Weight loss support wasn’t originally in the plans for Marma — the only OB-GYN and registered dietician-approved nutrition platform for women during their reproductive years — shared co-founder Meredith McAllister.
But with the rise of GLP-1 medications, she and co-founder Victoria Weber saw the opportunity for a nourishing, evidence-based approach to weight loss support. In response, the duo launched sister brand Gemma, which is powered by Marma.
“When we started Marma, I don’t know how many times I could be quoted saying, ‘I’m not touching weight loss with a 10-foot pole; not something I’m going to do,’” McAllister explained. “I typically don’t really like how weight loss is positioned and messaged, especially for women. So I really wanted to create a lot of separation between what I was building with Marma and anything related to weight loss.”
“Years go by and we were actually contacted multiple times to create weight loss content — content to support women’s clinics with weight loss, with their clients who are on GLP-1s or on a weight loss journey,” she continued. “And we said, ‘OK, well, there’s obviously a need.’”
Marma — launched in 2022 and one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2025 — will continue to provide nutrition for hormone and cycle support, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause, and Gemma will be nutrition support for GLP1 users, McAllister said. Both platforms are expected to offer courses to support each phase of a woman’s health journey, a community, and a personalized portal that connects users to certified health coaches.
“I wouldn’t say this is a pivot, but it’s a new branch,” she said. “It’s just interesting as a founder, when you start off with this idea — which for us was Marma for pregnancy, postpartum — and then it expanded to fertility. Then now we have this other totally separate brand, but it’s filling this need that feels so great and so important. We can’t not do it. We can’t not pursue that.”
Because GLP-1 medications — originally used to treat Type 2 Diabetes — are newer to the market as a weight loss drug, McAllister noted, there’s not a lot of nutrition support available.
“Right now, with the crazy increase of GLP ones being prescribed — that’s fine — but there really needs to be a nutrition component aligned with it,” she explained. “There’s more and more studies coming out saying how important nutrition is if you’re going to be on a GLP-1. So that’s really our goal, to be that nutrition resource.”
Victoria Weber, Marma, pitches her startup in March 2025 at the Gamechangers & Champions bracket bash pitch competition in Wichita; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
What sets Gemma apart is the messaging, McAllister said.
“We are about making sure you’re eating enough,” she continued. “You’re about to go on an appetite suppressant, but you still need to make sure that you’re getting enough protein and not losing muscle mass. You still need to make sure you’re getting enough fiber that you’re not living on this completely restricted diet. So that in another 18 months or two years, when you go off your GLP-1s, you’re not completely stranded, you’ve lost muscle mass, and you’re in a worse spot than you were when you started.”
“We want you to have this be a sustainable journey where you’re feeling good, you have enough energy, and you feel your body’s getting what it needs, as well,” McAllister added.
Adding Gemma to the Marma lineup is coming at just the right time for the company as it’s poised to scale quickly, she noted. In the past few months, the team lined up a medical advisory board and brought on two new health coaches, one of whom has experience with weight loss support.
“Even a couple of months ago, I said, ‘I’m not 100 percent sure where everyone’s going to fit,’” McAllister explained, “‘but it feels right. I can’t let these coaches go by. I need to have them on our team.’ And now it’s, ‘OK, now I know where you’re going to fit.’ The universe knew something I didn’t, which is great.”
