We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Sybille Buchwald-Werner as our Radicle Trailblazer! Dr. Sybille Buchwald-Werner is an entrepreneur, scientist, and industry leader with 20+ years in natural products. After founding and scaling Vital Solutions, she successfully led its acquisition by ABFI in 2023 and supported integration and new business developments until April 2025. Today, she runs Newday, a consultancy empowering transformation in business and leadership. A WIN co-chair, keynote speaker, and author, she champions diversity, innovation, and science-driven solutions, guided by her philosophy: Science provides facts, passion creates impact.
What’s one widely accepted belief in our industry that you think deserves to be challenged, and why?
SB: A widely accepted belief in the nutraceutical industry is that “natural equals safe.” While natural ingredients are often perceived as inherently beneficial, their safety and efficacy depend on carefully selected processing methods, rigorous scientific validation, and regulatory compliance. At Vital Solutions, every branded ingredient underwent food-grade processing, applying higher quality standards, along with scientific validation, regulatory compliance, and IP protection before market entry. It reflects my philosophy: “We need science to obtain facts, and we need passion to turn facts into products for a better future”
By integrating scientific rigor with ethnobotanical knowledge, we can strengthen consumer trust and position the nutraceutical industry as a credible, science-driven sector. We must also communicate transparently about what “natural” truly means—not just in terms of origin, but in terms of proven health benefits. This shift will ensure long-term trust and credibility within the industry.
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Can you share an example of a bold risk you took in your career that paid off (or taught you a valuable lesson)?
SB: One of the boldest risks I took was leaving a secure corporate career to start Vital Solutions in 2009, with a vision to develop science-backed, IP-protected branded ingredients rather than commodity extracts. At the time, many in the industry believed that branded ingredients had limited market potential due to higher costs and regulatory challenges. However, I was convinced that scientific validation, food-grade processing, and differentiation would drive long-term success.
Developing these high-quality ingredients required significant investment—not just in research but also in ensuring compliance with strict quality standards. We ensured that every ingredient underwent food-grade processing and regulatory validation before market entry. The strategy worked: Vital Solutions successfully launched five branded ingredients and was later acquired by ABFI in 2023. This experience reinforced a key lesson: calculated risks, when backed by expertise, vision, and a commitment to quality, can lead to extraordinary opportunities.
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What do you think is the biggest opportunity in our industry right now?
SB: One of the biggest opportunities in the nutraceutical industry is bridging the gap between scientific innovation and consumer trust through personalized health solutions and AI-driven clinical validation. Consumers are increasingly looking for science-backed, customized nutritional support, yet the industry still largely operates on one-size-fits-all products.
The key to unlocking this opportunity is Personalized Nutrition—tailoring nutraceuticals to health-related human phenotypes or individual health profiles. Brands that successfully integrate these innovations will set new industry standards. How can this be achieved? Through AI-Driven Clinical Validation. AI can accelerate clinical trials, analyze large datasets, and improve predictive modeling, allowing for more efficient, cost-effective, and precise validation of nutraceutical ingredients. Companies that invest in this are also investing in customer intimacy, gaining both regulatory credibility and consumer trust.
The pathway forward requires challenging outdated industry beliefs and highlights the need for agile businesses that embrace change and transformation. Only those willing to adapt and innovate will be able to meet both global and local societal needs in an evolving health and wellness landscape. Furthermore, the right level of diversity is essential to driving this transformation. A broad range of perspectives fuels innovation, visionary leadership, and strategic adaptability, which are critical for staying competitive and developing solutions that truly impact human health. The ability to embrace transformation and diversity is not just an advantage—it is the key to survival and long-term success.