How to Build a Proactive, Personalized, and Resilient Healthcare System with Dr. Jeff Bland

In this episode, Dan Ripma, Vice President on the food and agriculture team at S2G, sits down with Dr. Jeff Bland, biochemist, entrepreneur, and educator who is also widely regarded as the “father of functional medicine,” to explore the past, present, and future of the medical industry. Jeff shares his five-decade journey, from pioneering vitamin E research and leading Metagenics to launching the Institute for Functional Medicine and, most recently, Big Bold Health. He reflects on the limitations of a disease-centric system and the urgent need to prioritize function, resilience, and holistic thinking. Jeff also unpacks why the immune system may be the key to health and longevity and how new technologies are making personalized, preventative care more scalable than ever. Beyond being full of unique insights into the evolution of modern medicine and healthcare, this conversation is a crash course in spotting inflection points and taking the long view when it comes to innovation and systems change. 

Key Takeaways: 

1. The Era of Preventative Medicine Is Here: Jeff shows how a system focused on predictive prevention—not just reactive care—is opening the door to a wave of new business models in diagnostics, therapeutics, and food.
2. Technology Advancements and Data Will Be a Major Unlock: Jeff highlights how advances in technology are making personalized medical assessments more accessible and affordable—allowing us to analyze more data at lower costs. This shift is making personalized health not only scalable, but also investable. And with robust data, functional medicine has a path to becoming reimbursable.
3. The Immune System as the Next Frontier: Jeff emphasizes that immune system resilience, not just defense, is central to long-term health and longevity. His newest endeavor, Big Bold Health, is focused on immune system rejuvenation through nutrition.
4. Skating to the Puck: Jeff’s career is a powerful example of anticipating where an industry is headed—often years ahead of mainstream acceptance—and having the courage to meet the future before it's fully arrived, even when the ideas seem controversial or unconventional. 
5. Focusing on Systems instead of Symptoms: A key theme in Jeff’s work is shifting from treating isolated symptoms to understanding the interconnected systems that drive health. By addressing root causes, functional medicine offers a more holistic and sustainable approach to well-being.

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G. Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Specific companies mentioned in this podcast are for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any kind. S2G holds positions in the companies referenced, but this podcast is for information purposes only and is not intended to promote any such company. All views of the guests on this podcast are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of S2G. Any past performance discussed is not indicative of future results. Chuck Templeton is a Managing Partner at S2G Investments. All Chuck's views, and the views of the guests on this podcast, are solely their opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of S2G. The views expressed herein are opinions based on certain assumptions and subject to change.

For more important information, please see s2ginvestments.com/disclosures.