UrbanGeekz 50 2025: Food, Climate & Health

Vanessa Rissetto: Founder & CEO, Culina Health

Culina Health was born from Vanessa Rissetto’s deeply personal health journey. Her own experience navigating weight changes reshaped her career path—from history and marketing to an internship at NYU and ultimately to becoming a registered dietitian. What began as a challenging and emotional period became the catalyst for her commitment to accessible, evidence-based nutrition care for people who have historically been underserved.

Building Culina Health came with added challenges, particularly in a venture capital landscape where female-led startups receive just 1.9% of total funding, with Black women receiving even less. Despite these barriers, Rissetto’s persistence and clarity of vision paid off. She successfully raised $10 million to expand Culina Health’s services and, in late 2022, secured an additional $7.9 million in Series A funding to further scale the company.

Her leadership and impact have been widely recognized. Goldman Sachs honored her as one of its most exceptional entrepreneurs in 2023. She has also been named by Essence as one of the “Black Nutritionists Who Will Change the Way You Think About Food,” by Byrdie as one of the “Dietitians Carving Out Space for Black People in the Nutrition Industry,” and featured by NPR for her work closing the nutrition gap.

Looking ahead, Rissetto envisions expanding Culina Health’s reach globally by partnering with additional providers and payers, supporting more dietitians, and building a leadership team to drive long-term growth.

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Sharina Perry is the founder and inventor of Utopia Plastix, a company developing a plant-based alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Her innovation is a trademarked and patented technology that is fully recyclable, degradable, and compostable—designed to combat plastic waste, reduce carbon emissions, and promote regenerative agriculture.

Utopia Plastix is formulated using compounded plant-based resins derived from USDA-approved crops grown through traditional crop rotations. These crops absorb carbon at four to five times the rate of trees while helping replenish soil nutrients, positioning the product as both an environmental and agricultural solution.

Perry’s work is rooted in a mission to support multigenerational minority and disadvantaged families, particularly farmers and business owners affected by land misuse and economic hardship. To bring this vision to life, she developed the Utopia Model—a sustainable, circular ecosystem business structure that integrates three vertically aligned companies: Utopia Solutions, which manufactures Utopia Plastix; Utopia Genetics, which supports distribution; and Edengrow, a consumer-facing brand under Utopia Brands.

Her innovation has earned significant recognition, including Innovator of the Year from 405 Business, Forbes’ Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs to Watch, and the 2024 Most Innovative Plastic Alternative Development CEO award. Utopia Plastix has gained international traction, with applications in industrial settings worldwide and participation in federal programs such as the DOD SBIR Accelerator.

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Bershan Shaw: CEO & Founder, Urawarrior | Founder, Warrior Training International

Bershan Shaw is a serial entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author, podcast host, and real estate developer whose personal journey has shaped her work as a transformational leader. She is the CEO and tech founder of the Urawarrior app and the creator of the URAWarrior Method, a framework she uses to coach executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders around the world.

In 2009, Shaw founded Warrior Training International (WTI), a leadership and business development organization delivering interactive training programs designed to help enterprises scale and lead with purpose. She is the author of the best-selling books Unstoppable Warrior Woman and Urawarrior: 365 Ways to Challenge You to a Better Life.

Shaw is a regular contributor to Forbes Magazine and a member of the Forbes Coaching Council. Her work and voice have been featured in outlets including Forbes, HuffPost, The New York Post, Black Enterprise, Yahoo, and more. She has also appeared as a television personality on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Her accolades include the BET Honors Trailblazer & Unstoppable Survivor Award, recognition from the Women Economic Forum, and her appointment as a Women of the World (WOW) ambassador in 2018. She also hosts the podcast Buckle Up with Bershan, which has surpassed 1.4 million downloads, further amplifying her message of resilience, leadership, and transformation.

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Crystal Adesanya

Crystal Adesanya is the founder and CEO of Kiira Health, the first women’s telemedicine platform built to serve women at colleges and universities. Launched in 2018, Kiira Health connects users to trusted clinicians through a HIPAA-compliant mobile app and web dashboard, addressing critical gaps in women’s healthcare access.

Adesanya began her professional career in real estate investments and law before transitioning into healthcare technology following a personal health experience. Born and raised in Nigeria, she later moved to the United States and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Houston.

In addition to Kiira Health, Adesanya founded FemHealthTech, an annual conference dedicated to innovation in women’s health and the founders driving progress in the space. The conference serves as a platform to spotlight emerging solutions, share insights, and foster collaboration across healthcare and technology.

Since launching Kiira Health, Adesanya has received numerous awards and has been featured in major publications including Forbes, TechCrunch, MedCity News, and others. Her work continues to position Kiira Health as a leader in reimagining healthcare delivery for women through technology, empathy, and accessibility.

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Derrick L. Miles

Derrick L. Miles is the founder and CEO of CourMed, a private-client health services company delivering concierge healthcare solutions directly to clients’ homes and offices. CourMed provides personalized access to prescriptions, vitamins, vaccines, IV therapy, and other wellness services, prioritizing convenience and high-touch care.

Miles earned his undergraduate degree in Medical Technology from Bethune-Cookman University and later completed a dual master’s degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he was recognized as a world-class alumnus for his contributions to healthcare.

With more than 15 years of experience as a healthcare executive at academic medical centers, Miles launched CourMed in 2018—well ahead of the pandemic-driven shift toward concierge and at-home healthcare. His foresight positioned the company as an early leader in the space.

In 2020, CourMed received funding from the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund, part of a $5 million initiative supporting Black-led startups in the U.S. The following year, CourMed became the first company to access Microsoft’s $50 million capital fund for small businesses.

Miles’ work has been featured by CNBC, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, Black Enterprise, Crain Currency, NPR, and more, solidifying his role as a leading innovator in modern healthcare delivery.

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