Factual Wellness: Disrupting the predatory marketing and dubious claims of the $5.6 trillion wellness industry

🤝

Seeking angel investors, corporate donors, grants, and philanthropic funding to scale impact and promote health equity to low-income and poverty-affected people with chronic conditions and disabilities.

The Problem

The $5.6 trillion wellness industry targets vulnerable consumers and drives sales from desperation, fear, and disinformation
133 million Americans with chronic illness deserve reliable health information
No major platform combines scientific rigor, journalism ethics, and empathetic guidance that centers the needs and perspectives of consumers with chronic conditions or disabilities
Predatory marketing costs consumers thousands in ineffective treatments and harmful therapies

The Solution

Factual Wellness delivers independent, evidence-based analysis of wellness claims, products, and trends, designed to be the go-to, independent platform for dignity and truth:

Fact-checking wellness industry and influencer claims
Reporting on supplement safety and scams
Exposing predatory marketing tactics
Providing practical, science-backed guidance with immediate impact
An alternative to polarizing, angry rhetoric that educates with empathy, clarity, and curiosity

Market Opportunity

Primary audience: 133M Americans with chronic illness and 70M with disabilities^1,2
Hyper focused segment: People with autoimmune (50M), neurological (100M), inflammatory (125M), and gastrointestinal disorders (70M) targeted by unproven diets, supplements, and wellness interventions^3,4,5,6
Secondary audience: Stressed, health-conscious consumers who are tired of fear-mongering and scare tactics

People with chronic conditions are one of the most highly motivated groups. That's why wellness, nutrition, and diet-themed books are perpetual bestsellers. But they deserve facts, not fear.

Traction & Impact

Readers love the fact-first, practical journalism of Factual Wellness. It was soft-launched in September 2024 after months of development. In that short amount of time, and with no existing platform, it has already made a sizable impact.

Consumers have saved thousands by avoiding ineffective treatments that were marketed as "proven"
One story alone compelled corrective language from a NYT-bestselling influencer who marketed to people with disabilities and chronic disease
11.8k reached in less than 2 months: with no ads and <1k followers
>50% email open rates and a 2x list size in <6 weeks

And this is just the beginning.

Competitive Advantage

Mia McNew, MS, PhDc

Founder and editor-in-chief, Factual Wellness

Founder has worked in editorial for 20+ years and is a journalist, PhD candidate, critical research analyst, and part of the demographic served by the publication
Unique position bridging scientific rigor, journalistic fact-checking, and lived experience
No competing platform offers similar depth of analysis, relevant reporting, or POV
Strong relationships with academic, medical, advocacy, and patient communities

Business Model

Open-access journalism funded through philanthropic support, strategic partnerships, and corporate donations
Grant funding
Passive income from books, voluntary reader contributions, and professional training (workshops and seminars)
Mission-driven LLC with fiscal sponsorship, enabling both profit potential and social impact funding opportunities

Investment Opportunity

Funds will be used to:

Fuel outreach to underserved, marginalized communities
Form an online, accessible, paywall-free community independent from social media algorithms and echo chambers
Scale content production
Expand investigative reporting capabilities
Triple reach in the first quarter of 2025 with the official launch at the start of "diet season"

Consumer savings from avoided ineffective treatments
Reach within chronic illness and disability communities
Industry accountability improvements like the formation of a Wellness Code of Ethics (currently in development with academic and healthcare leaders)
Health literacy and critical thinking impact measurements

Contact

Get in touch with Mia, the founder of Factual Wellness, to discuss collaboration or contribution.

References