A protein company that started with a problem, not a business plan.
Shop Pure GeniusPure Genius was born from a simple idea:
Make it convenient, delicious, and fun to get high quality protein on the go.
Since then, we've evolved around a clear mission - to use leading science to make meaningful health improvements easy, enjoyable, and accessible.
Our Founders
One found the product. One found the reason it needed to exist for everyone, not just athletes.
Mel Robbins
Co-Founder
Mel Robbins didn’t intend to create a protein company. She had a problem she was trying to solve. Like millions of people around the world, she was trying to eat more protein and found it incredibly difficult to reach her daily goal.
Mel Robbins didn’t intend to create a protein company. She had a problem she was trying to solve. Like millions of people around the world, she was trying to eat more protein and found it incredibly difficult to reach her daily goal. She was looking for something simple, delicious, and high quality on the go. She couldn’t find it, so she joined Pure Genius to help create it.
Mel Robbins is the creator and host of The Mel Robbins Podcast, which is the most shared and followed podcast in the world and is nominated for the first-ever Golden Globe for Best Podcast, and author of The Let Them Theory, the chart-topping, #1 selling book and global phenomenon.
She has amassed 40 million followers online and is one of the most respected experts in mindset, life improvement, and behavior change. The Wall Street Journal calls her a “billion-view podcaster,” and TIME Magazine says she gives millions of listeners around the globe “a reason to believe in themselves.”
Her books have been translated into 65 languages and include the #1 New York Times, #1 Amazon, #1 Audible, and #1 Sunday Times bestselling The Let Them Theory, which is the top-selling book of 2025 according to Publishers Weekly, with 8+ million copies sold in its first eleven months. The Let Them Theory was named one of the Best Books of the Year by Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Books-A-Million, Publishers Weekly, Target, and Waterstones, and is on pace to become the most successful nonfiction book launch of all time. Robbins is also the author of the multimillion-copy-selling The 5 Second Rule, The High 5 Habit, and seven #1 audiobook releases on Audible.
USA Today calls Mel “a force to be reckoned with.” She is a global phenomenon in the publishing industry and podcasting. Her Boston-based media production company, 143 Studios, produces award-winning content, podcasts, events, audio series, online courses, journals, and books, along with professional development education for partners like Starbucks, Ulta Beauty, JPMorgan Chase, LinkedIn, Headspace, and Audible.
The Mel Robbins Podcast is one of the most popular podcasts in the world. It is nominated for the first-ever Golden Globe Award for Best Podcast, and was named the #1 most-followed show on Apple Podcasts and selected as one of the best podcasts of 2025 by the Apple Podcasts’ editorial team. It was recognized as the third largest show in the world by both Spotify and Apple Podcasts for 2025, and had the #1 most-shared episode of the year on both platforms. It also has won some of the most prestigious awards given to podcasts, including Webby, Signal, Spotify Creator, and iHeartPodcast Awards.
Notable accolades for Robbins include being named to TIME 100 Creators as one of the most influential digital voices of 2025, USA Today Top Mindset & Performance Coaches in the World, one of the fifty most influential influencers on The Hollywood Reporter’s Creator A-List, and a Forbes 50 Over 50 Honoree.
Giacomo Zacchia
Co-Founder
Prior to Pure Genius, Giacomo led CPG incubation and licensing as an Operating Partner at Night Media. He developed launch strategies, drove initial product development
Prior to Pure Genius, Giacomo led CPG incubation and licensing as an Operating Partner at Night Media. He developed launch strategies, drove initial product development, led talent partnerships, and assisted with early-stage hiring and fundraising for the brands he incubated — including MrBeast’s Feastables, Unspeakable and Aphmau’s Blox Snacks, Danny Duncan’s Matador Energy and more. He also closed licensing deals that brought creators like Jesser, Guga Foods, MrBeast, Donut Media, Sam and Colby, and Gotham Chess into Walmart. After leaving, he started a boutique consulting firm where he assisted clients like Dude Perfect, MrBallen, Bobby Parrish, Paddy Galloway and Jesser — helping close multiple eight-figure podcast and advertising deals along the way.
