WIN is a global initiative striving to achieve economic and social equality for women in the nutraceutical industry by providing tools, networking, visibility, and mentorship to empower women, increase leadership representation, and promote diversity and collaboration across all genders.
It’s Board of Directors plays a vital role in driving this mission forward by fostering inclusivity and empowerment, Julia Wiebe, co-founder and director of the board at WIN told NutraIngredients.
There are four open Board of Directors positions in this year’s vote, Wiebe explained, and WIN members can vote for four out of six candidates. The voting began March 24 and ends on April 7.
Dr. Sybille Buchwald-Werner, director business development, ABF Ingredients, managing director Vital Solutions GmbH
Candidate Dr. Sybille Buchwald-Werner, recipient of WIN’s 2024 Guiding Star Award, has said that she stands for advancing gender-balanced leadership in the nutraceutical industry through innovation.
She said that her mission would include securing strategic corporate sponsorships, therefore creating sustainable opportunities for women at every career stage, which will enable WIN to become a premier platform for female professionals pursuing leadership, career growth, and a supportive network in Europe and beyond.
“As a European candidate, I envision WIN’s membership expanding significantly across Europe, with a strong focus on thinking globally while acting locally through mentorship programs tailored to regional needs,” she said.
Buchwald-Werner explained that she believes the future of nutraceuticals depends on merging scientific innovation with consumer trust through personalized nutrition and AI-driven clinical validation.
“Consumers demand tailored, science-backed solutions, yet the industry still largely offers one-size-fits-all products,” she said.
“AI accelerates clinical trials, enhances predictive modeling, and strengthens regulatory credibility - key to unlocking next-generation, evidence-based health solutions.
“Businesses that embrace these innovations while fostering diversity and agility will shape the industry’s future.”
As former co-chair of the WIN Mentorship Program, Buchwald-Werner works to break down barriers that prevent talented women from reaching senior roles.
“I have seen how strong networks, mentorship, and access to leadership opportunities can transform careers, yet too many talented women still face barriers to executive roles,” she said.
“I believe that diversity in leadership is not just about fairness - it is about driving better business decisions, fostering innovation, and ensuring a more sustainable future for the industry.”
Gillian Fish, founder and CEO, The 6AM Agency
Gillian Fish stands for empowering women in the nutraceuticals industry by unlocking personal and professional potential, expanding WIN’s global reach, and fostering gender equality through strategic growth, inclusive leadership, and meaningful stakeholder engagement.
Fish was one of the 11 founding members of WIN, having been involved since its inception in 2021, and she received the inaugural WIN Heroine Award in 2024 for contributing to the organization’s growth. She explained that WIN’s mission aligns perfectly with her own.
“In a world facing immense challenges, empowering women is not just inspiring - it is essential,” she said.
“WIN’s vision to uplift women by focusing on unlocking personal and professional potential, in nutraceuticals across the supply chain speaks to my core values and uplifts me and my desire to pay it forward to others, as was gifted to me through mentors and champions I have had throughout my life and career.”
She explained that her goal would be to ensure WIN’s initiatives are not only scaleable and commercially sustainable, but also aligned with its core mission and values, taking into account the cultural nuances, industry and market dynamics and sensitivities of each market across the globe.
“We are living and operating businesses in a VUCA world – meaning Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous - which has been further amplified in recent times by the change in leadership in the US,” she said.
“Deep attention should be given to sponsors, for whom an ROI on every dollar matters, as well as members, and WIN’s highly valued partners who have championed and the organisation relentlessly from the get-go, in order to ensure that our north star is focused on providing a value exchange to each stakeholder that truly matters.”
Fish explained that as WIN enters the next phase of growth, “heavy lifting is required”.
She noted that “Establishing a framework for an effective global rollout is imperative, in order to ensure that each region is empowered, but under Global unifying guidelines, enabling agility and successful relevant localisation, with a commitment to the mission and brand.”
Sustained growth calls for more resources and revenue, alongside roles focused on strategic planning and people development. And as she noted, achieving this vision requires collaboration with men in the industry.
“All this cannot be done without the partnership of men in our industry,” she said.
“We need to walk this path together as we focus on achieving a brighter more equal future.”
Heather Granato, founder, Nutrachievement
“Women In Nutraceuticals (WIN) has evolved from a chat at a trade show to conversations over Zoom to a full-fledged force across the industry in a relatively short period of time,” said Heather Granato, founder, Nutrachievement.
“The caliber of the volunteer workforce—and that’s everyone from committee members to directors—is truly inspiring; we called, and people answered. From the beginning, the intent was that this would be a global organization with a strong financial position and organizational structure to enable us to champion change in the industry by serving our members.”
Granato said she has spent the last three years serving as founding president, working with WIN’s board, committees, sponsors and partners to create something that is bigger than any one individual. In running for a second term, she plans to continue to use her experience in storytelling, consensus building, partnership development and understanding of nonprofit board responsibilities to strengthen WIN and support its growth as a global organization.
“When we co-founded Women In Nutraceuticals, it was a group of disparate personalities who shared a common vision: to help women achieve personal and professional success, which would fundamentally support innovation and growth of our nutraceutical industry,” she said.
From the very beginning, Granato said WIN garnered tremendous support because the industry recognized there are issues that need to be resolved. From lack of funding for women’s health research to the broken rung for women moving into leadership to the need for investment in female entrepreneurs, Granato said these massive issues won’t be solved easily–but that’s exactly what makes the challenge appealing.
