It all starts with asking Why?
- Why can’t we work together rather than compete to solve the greatest health challenges of our time?
- Why are cutting edge health and wellness innovations stuck in the lab and not accessible right now?
- Why can’t we accelerate the path from science to shopper?
- Why is there so much disinformation in our industry?
- Why can’t we work together rather than compete to solve the greatest health challenges of our time?
We are creating a new movement in the wellness industry. A wellness innovation think tank and accelerator program designed to solve some of the industries biggest problems. And we are doing it in a way that hasn’t been done before. A collection of rockstar scientists, industry experts, entrepreneurs and people from all different walks of life.
Now its time to talk about some of the biggest wellness challenges facing us.
Our world is ageing at an unprecedented rate. Did you know that by 2030, 1 in 6 people in the world will be 60 years of age or older. This is not just for one country like China or Japan, but an issue facing the entire world. Ageing is the single biggest health risk factor affecting the human population.
If we dig a little deeper and start to predict the future it can become a little unsettling. What will be the impact of our modern diet and lifestyle as we age? What strain will an older and unhealthy population put on society as a whole? A recent study shows that over the past 30 years, the number of adults (aged 30-79 years) living with hypertension worldwide has DOUBLED – rising from an estimated 648 million people in 1990 to over 1.2 billion in 2019. And by 2025, many countries will see obesity and overweight rates exceeding 68% of the population. And that all gets compounded with age.
This evolution of human needs and science inspired Greg and I, we want to do our part to help bridge the gap between science and the everyday shopper. And that’s Why we decided to create the Wellness Access Institute. Also known as (WAI – Pronounced Why).
In our mind, it is a platform to discover and define wellness, connect all fields of experts like you and curate our findings to further explore to make it bring real benefits to every human being. In simple terns.. It’s a wellness innovation think tank and accelerator.
Let’s break it down.
First, how do we define “WELLNESS” in our context. Wellness is a very broad concept. Here at WAI, when we talk about wellness, it is about future, about wellness for tomorrow, is about re-inventing many categories to make us healthier physically, mentally and psychosocially. We believe Wellness is not just limited to medicine and supplements, wellness is about everything ranging from a longer health span, a healthier skincare routine, a more sustainable lifestyle, to a more peaceful mindset and a happier relationship.
Secondly, what do we mean by ACCESS? It’s about making science accessible to every shopper. We all know, in today’s wellness industry, it normally takes years for our best scientists to bring the latest innovations to people who need them, let alone in a way that is accessible and affordable.
Lastly, WAI, to me, is a platform for collaboration and exploration like an institute. But it’s also a comprehensive ecosystem. We are trying to build a diverse panel that includes academics, researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and lifestyle influencers. It’s an open dialogue and vision setting agenda involving people at every stage of the journey. We will share and discuss our inspirations in WAI, collaborate and build onto each other to make inspirations into concrete concepts, and work together to push concepts into prototypes and finally realise it with a new solution that’s accessible to the consumers.
As we help shape the future of the wellness industry, we’d love to invite you to join us on this journey.