Born in Italy and raised in the United States, Giacomo graduated summa cum laude from UC Berkeley’s Interdisciplinary Studies Field program with a focus in research design and methods, and was nominated for a university medal. He has since built a career at the intersection of creator culture and consumer brands.
As Co-Founder of Pure Genius, Giacomo is involved in all aspects of the business, from strategy and production to the day-to-day decisions that keep the brand rooted in both performance and integrity.
Our Scientific Advisory Board
Alongside our co-founders, we are proud to introduce you to our founding scientific advisory board. Their role is simple and critical: to help ensure that our formulations align with modern nutritional science and support real-world wellness goals.
Dr Amy Shah, MD
Double-board-certified physician with degrees in immunology and nutrition
Dr. Amy Shah is a leading expert in the role nutrition plays in health, longevity, and hormone regulation.
Dr. Amy Shah is a leading expert in the role nutrition plays in health, longevity, and hormone regulation. She has been in clinical practice for 22 years as a double-board certified medical doctor with specializations in nutrition, internal medicine, and immunology. She has a
degree in nutrition from Cornell University, completed her residency at Harvard University/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and her fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Shah is the author of two bestselling books about
nutrition, hormones, and lifestyle changes, and through her online education platform AmyMD, has helped millions of people to transform their health.
Jeff Karp, PhD
A world leading biomedical innovator whose work is cited over 40,000 times
Jeff Karp, PhD is a distinguished professor and among the world’s leading biomedical innovators and best selling author of LIT: Life Ignition Tools.
Jeff Karp, PhD is a distinguished professor and among the world’s leading biomedical innovators and best selling author of LIT: Life Ignition Tools. Inspired by nature's ingenuity, he directs a lab dedicated to developing innovative medical technologies. Driven by a passion to improve patients' lives, his team has invented technologies that include a tissue glue that can seal holes inside a beating heart; targeted therapies for osteoarthritis, Crohn's disease, and brain disorders; 'smart needles' that automatically stop when they reach their target; a nasal spray that neutralizes pathogens; and immunotherapy approaches to annihilate cancer. He harnesses the power of failure, viewing setbacks not as obstacles, but as rocket fuel for
propelling his research and innovation forward. This philosophy has driven him
to continually push boundaries to publish over 175 peer-reviewed papers with over 40,000 citations. He has delivered 400 invited lectures and holds over 100 patents. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, Royal Society of Canada, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering. In addition to his research goals, Karp is dedicated to developing the careers of the next-generation bioengineers at the forefront of biomedical innovation. He was selected as the Outstanding Faculty Undergraduate Mentor among all faculty at MIT and he received the HST McMahon Mentoring award for being the top mentor of Harvard-MIT students.
Dr. Betsy Grunch, MD
Renowned board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes in spinal surgery
Dr. Betsy Grunch is a board-certified neurosurgeon who practices general neurosurgery, with a special interest in spine surgery.
Dr. Betsy Grunch is a board-certified neurosurgeon who practices general neurosurgery, with a special interest in spine surgery. She was named by Castle Connolly as one of the top doctors in America in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. Dr. Grunch travels across the country teaching other surgeons and healthcare professionals the latest, most innovative neurosurgical techniques along with the importance of brand building. She completed her residency and fellowship at Duke University Medical Center and millions know her online as @Ladyspinedoc, where her advice on spine health and pain relief has earned her over 192 million likes on TikTok alone.
Dr. Rocío Salas-Whalen, MD
Endocrinologist, obesity medicine specialist, and leading expert on GLP-1 medications
Dr. Rocío Salas-Whalen is an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist, widely recognized as one of the earliest adopters of GLP-1 therapies in the United States.
