Episode 55 - Leading With Guts - Vanessa Rissetto on Leadership, Reinvention, and Real Nutrition Care

In this episode of Three Questions, I sit down with registered dietitian and CEO of Culina Health, Vanessa Rissetto, who also happens to be a good friend of mine, to explore what it really looks like to build something meaningful. We talk about reinvention, navigating business and identity, and why real nutrition care has to be both honest and accessible.Vanessa shares her journey from studying history to leading a $50M company, along with the personal experiences that shaped how she leads, including her cancer diagnosis and how it reframed everything. This conversation is about more than nutrition… it’s about ownership, truth, and what it means to lead with guts.In This Episode You’ll Hear: • Why there’s no “perfect path” to success and how curiosity creates opportunity • How nutrition care should actually meet people where they are (not shame them) • What it means to lead with integrity, even when it’s uncomfortableMore Info About Vanessa Rissetto, MS, RDNVanessa Rissetto is a registered dietitian and the CEO and Co-founder of Culina Health, a clinical nutrition company focused on making care more accessible and inclusive. Under her leadership, the company has raised $20 million in funding and become a trusted provider for physician referrals nationwide. Vanessa is a nationally recognized voice in the food-as-medicine space and has been featured on the Today Show and in publications like The New York Times, Vogue, and Women’s Health.Vanessa’s accolades extend beyond her entrepreneurial success. She was honored byGoldman Sachs as one of the “Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs,” and by Inc. as one of the “Most Intriguing Women Entrepreneurs." Vanessa continues to elevate the role of dietitians in the digital era, blending evidence-based science with cultural competency to shape the future of healthcare delivery. She advocates for equitable access to preventive nutrition care, the integration of RDs into primary care, and advancing coverage of medically tailored nutrition under insurance, contributing to a broader conversation about the economics of preventive care.Links & Resources For This Episode:Check out Culina Health HEREConnect with Culina Health on InstagramConnect with Vanessa on InstagramFind a Neuro Studio Teacher Near YouConnect with me on InstagramConnect with me on Threads