What does it actually take to transform the way the world thinks about food as a driver of health? Kim Fisher has spent years finding out — as an entrepreneur, a startup mentor, a UC Davis program director, and now as Chief Impact Officer of StartUp Health’s Food as Medicine Moonshot.

In this episode, Unity Stoakes and Kim go deep on the science, the market dynamics, and the human stories behind one of health innovation’s most complex and consequential frontiers. They explore the molecular science quietly reshaping how we understand food, why the GLP-1 moment may be the catalyst the industry has been waiting for, and how precision nutrition could soon mean personalized meals calibrated to your individual biology.

Kim also opens up about the personal journey that brought her here — her daughter’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis and the hospital conversation that made her realize just how far the healthcare system still had to go in treating food as medicine. That moment set the course for everything that followed.

Listeners will come away with a clearer map of where the field is headed, what kinds of innovation are most needed, and how a new angel investment network is working to close the funding gap for early-stage food and health companies.

If you’re a founder, investor, researcher, or policymaker working anywhere near food, metabolic health, or longevity — this conversation will sharpen your thinking.

Are you ready to tell YOUR story? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world’s biggest health challenges. Exposure in StartUp Health Media to our global audience of investors and partners – including our podcast, newsletters, journal, and YouTube channel – is a benefit of our Health Moonshot Membership. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit.
» Learn more and join today.

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Most healthcare AI conversations start and end with documentation. StartUp Health community member Mehmet Kazgan, CEO & Founder of cliexa, thinks that is the wrong place to focus.

In this episode of StartUp Health NOW, Kazgan joins Unity Stoakes for a deep dive into clinical reasoning, the intelligence layer that connects what a patient says, what a provider decides, and what a payer will cover, all in real time. Kazgan traces the evolution of healthcare technology from EMRs to interoperability to AI scribes, and explains why none of those waves solve the core problem without a reasoning engine underneath. He shares what it took to build and validate that engine over eight years, what deploying it with Mayo Clinic Platform and Eating Recovery Center has revealed, and why the window for health systems to act is right now.

Are you ready to tell YOUR story? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world’s biggest health challenges. Exposure in StartUp Health Media to our global audience of investors and partners – including our podcast, newsletters, journal, and YouTube channel – is a benefit of our Health Moonshot Membership. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit.
» Learn more and join today.

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Food as medicine is having a moment, but for leaders like Richard Bennett of Epicured and Victor Penev of Edamam, this is not a passing trend. It is the long-building future of healthcare.

In this special highlight episode of StartUp Health NOW, Unity Stoakes brings together two conversations from members of the StartUp Health community on the growing role of nutrition in prevention, chronic disease management, and whole-person care.

First, Richard Bennett, CEO & Co-founder of Epicured, joins Logan Plaster to talk about why food is emerging as a powerful front door to trust, engagement, and better outcomes. He shares how Epicured is helping bridge healthcare and nutrition, why reimbursement is a game changer, and how culturally relevant meals can support more human-centered care.

Then, Unity sits down with Victor Penev, CEO & Founder of Edamam, to explore how AI and food data are reshaping what personalized nutrition can look like. From meal-planning agents to virtual nutrition support, Victor explains why this moment feels like an inflection point for the Food as Medicine movement, and why data remains the foundation for what comes next.

Together, these conversations highlight a major shift in healthcare: food is no longer peripheral to care. It is increasingly central to prevention, treatment, and the future of personalized health.

Are you ready to tell YOUR story? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world’s biggest health challenges. Exposure in StartUp Health Media to our global audience of investors and partners – including our podcast, newsletters, journal, and YouTube channel – is a benefit of our Health Moonshot Membership. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit.
» Learn more and join today.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.