CEO Corner: Humann’s Joel Kocher on Reframing the Conversation Around Cardiovascular Health

One of the top former executives at Dell, Kocher co-founded Humann with a bold mission: change the trajectory of cardiovascular health

The supplement industry is booming as people spend more money on health and wellness products than ever before, from protein powder to creatine to collagen. But for Joel Kocher, we’re not paying nearly enough attention to the most important thing: cardiovascular health. 

One of the driving forces behind Dell’s explosive growth during his time as an executive at the technology company, Kocher founded Humann, a cardiovascular health brand known for its nitric oxide supplements, in 2009.

Humann’s products are already being used by over 160 college and pro sports teams, and it recently signed a wide-ranging deal with the University of Texas to become the first brand to place its logo on the Longhorns’ playing fields and courts, including the storied DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. The University of Texas, which played a role in Humann’s founding, is also a minority shareholder in the company. 

Kocher sat down with Athletech News to discuss how we went from retired tech executive to co-founder of a cardiovascular health brand, the power of nitric oxide in boosting health and performance, and how Humann is working to play a leading role in changing the public perception around supplement companies. 

The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Athletech News: Can you tell us about your background in tech, and why you decided to create Humann?

Joel Kocher: I was in tech when it was the wild west, back in the ‘90s. I started at Dell when it was doing about $100 million in revenue, and in five years, we were Fortune 350, so it was crazy growth. I also led three other top public companies. Then I retired because I thought that’s what you were supposed to do. It was the dumbest thing ever; I absolutely hated it. 

I came across nitric oxide, which is the most important molecule, by far, in your cardiovascular system. The University of Texas Health System had a research program around this molecule, and they hired a Nobel Prize winner. They were looking for a commercial partner, and I just serendipitously ended up hearing this pitch — an explanation around the science. I said, “I’m in.”

I knew I’d found my next life’s mission, if not my main mission. So we licensed the tech and know-how from the University of Texas, and that’s how we ended up founding the company.

ATN: What’s the science behind nitric oxide, and what got you so excited to create a company around it?

JK: I couldn’t believe I’d never heard of it, yet its discovery had won a Nobel Prize. Essentially, nitric oxide is a vasodilator. In its simplest form, it’s all about enabling healthy blood flow. The wicked health problem is that in our mid to late 30s, like a lot of other things in the human body, (blood flow) begins to decline. By the time you get into your 40s, it’s in full-drop mode. By your 50s, it’s a ski slope.

With that said, we set out to change the way people think, because “cardiovascular” in most Americans’ minds equals heart health. Well, it’s a lot more than heart health. There are around 60,000 miles of blood vessels in your body, and roughly 36 to 37 trillion cells in your body. Every single one of those cells will die in two minutes if they’re not replenished with oxygen and nutrients, so cardiovascular health is for everyone, whether you’re 18 years old or you’re 85 years old.

ATN: Why do you think nitric-oxide products have been less popular than other supplements like protein powder, creatine and others? 

JK: You can’t ingest nitric oxide unless you’re doing it by gas; you’re giving the body precursors. That’s what makes it hard. It’s not like vitamin C or protein. If you’re deficient in protein, you just ingest more protein. So it’s complicated, and it’s really hard to develop products that actually work. We had to license the tech we use on a tech transfer basis.

ATN: Humann’s relationship with the University of Texas dates back to the company’s founding. But you recently became the Longhorns’ official on-field sponsor. How did that deal come about, and what does it mean for your brand moving forward?

JK: The reason it made sense for us is that we’re science-born, and we’re University of Texas-born. So it’s a real, authentic story. If you like the Gatorade story — and by the way, I’m a Florida Gator alum — then you should get excited about this. 

So for us, it’s really the first time we’ve had a platform to tell our science-born, University of Texas-born story. I don’t want to speak for them, but they really weren’t interested in putting an insurance company or a gas station chain logo on their hallowed fields of play. They wanted a unique story. When we got together and started talking about it, it lit us both on fire, and here we are. 

ATN: You mentioned the tech industry used to be the wild west. You could probably say the same thing about supplements today. What would you most like to see change in the supplement industry? 

JK: I’m pissed off because I see people falling prey to great marketing, and all the lily-pad jumping that people tend to do when it comes to supplements. 

In an industry like this, where people are putting our products in their bodies, it should probably more closely mirror the pharmaceutical industry, where there are very clear standards for clinical data. I’m not worshiping the pharmaceutical industry, trust me. But would you ever have a pharmaceutical company without scientists? We’ve had full-time scientists for the entire 15-year life of our company. We have a chief cardiologist and a chief medical officer, and we’ve done a double-digit number of clinical trials. I think this entire industry should be held to that standard. In the long term, that’s going to be good for the industry, not just consumers. But that’s probably going to require some kind of regulation. 

ATN: How is Humann working to educate consumers on the importance of doing their homework about what they’re putting in their bodies?

JK: I can’t say that we’ve been uber successful at convincing consumers they should do their homework, because all you have to do is walk down the aisle at any retailer. But we do a lot of work, and we’ve invested a lot of money in educating the consumer. We’ve had four books written to try to educate consumers that plant-based solutions can be effective. 

On the marketing side, a lot of our television advertising over the last decade has been strictly to educate consumers. But there needs to be more; I’m not sure that a Humann itself can go it alone. I’d like to see the industry get more serious about helping consumers understand what constitutes efficacy in the supplement space.

ATN: Looking ahead, what are your short and long-term goals for the future of Humann?

JK:  Our long-term goal has never wavered. I still have the deck I wrote when we first started the company: it’s about changing the trajectory of human cardiovascular health. I’d say that we’re in the early innings there, even though we’re available now in around 35,000 retail locations, and we have over 160 professional and college sports teams using our products. So we’re making progress, but I’m serious about this as a life mission. 

In the short term. I think it’s about reframing the conversation that cardiovascular does not equal heart health. It drives me nuts that people keep jumping on these fads when they’re ignoring the most important thing. Cardiovascular issues are the number one killer of human beings in the world.