“We are impacting the industry by ensuring these conversations about gender equality and the power of inclusion remain center stage. We want to showcase how diverse perspectives drive innovation and business success. And by offering a supportive network and tools for growth, we will help our members—women and men—become champions for gender equality.”
Kenn Israel, co-founding partner and nutrition practice leader, BeyondBrands
Kenn Israel is looking to champion diversity, equity and inclusion by advocating for global empowerment through WIN, aiming to create autonomous regional chapters and establish WIN as a vital resource for nurturing diverse leadership in the conscious products industry.
“Including women in leadership yields better workplaces and more successful and profitable companies,” he said.
As he explained, the US has undergone significant changes since last year which have been driven by Trump’s administration implementing what “many consider the boldest reforms in the nation’s history.”
One change that directly impacts WIN is the administration’s stance on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, and early on, the administration actively sought to halt these efforts, targeting “DEI hires” for reconsideration and removal, Israel explained.
This policy clashes with WIN’s core mission, as the organization emerged from DEI-driven empowerment and continues to champion these values, he added.
To adapt, WIN needs to strengthen its international presence, focusing on regions like Europe and Southeast Asia, and establishing semi-autonomous chapters with their own budgets and voting rights will empower local leadership.
“We are stronger together, but free-standing semi-autonomous chapters with budgets and voting rights in our global organization, will serve to de-risk some of the global concerns about shifting alliances and trade relationships,” he said.
Israel noted that he aims to ensure WIN’s continued success by delivering value for both sponsors and members through aligned programs.
“I was super fortunate to be included in the very beginning of WIN and engaged as soon as it started,” he said.
“I was honestly blown away by how we were embraced by the industry and how quickly we scaled.”
This fast growth and early success has brought both opportunities and challenges, as sponsors expect measurable change and value for both our constituents and themselves.
He explained that he aims to help WIN maintain its positive visibility for sponsors and introduce programs aligned with its values that provide economic value and a market edge for sponsors while enhancing our members’ skills.
Michelle Martin, president & COO, Cypress Minerals
For the past two years, Michelle Martin, president & COO, Cypress Minerals, has served as Chair of Engagement, a role she said has helped lay the foundation for WIN’s membership, volunteer, sponsorship and partnership committees.
“I have had the honor of engaging with many members, volunteers, sponsors, and partners and understanding the hopes of each of these diverse groups. I will work to implement our base’s desires, allowing growth and impact for WIN. In addition, my passion is to help others step into their greatness. WIN gives me the vehicle to help live out that passion,” she said.
Martin said she hopes to create a healthier industry by embracing new perspectives and accelerating learning.
“I desire to create a healthier nutraceutical industry where diverse perspectives and gender balance drive economic and social equity, fueling growth and success for our industries, businesses, colleagues, and consumers. This vision aligns with my passion for empowering those who want to make a global impact,” Martin said. “My passion lies in equity over equality. Equity speaks more to treating everyone the same, regardless. I prefer equality, which offers everyone what they need to reach an equal outcome. I live to offer a hand up.”
Karen E. Todd, RD, CSCS, EP-C, CISSN, vice president of global marketing, Kyowa Hakko USA
Karen Todd, RD, vice president of global marketing, Kyowa Hakko USA, said she’s incredibly proud to have served as the Chair of WIN and be part of the amazing progress the non-profit has made.
“What I bring to the table is a mix of hands-on experience and a deep passion for making meaningful change. With over 30 years in the industry working as a registered dietitian in global marketing, I’ve built partnerships, led teams and navigated the challenges of growing brands and driving innovation. But beyond that, I’m someone who listens, collaborates, finds practical solutions and brings people together.”
Todd said the connections she’s made through WIN over the past few years have truly broadened her perspective and strengthened her commitment to the nutraceutical community.
“I’m excited to keep supporting WIN’s growth and making an even greater impact.”
As for her goals for WIN, Todd said she hope for the organization to be a true force for innovation and growth in the nutraceutical space and a place where women feel empowered to lead, innovate and succeed.
“My vision is for WIN to continue driving initiatives that increase funding for women-led businesses, elevate women into leadership roles, and foster mentorship as well as entrepreneurship opportunities. When we create space for diverse perspectives, the whole industry benefits. WIN has already made great strides, but there’s still so much to do. Helping to create how we measure success and sharing meaningful change will be a key focus for me,” Todd said.
When it comes to diversity and gender equity, Todd said to her, that means making sure every voice is heard, valued, and represented — not just for the sake of it, but because it makes businesses stronger.
“It’s about breaking down barriers, advocating for fair opportunities, and supporting everyone at every career stage. Equity also means intentional action — holding organizations accountable and ensuring we’re measuring progress, not just talking about it.”
Todd added that WIN has created an incredible network of support, and she’s committed to keeping that momentum going. She believes in the power of mentorship, collaboration, and paying it forward.
“Together, we can build an industry where every woman has the opportunity to lead and thrive. If re-elected, I’ll continue showing up, listening, and working hard to make sure we all succeed.”
Industry Initiative of the Year
In 2024, Women in Nutraceuticals (WIN) took home Industry Initiative of the Year, an award that celebrates a significant improvement for the industry.
“WIN is the right initiative at the right moment for the right reasons,” said Stephen Daniells, PhD, editor-in-chief, NutraIngredients-USA. ”The organization’s dedication to building support for women across the nutraceutical supply chain is helping to increase the presence of women in leadership roles, connect female-led businesses with funding, and boost women’s participation in research.
“The NutraIngredients-USA team salutes WIN for its mission to employ women within the global nutraceuticals industry, which engenders a broader societal impact of supporting diversity, inclusion and equity to better reflect the industry’s consumer base.”