Marissa Epstein is a pediatric dietitian, educator, and investor with a focus on nutrition innovation. 

Marissa has built and invested in health and wellness products, technology, and services for over ten years since she led nutrition initiatives at The White House, where she worked directly with Michelle Obama to drive her Let’s Move! campaign to inspire healthier living. 

Since then, Marissa created and launched an innovation curriculum at Stanford University that teaches business leaders the consumer, scientific, and regulatory criteria necessary to evaluate investment worthiness of early stage health and nutrition brands. She also built first-of-its kind, consumer-facing health education technology at Stanford Health Care, home to one of the nation’s top 10 hospitals, that brought digital engagement products to the health system’s patient population.

Marissa was the Director of The University of Texas Nutrition Institute, whose mission is to connect nutrition science to food and health. She worked with scientists and entrepreneurs to commercialize and grow early stage concepts in technology, healthcare, food & beverage, hospitality, and consumer product goods. She led the development of nutrition education experiences to empower hundreds of consumers, healthcare professionals, and entrepreneurs with scientific guidance for a better life. 

She currently teaches courses on nutrition innovation and entrepreneurship at McCombs Business School. She works with venture capital firms to advise and directly invest in companies building nutritious solutions to Americans’ health concerns, especially those of families with children.

Marissa graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UT with degrees in Nutrition and Plan II Honors. She is a Truman Scholar and received her MBA from Stanford University.