As a management lecturer in the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, Marissa Epstein teaches graduate courses in nutrition entrepreneurship, showing business leaders how to evaluate the investment worthiness of nutrition-inspired products and services.

She served as the director of the University of Texas Nutrition Institute, where she oversaw the Food and Beverage Incubator Practicum and the Food and Health Inventor’s Program, guiding early-stage entrepreneurs from ideation to go-to-market readiness through iterative, user-centered design.

Epstein is an investor in new ventures related to nutrition, health and wellness across health care, hospitality, and consumer brands. She works with investment firms and startups as an adviser and board member, supporting companies from early-stage formation through late-stage growth. 

Previously, Epstein started and directed Stanford Health Care’s first health education department, where she led the design, creation, and launch of digital products and direct services to catalyze patient and family engagement.

Her expertise in nutrition earned Epstein the role of associate director of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative to inspire a healthier generation of American families. Through more than 200 partnerships with private sector companies, the campaign reached over 50 million American children with nutritious meals, messages, and opportunities for healthier living.

Epstein received an MBA and Certificate of Public Management from Stanford University and a B.S. in nutrition with special honors and a B.A. in Plan II Honors at The University of Texas, where she earned registered dietitian nutritionist certification, specializing in pediatrics. She was named a Truman scholar in 2009.