Sara Cullen is the Founder and CEO of GEM, a multivitamin made from real food. After years of struggling with fatigue, inflammation, and digestive issues, she discovered she was nutrient deficient and created a transparent and sustainable solution made with nourishing whole foods. Sara is driven by a passion for sustainable farming and global agriculture.

The standard American diet falls short of the recommended daily nutrient intake, leading many people to be nutrient-deficient despite eating what they may consider a healthy diet. Modern supplements and vitamins don’t offer much of a solution, since most of them are little more than sugar-coated gummy bears. Find out how a CPG entrepreneur is revolutionizing traditional notions of multivitamins with a novel idea.

Sara Cullen suffered from various nutrient deficiencies for years until consuming plant-based supplements like spirulina, algae, and other seaweeds transformed her health for the better. With a strong belief that food is medicine, Sara began developing multivitamins made with nutrient-rich superfoods like ginger, orange, turmeric, and seeds. By balancing taste with health and wellness benefits, she has created an innovative product that subverts the vitamin and supplement category. Sara maintains that focusing exclusively on DTC rather than retail has allowed her to better incorporate consumer feedback into her products for continuous iterations and refinement.

In the latest episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast, Taja Dockendorf interviews Sara Cullen, the Founder and CEO of GEM, about how she transformed her personal health struggle into a real food nutrition company. Sara shares why GEM doesn’t believe in mega-dosing, the company’s strategic growth choices, and how she developed the brand’s flavor profiles.