This Mother’s Day, Meet a Mom on a Mission
Biotech founder Caitlyn Krebs is rethinking daily health for women, with cannabinoids that don’t get you high.
"I believe cannabinoids are the next big thing, much like vitamins were 70 years ago. Back then, no one knew what vitamins did or what they were for, but now everyone takes them."
Caitlyn Krebs, Nalu Bio
With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, I want to wish a very happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms! Becoming a mother was not easy for me. It took me nearly four years to get pregnant, and the diagnosis I was given - “unexplained infertility” - turned out to be wrong. What I actually had was endometriosis, which affects 1 in 10 women. My son turned seven last month, and it’s with a lot of gratitude that I’m sending love to you—wherever you are on your own motherhood journey.
I first reached out to Caitlyn Krebs because I wanted to spotlight more women in CEO roles, and to talk candidly about what it takes to build a company in a still-evolving industry like cannabis. Women hold just eleven percent of CEO positions in venture capital-backed startups. In the cannabis industry, the numbers are a bit better—nearly forty percent of executive roles are held by women—yet female CEOs are still rare. And that’s despite plenty of research showing that more diverse leadership leads to better outcomes. So, in the spirit of “if you can see it, you can be it,” I hope this conversation with Caitlyn encourages you to support women-led businesses—or maybe even start your own.
Caitlyn was also a recent guest on How to Do the Pot. Check out the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts.
Ellen: You grew up surrounded by nature in Hawaii. How did those early experiences shape your path toward science?
Caitlyn: I love the outdoors. I love to swim and hike, and I love the ocean. My parents used to call me a fish. I would spend hours in the ocean. It made me love biology, and I'm a biologist by training. I spent my elementary school days outside all the time, playing outdoors. I had a marine biology class in high school, and we would tag turtles. We would go into this brackish water lagoon. At night you dive down, free dive, grab the turtles and bring them up. There was a University of Hawaii researcher with us, and we would measure and weigh and tag the turtles because at that time they were threatened.
That really started my love of science and biology. I still go back to that bay with my kids, and I show them all the turtles. It’s called Keholo Bay on the Big Island. There used to be only one or two, and now there are twenty or thirty turtles in the bay.
Ellen: Nalu Bio has big goals - to harness the power of the endocannabinoid system for a healthier future. What inspired you to start the company?
Caitlyn: Remember five or six years ago, CBD was everywhere - it was in coffee, it was in chocolate. It was a huge market, but there was really no science and data behind it. I found this list of 200 chronic conditions that cannabinoids had supporting data for and could be helpful for. They weren't large randomized control trials, but there was data to show that cannabinoids work for diabetes, obesity, immunology, inflammation, sleep, stress, weight loss. That's what got me so excited about the endocannabinoid system (ECS). You can unlock the therapeutic potential of the ECS for so many different indications. I've worked in different areas; I've been in diabetes, I've been in cancer, I've been in Alzheimer's, but there's no class of molecules that has such potential. There are so many different use cases for cannabinoids, and I love being on the cutting edge of science and technology.
Ellen: For women who are curious but cautious about cannabinoids, why does combining them with everyday supplements make such a difference?
Caitlyn: Women are already taking vitamins and probiotics, but there are a lot of women out there who are scared of cannabinoids. We did a very large AI study and looked at thousands of vitamins, probiotics, proteins, and 140 cannabinoids. We asked what are the best combinations for sleep, pain, stress, and weight loss, based on clinical studies. We've spent a lot of time really understanding the science and biology and making sure that it's the optimized dose and optimized experience for the woman. I believe cannabinoids are the next thing. They're like vitamins 70 years ago. Nobody knew what vitamins did or what they were for, but now everyone takes them.
Ellen: Nalu Bio is offering free sample kits exclusively to How to Do the Pot readers. I’m excited to share this opportunity to try the products before they are available to the public. What makes Meld unique?
Caitlyn: Our products are called Meld, because they are melding science and nature. Meld is designed specifically for women dealing with pain, stress, and sleep issues. Move Free is for mobility and pain. It has a cannabinoid in it called CBC, which is very focused on inflammation. We added vitamin E because it also has significant anti-inflammatory effects. Stay Calm is for stress, with CBD and vitamin D. Sleep Well has a cannabinoid called CBN and vitamin B12. A lot of women have problems sleeping. I take this every night. I wake up less, and I have more deep sleep.
Ellen: How do you talk to your kids about your work, and how do you manage the push and pull between startup life and motherhood?
Caitlyn: I have two little kids, two boys, and I love to exercise. I start my morning off at 5 a.m. either doing CrossFit or I run, then I get home and get my kids off to school. I have the pleasure of walking to work, and I'm in it for many hours of Zooms and calls and investors and board members and team members. Then I pick up my kids.
They know that I have a startup, and I think they are very proud of me. It's very cute. They come to work with me, and they see my office. They like to talk about “Nalu Bio”. I also tell them that they are part owners, and they love that they have stock. I don't yet have to talk to them about cannabis. I simply say I develop products and medicines for people and make them better. They can understand that and appreciate it. They also experience the other side where I'm traveling, and I'm gone and I can't be at a school function. Most of the time they understand that, and they allow me to take time from them and put it into the company.
Having young kids who need a lot of care and feeding keep me balanced, but I also have a super supportive husband. There's no way I could do this without someone who allows me to travel and be flexible and be on calls in the evenings and the mornings and the weekends. I really love what I do, so I integrate work and life as one.
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Warmly,
Ellen