# Vanessa Rissetto

> Vanessa Rissetto is a registered dietitian nutritionist and the co-founder and CEO of Culina Health, a virtual, insurance-covered nutrition care company she started with fellow dietitian Tamar Samuels in 2020. A Fordham history major turned NYU marketing grad turned Mount Sinai senior dietitian, she ran the dietetic internship program at NYU before building Culina Health into a network of about 90 dietitians that has served more than 10,000 patients. In December 2024 she raised a $7.9 million Series A led by Healthworx, the venture arm of CareFirst. She is a frequent nutrition voice on the Today Show and in Vogue, The New York Times and Bon Appetit, and has been recognized by Goldman Sachs, Inc., Essence and NPR.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and CEO at Culina Health
- **Organizations:** Culina Health, New York University, The Mount Sinai Hospital
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA, History, Fordham University, MS, Marketing, New York University, Dietetic Internship, The Mount Sinai Hospital
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads Culina Health, a network of roughly 90 registered dietitians that has served more than 10,000 patients., Raised over $20M in total venture funding, including a $7.9M Series A in December 2024 led by Healthworx (CareFirst)., Built Culina Health to a reported 95 patient NPS with thousands of referring physicians nationwide.

## Career timeline

- **2004** — Sought out a dietitian herself, which set her on the path toward clinical nutrition.
- **2010s** — Completed dietetic internship at Mount Sinai Hospital and worked as a Senior Dietitian there for five years.
- **2010s-2020** — Served as Director of Dietetic Internships at New York University, mentoring early-career dietitians.
- **2020** — Co-founded Culina Health with dietitian Tamar Samuels to make nutrition care inclusive, virtual and accessible.
- **2023** — Named by Goldman Sachs as one of its Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs.
- **2024** — Raised a $7.9M Series A led by Healthworx, the venture arm of CareFirst.

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads Culina Health, a network of roughly 90 registered dietitians that has served more than 10,000 patients.
- Raised over $20M in total venture funding, including a $7.9M Series A in December 2024 led by Healthworx (CareFirst).
- Built Culina Health to a reported 95 patient NPS with thousands of referring physicians nationwide.
- Named by Goldman Sachs as one of its Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs (2023).
- Recognized by Inc. as one of its Most Intriguing Women Entrepreneurs.
- Named by Essence as one of the Black nutritionists who will change how you think about food.
- Recognized by Byrdie among dietitians carving out space for Black people in nutrition, and profiled by NPR.
- Ran the dietetic internship program at NYU and is certified in Adult Weight Management (Levels I and II) by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

## Latest updates

- **2024-12** — Culina Health raised a $7.9M Series A led by Healthworx (CareFirst's venture arm), bringing total funding above $20M.
- **2024-12** — Rissetto said funds would go toward AI platforms to improve care efficiency and key leadership hires.

## Links

- Website: https://vrissettord.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessarissettoms/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/vmrissetto
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessarissettord/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanessarissettord/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/vanessa-rissetto
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-07