Andrea Nakayama
Principal @Andrea Nakayama
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WORK HISTORY
Principal @Andrea Nakayama
US
I work at the intersection of Functional Medicine Nutrition, Narrative Medicine, and whole-health care, supporting individuals and organizations who are redesigning how we show up for people with chronic and contested conditions.As a writer, content creator, speaker, educator, consultant, and strategic advisor, I help- Healthcare teams and training programs integrate systems-based, story-informed frameworks into whole-person care- Health tech and femtech companies design products, curricula, and experiences that center patient-reported outcomes (PROMs/PRONs) and lived experience, not just lab values- Founders and leaders translate complex science and narrative insight into clear models, programs, and communications that improve both engagement and outcomesPreviously, I founded Functional Nutrition Alliance, an acquired multi-million-dollar health ed-tech company that has trained thousands of clinicians and coaches globally in my unique methodologies supporting systems biology, root-cause thinking, and whole-health care.Current focus areas include: chronic and contested illness, women’s and midlife health, aging and longevity for women, systems-based models of care, and narrative practices that restore agency to both patients and providers.Skills: Digital Education · Functional Medicine · Functional Nutrition · Whole-Health Care · Systems Thinking · Change Management · Growth Leadership · Public Speaking · Podcasting
EDUCATION
Reed College
Visiting Student
University of Western States
Masters of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine (MSHNFM), Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine
Carnegie Mellon University
BFA, Design, Art
Columbia University
Certificate of Professional Achievement, Narrative Medicine
Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies
Certificate, Social Impact Storytelling
Institute for Integrative Nutrition
CHHC, Health Counseling
Bauman College: Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts
CNE, Nutrition Education and Counseling
SKILLS
ABOUT ANDREA NAKAYAMA
I’m a Functional Medicine Nutritionist, educator, and thought partner working at the intersection of systems biology, lifestyle medicine, and narrative medicine, with a particular focus on women’s health in midlife and beyond. My work centers on closing the gap between what we know scientifically and what people actually live through—especially in complex illness, menopause, and later-life transitions.As the founder and former CEO of the Functional Nutrition Alliance (FxNA)—an acquired, multi-million-dollar health ed-tech company—I spent more than 20 years training thousands of practitioners globally to move beyond symptom suppression and protocol-based care toward a more personalized, systems-based, and human-centered approach.Through frameworks like the Functional Nutrition Matrix; 3 Roots, Many Branches; 3 Tiers to Epigenetic Mastery; and the Functional Nutrition Timeline, my work has helped shape clinical thinking in private practice and integrative institutions. I also draw on narrative medicine to help patients and practitioners acknowledge patient-reported outcome narratives as essential data—revealing meaning, context, and patterns that lab work and biomarkers alone can’t capture.As the creator and host of the 15-Minute Matrix podcast, I would regularly spotlight trusted and emerging voices in functional and lifestyle medicine, translating complex concepts into practical tools for whole-person, root-cause care.After transitioning out of my role at FxNA, I now work independently as an advisor, speaker, and educator with entrepreneurs and organizations shaping the future of digital health, longevity, and systems-based clinical innovation—particularly those serving women 50+. I’m also developing my next platform-focused initiative.If you’re building something meaningful in health education, technology, or patient empowerment—and want to ground it in systems thinking, lifestyle medicine, and human-centered, narrative-informed care at scale—I’d be glad to connect.
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