Brand Architects: Sarah Dorsett of Viome

When Naveen Jain's father was diagnosed with cancer and given just three months to live, that devastating timeline became a reality all too quickly. But from this personal tragedy, something remarkable would emerge.

Naveen, a successful entrepreneur known for tackling seemingly impossible challenges, asked a profound question: What if serious illness could become optional? What if we could prevent disease before it starts?

Join Bora Celik as he chats with Sarah Dorsett, the President of Viome.

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This quest led to the creation of Viome, where Sarah Dorsett now serves as President. "Naveen is an incredible human being," Sarah tells me. "He's relentless in turning over every stone and tracking down every bit of information that could help solve this problem."

The Science of Personalization

What makes Viome different isn't just identifying the microbes that live in your gut—it's understanding what they're actually doing. "The same microbe in one person may produce something very different from that microbe in someone else," Sarah explains.

She shares a personal example: "I cannot metabolize oxalates. If I eat kale, I run the risk of getting kidney stones, while someone else can eat salad all day long." It's a striking illustration of why one-size-fits-all nutrition advice often falls short.

This deep scientific understanding translates into highly personalized supplements. Rather than buying 10 bottles off the shelf—each with generic dosing—Viome analyzes your biology to create a custom formula with precisely what you need.

"If you were to go out and buy all these supplements yourself," Sarah points out, "you'd be spending hundreds of dollars to get all the wrong dosages. With us, for less than a morning latte, you get everything perfectly tailored to your biology."

From E-commerce to Health Tech

Sarah's journey to Viome is itself a fascinating pivot. After years at retail giants like Bloomingdale's, what drew her to health tech? It was watching the power of data to change lives in her previous role as CEO of Nanit.

"I'd always used data in my career – e-commerce people are very data-driven," she says. "But I was inspired by making the transition from doing transactional business to developing something that could actually change lives."

Looking to the Future

When I ask about the future of personalized nutrition, Sarah's eyes light up. Rather than seeing AI and technology as replacements for healthcare professionals, she envisions partnerships. "Our goal isn't to eliminate doctors or nutritionists," she emphasizes. "We want to be a tool that enhances those relationships and makes their jobs easier."

This vision of accessibility drives her. "I walked in here thinking, I'm a halfway smart person and I did not know all these amazing things existed to help with your health," she reflects. "I'd love to make all the incredible acceleration in product technology more accessible and more visible."

With new tests and products on the horizon, Viome continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in personalized health. As Sarah puts it, "Viome is not slowing down – if anything, we're speeding up."

For Sarah, success comes down to a simple mission: helping people enjoy life for as long as possible. "The conversation is never about just living longer," she says. "It's about not suffering – so you can enjoy everything about your life and feel like your best self for as long as possible."

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