culina Health took a different approach compared to many companies in the space, prioritizing the quality of care over the quantity of patients seen. They developed a comprehensive care model with standardized protocols, ensuring every patient received consistent, high-quality care. With clinicians in leadership roles, decisions at Culina are always made with the patient’s best interests in mind.
One of the keys to Culina’s success has been their strategic shift from a direct-to-consumer model to focusing on physician referrals. Initially, this was just a small part of their business, but by the end of 2023, over 70% of their sessions came through physician referrals. Word-of-mouth among physicians turned into a powerful growth engine, with thousands of sessions per month, significantly boosting their impact.
Vanessa’s deep understanding of the challenges dietitians face—often being overlooked or undervalued—has been central to Culina’s ethos. She knows how crucial it is to support her peers, which translates into better, more personalized care for their patients. In a world where nutrition is complex and obesity rates have skyrocketed, expert guidance and accountability are more important than ever.
Culina’s mission is to make expert nutrition advice accessible and personalized. With more insurance options covering dietitian services, they will be able to help even more people eat and live healthier.
If you want to learn more about Culina Health, click here.
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What is one piece of health advice that is not commonly practiced but should be?
People need to read nutrition and ingredient labels. And just because something is advertised as healthy does not mean it is or good for you. People are always looking for the next flashy or sexy diet or health trend, but most of the time those trends are not sustainable and you need to find a system that works for you. Eating healthy can be very simple!!
What is something health-related you've changed your mind about in recent years?
I used to think that supplements were bullshit. Just eat good food and you’ll get all the nutrients you need. But now, I think that everyone can benefit from taking magnesium, an Omega-3 and vitamin D.
What is your best piece of advice for new founders in the health and wellness space?
Try to bootstrap something on your own and prove that the concept works. Try to start your business on your own and see what happens!
