Victoria Thain Gioia
Co-founder of Perelel
Victoria “Tori” Thain Gioia is the co-CEO and co-founder of Perelel, the first OB/GYN-founded wellness company that offers women dynamic prenatal vitamins and supplements, resources and community tailored to the varying stages of motherhood.
Tori was moved to launch Perelel in 2019 when, while pregnant, she learned that her daughter would be born with a cleft lip. As a concerned mother, Tori searched vigorously for what may have caused this birth defect that affects roughly one in every 2,800 babies born in the U.S. She turned to Dr. Banefsheh Bayati, who found the defect was associated with a folic-acid deficiency early on in her pregnancy that was not addressed in Tori’s one-size-fits-all prenatal vitamin. Tori was shocked to discover that though she had done all of the research and had gone to great lengths to take the “right” vitamins, the needs she had during her pregnancy were not met by her vitamin regimen. After further investigation, Tori uncovered a host of additional issues that can arise from relying on a generic prenatal vitamin; there was no comprehensive option for women that supported the complex nutritional needs for a mother and baby at each stage of pregnancy. Tori connected with her now co-founder Alex Taylor who was also going through a similar experience with her prenatals and the pair decided to create a new solution for parents that offered more than just a one-size-fits-all approach. Tori and Alex brought Dr. Bayati on board as medical co-founder to create Perelel and deliver the appropriate doses of nutrients at the time they are needed most at each stage of pregnancy. All of Perelel’s offerings extend beyond just a pill subscription in the form of an intimately supportive community and personalized resources at every step of the pre- and post-natal journey.
Prior to launching Perelel, Tori worked in finance and strategy at Olive & June, The Honest Co., Carbon38, Crestview Partners and Lazard. She has an MBA with honors from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree from Duke University. Tori resides in Los Angeles with her husband, two toddlers and soon-to-be third, coming in October 2020.
Interviews
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Episode #1558 Victoria Thain Gioia: Happiness Flows From Kindness
Perelel Co-founder Victoria Thain Gioia and Jenna kickoff exploring how we can change the conversation around pregnancy by more intentionally supporting mothers from fertility through postpartum. Victoria was inspired to launch Perelel after her daughter was born with a cleft lip. It was this scary life chapter and a blind friend date with her now co-founder that taught her that we can’t predict our journeys only embrace where they lead us. We chat about letting go of rigid life plans, timelines, and comparing our path to others.
Happiness and success are about fulfillment. What fills us up most? Kindness. Our most important intention is how we make others feel because the little moments are the ones we remember.
Resources
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