Dr. Rocío Salas-Whalen is an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist, widely recognized as one of the earliest adopters of GLP-1 therapies in the United States. With over 15 years of experience treating thousands of patients, she has helped redefine obesity care, moving the conversation from willpower to science, and from stigma to empowerment. In her practice, Dr. Salas-Whalen combines cutting-edge metabolic science with compassionate, individualized care, with a particular expertise in helping women navigate menopause with strength, clarity, and vitality through evidence-based
hormone therapy, metabolic optimization, and lifestyle tools. She completed a fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at University of Maryland and was a research fellow in Obesity Surgery at John Hopkins University. She is also the author of the nationally bestselling book Weightless: A Doctor's Guide to GLP-1 Medications.
Dr. Lucia Aronica, PhD
Adjunct Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine with nearly two decades of research experience in epigenetics and nutrigenomics.
Dr. Lucia Aronica is an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine with nearly two decades of research experience in epigenetics and nutrigenomics.
Dr. Lucia Aronica is an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine with nearly two decades of research experience in epigenetics and nutrigenomics, specializing in how food actively programs your genes. Her research, featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment, demonstrated that targeted dietary changes can reverse biological aging by up to two years in just eight weeks. She created Stanford's first courses in nutritional epigenetics and developed the Epinutrition framework, a clinical approach that treats food as biological information. A TEDx speaker, she presents to over 10,000 clinicians annually.
Dr. Judith Joseph, MD
Renowned Board-Certified Psychiatrist, Researcher and Bestselling Author with expertise in the science of your happiness and using joy as the key to longevity.
Dr. Judith Joseph MD MBA is a board-certified psychiatrist, researcher and award-winning content creator who specializes in mental health for children and adults.
Dr. Judith Joseph MD MBA is a board-certified psychiatrist, researcher and award-winning content creator who specializes in mental health for children and adults. She is a professor and instructor at several prestigious academic institutions.
Dr. Judith is the Principal Investigator at her own research lab in Manhattan, which conducted the first peer-reviewed clinical research study in high functioning depression in the world. Her lab has conducted over 130 clinical research studies in psychiatry and neurology. Her National Bestselling Book “High Functioning” published in April 2025 is based on her original research and is now published in over 20 countries and over 17 languages.
Dr. Judith’s social media advocacy and research earned her a Congressional Proclamation award from the US House of Representatives in 2023. Her focus is how to reclaim joy as a form of resilience and resistance no matter what your setting is
Our Story
Early 2024
Genius Shot: The Beginning
Giacomo Zacchia discovered a unique whey protein shot used by professional athletes and sports league trainers across Europe. Nothing like it existed in the United States, and he was inspired to partner with experts to bring it to market. The first version — Genius Shot — took almost a year to create.
Late 2024
Mel Joins The Team
Mel Robbins joined the team to help guide the future of what would later become Pure Genius. She saw a need for a high quality protein shot that was not just for serious athletes, but for everyone — all ages, all body types, all professions. As a hands-on co-founder, she shaped the brand's mission, voice, and relevance.
2025
Pure Genius: A Brand Reimagined with Refined Intention
With all the insights from the initial launch, the original product was reinvented with the help of world-renowned experts. It was reformulated, re-designed, and rebranded with the guidance of leading scientific, medical, and nutritional advisors — resulting in a new formula, iconic branding, and a new name that reflects our mission more clearly than ever: Pure Genius.
Jan 2026
Pure Genius Launches Publicly
After more than a year of working behind the scenes, we publicly revealed our new brand and new formulation. The first product run of Pure Genius Protein sold out in 24 hours — bringing a first-of-its-kind protein shot to market with a deeply personal mission.
Why we exist, and what we actually do about it every day.
Our Vision
A world where hitting your protein goal doesn't take a plan, a mixer, or a mindset shift — where the easiest option is also the best one, for everyone, at every age and stage of life.
Our Mission
To turn leading nutritional science into something anyone can actually use — built with real doctors and researchers, and designed to fit into a real, busy life. Small daily changes. Real habits. Real people.