An Interview With Vanessa Rissetto: Fostering Diversity at School, Work and in the Media ������

VANESSA RISSETTO

MS, RD, CDN

ADRIAN MCDERMEIT

STUDENT

Vanessa Rissetto didn’t get where she is today by blending in� From our conversation, it is apparent how her achievements are hard-won and how her boldness continues to serve her success, and also naturally makes her a driving force for diversity in dietetics as a Black dietitian in a visible space�

She has an impressively varied yet complementary background and skillset, having earned an undergraduate degree in history at Fordham University that honed her literary skills, to her work in the corporate marketing world after earning her master’s degree in marketing from New York University� Through her own evolution in nutrition and wellness, working with one of the top New York City dietitians, she honored her long-standing love for science and broke into the field of dietetics, earning her RDN credential and developing her professional skills through NYU and Mount Sinai Hospital� Today Rissetto’s days are dedicated to Culina Health, the nutrition coaching and education business she cofounded, along with her role as the director of the dietetic internship at NYU Steinhardt� Here Rissetto gives us a glimpse into her day-today, including how she continues to manage it all, and how we as nutrition entrepreneurs and students can take her lead when it comes to changing the face of nutrition and dietetics�

Q: Your background is varied and impressive� You’ve worked in both the corporate marketing world and now in nutrition and dietetics� In your studies, did you see yourself represented? What has been your experience?

VR: I grew up in the ‘90s� I started college in 1996� Black people weren’t really in leadership, and that was common happenstance, and if they were, they had to have very advanced degrees� So this is why my parents thought I had to be a doctor or a lawyer, right? I’m first-generation� My parents are from Haiti and they hold advanced degrees; my mom is a nurse and my dad is an engineer� They sent me to the best schools, and I vacationed in Europe and spoke French and was very obedient, and my parents thought that grace and manners and class and culture would transcend race and that my White counterparts would see me as equal and that’s not the case�

Q: How about in the professional world� What has been your experience there?

VR: I had a difficult time in corporate America because there is a maturity factor there, of course, but I saw my White counterparts behaving “badly” and not being held to the fire where everything I was doing was scrutinized� I never understood that was a race thing� I thought it was a “me” thing� Now at NYU, in my department, I have never felt like there was racism; I just feel that because there wasn’t a push [towards inclusivity] until this past summer, they weren’t pushing either� And that is not just here; that is everybody�

Q: Building on the topic of NYU and the dietetic internship you direct, what is the current picture there as far as diversity?

VR: So, I don’t know what you look like when I read your application� We don’t talk about race� When I see you, and I see that you’re a person of color, that’s great� My last class was pretty diverse� I have four men, two people of color and one person who identifies as LGBTQ� That just happened� The class that is coming up, I have one male and two who are Hispanic� So, it is just where it lands�

We need to do more recruiting at NYU, which we were doing until COVID hit, but then of course it was kind of hard to get out and meet people� Me personally, I am recruiting [diversity] because I am out there in the media talking about how I am the director of the dietetic internship at NYU, and many students of color reach out to

me to say that they are interested and they saw me and they want me to help talk it through with them� So that is one way I am helping diversify the pool�

Q: That brings up an interesting point� These students of color see you representing the field in a very visible way and it encourages their recruitment into the profession� How does that compare to what you’ve experienced in the past?

VR: In the past, nutrition has seemed very elitist, very wealthy, very White� Very unrelatable� And that is not what the population is, right? So how could people feel comfortable going to a dietitian if they don’t see enough like them, and also, how can you want to be a dietitian if you don’t see anyone who looks like you in leadership?

Until this past summer, there was no space for a Black dietitian� There just wasn’t� Then when everything happened, there had to be a change� So because of that, more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) dietitians could be heard� Q: It is hopeful to hear that there is a shift being made toward representation� What continues to drive that forward?

VR: It is about us as a profession� Like I mentioned, for a long time nutrition seemed very elitist and very restrictive� But now with the advent of Instagram and things like that, you’re seeing more people of color, more men, just different people� That is the pull� That needs to continue�

Q: You are seen as part of that push forward with your visible role at NYU� How about with Culina Health; do you actively try to reach diverse clientele?

VR: We put our money where our mouth is� We are 95% insurance-based so we can reach the masses that way� People call and say they read about me in an article or saw Tamar [my business partner] on TV� There are only 75 Black dietitians in New Jersey and 315 Black dietitians in New York, so we can’t see everybody� And 81% of registered dietitians currently are White women� I train my staff in cultural competency and we have weekly supervision and we talk all the time� I make sure I talk with [my staff] about their language� So that is the way we reach as many people as possible� Q: This has been a thought-provoking and interesting conversation� What can you leave us, as students and nutrition entrepreneurs, with? What do we need to know regarding diversity and the field of dietetics? What do we need to think about?

VR: Really being open and seeing the patient as a person first� And it’s hard because I’m not talking about what you look like; we all have these preconceived notions� Not everybody is going to be like us, so give everybody grace� They’re trying as hard as they can, and even if they are not trying, that is just a defense mechanism because they are afraid or whatever else� There is always a story� It is not our job to get everyone’s story because we wouldn’t be able to do our jobs effectively and efficiently� But understand that there is a story�

Vanessa Rissetto, MS, RD, CDN, is the dietetic internship director at NYU and the co-founder of Culina Health in New York� Vanessa was named one of the top five black nutritionists by Essence magazine� While she holds a master’s degree in marketing, her first true love is science and helping make a positive impact on people as they navigate their way through understanding nutrition�

Adrian McDermeit is a distance student at Kansas State University working through a DPD completion and Master of Science in nutrition, dietetics and sensory sciences� She holds an undergraduate degree in journalism from Kansas State University and hopes to combine her love for writing and nutrition in her future career� She lives in St� Petersburg, Florida, with her two children and husband