Institute of Lifestyle Medicine

What Institute of Lifestyle Medicine does

The Institute of Lifestyle Medicine (ILM) is a non-profit educational organization founded in 2009 and based in Boston, Massachusetts. It operates under formal affiliation with Harvard Medical School and is co-located with Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, leveraging those institutional relationships to deliver credentialed lifestyle medicine education. With approximately 6 employees, ILM trains healthcare professionals, medical students and residents, health and wellness coaches, and patients in nutrition, behavior change, and culinary health through its flagship Culinary Health Education Fundamentals (CHEF) Coaching certificate program.

ILM's core product surface consists of CME-accredited courses, the CHEF Coaching certificate program, and educational publications. The organization has assembled a layered set of continuing-education approvals — including Maintenance of Certificate CME (2023), National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching CE (2022), and American Culinary Federation ACE provider status (2023) — and operates partnerships with academic medical centers (Yale School of Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Queen's Medical School), federal health systems (VA), and credentialing bodies (ACLM, ABLM/IBLM, Wellcoaches, ACRM). Revenue is generated primarily through CME course fees, CHEF Coaching certificate tuition, and grant funding from the Vela Foundation and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

The organization is a member of the Teaching Kitchens Collaborative (joined 2023) and received the Edward R. Murrow Excellence in Innovation Broadcasting Award in 2023, reflecting both ecosystem integration and reputational reach in health communications. Its go-to-market model combines direct individual-learner enrollment with institutional channel partnerships through named academic and federal partners.

Name

Institute of Lifestyle Medicine

Legal name

Institute of Lifestyle Medicine

Website

https://instituteoflifestylemedicine.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institute of Lifestyle Medicine is a Boston-based non-profit, affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, that trains healthcare professionals and health coaches in lifestyle medicine through its CHEF Coaching certificate program, CME-accredited courses, and continuing-education content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Education and Lifestyle Medicine Training

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAGANAJ

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE)

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Professional Development & Training Materials

SECONDARYEDAAAHAG

Health Coaching & Lifestyle Coaching Education

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Education (Nutrition, Fitness, Mindfulness)

SECONDARYEDAOAKAJ

Nutrition, Special Diets & Wellness Cooking

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Culinary Arts, Baking & Food Service Training

SECONDARYEDAAALAC

Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

Keywords

• Lifestyle medicine education
• Culinary coaching training
• Continuing medical education
• Preventive medicine curriculum
• Clinician wellness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. CME Course Fees: Harvard Medical School CME courses offered annually with registration fees for healthcare professionals seeking continuing medical education credits.
2. CHEF Coaching Certificate Program: Two-part certificate program (CHEF Coaching the Basics and Beyond the Basics) with registration fees for clinicians and health coaches seeking culinary coaching certification.
3. Publications and Resources: ILM Bookstore offers publications and resources for lifestyle medicine education and patient/client work, including the Lifestyle Medicine Pocket Guide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Institute of Lifestyle Medicine (ILM) provides professional lifestyle medicine education and training programs for healthcare professionals, anchored by its flagship CHEF Coaching (Culinary Health Education Fundamentals) program — a two-part evidence-based curriculum that combines culinary training with health coaching principles, delivered via telemedicine. The portfolio also includes Harvard Medical School CME courses (e.g., Lifestyle Medicine: Tools for Promoting Healthy Change), graduate medical education curricula integrated into residency programs, culinary medicine resources, peer-reviewed research, and the ILM Bookstore of lifestyle medicine publications.

Product overview

The Institute of Lifestyle Medicine offers a comprehensive portfolio of lifestyle medicine education and training programs, with the CHEF Coaching Program as its flagship offering. CHEF Coaching (Culinary Health Education Fundamentals) is a two-part evidence-based program combining culinary training with health coaching principles delivered via telemedicine. The program consists of CHEF Coaching the Basics (skill-based culinary coaching classes) and CHEF Coaching Beyond the Basics (small group practice sessions), culminating in a Certificate of Completion in Culinary Coaching. Additional offerings include the Food We Need to Talk podcast, Harvard Medical School LMIG lecture series, graduate medical education curriculum with Yale, CME courses, culinary medicine resources, research programs, and the ILM Bookstore. The organization also publishes CHEF Coaching newsletters and supports Lifestyle Medicine Changemakers community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CHEF Coaching: Culinary Health Education Fundamentals Coaching - an evidence-based training program focused on culinary coaching to improve nutrition through culinary training, health coaching principles, and telemedicine tools.

Products and services

• CHEF Coaching Program Two-part evidence-based culinary coaching program combining culinary training with health coaching principles via telemedicine, designed to improve nutrition and home cooking skills. Aimed at clinicians and health coaches seeking to deliver lifestyle medicine interventions.
• CHEF Coaching the Basics Part 1 of the CHEF Coaching program featuring skill-based culinary coaching classes covering introduction to lifestyle medicine, nutritional science of home cooking, basic healthy cooking techniques, and culinary coaching approaches. Intended for clinicians and health coaches.
• CHEF Coaching Beyond the Basics Part 2 of the CHEF Coaching program featuring small group practice sessions in culinary telemedicine where participants explore new culinary practices, practice coaching strategies, and improve competencies to prescribe nutrition.
• Lifestyle Medicine: Tools for Promoting Healthy Change CME Course Annual Harvard Medical School CME course providing professional education in lifestyle medicine for physicians, allied health professionals, and health coaches.
• Graduate Medical Education Curriculum Web-based lifestyle medicine curriculum for residency training programs covering healthy diet, physical activity, smoking cessation, and stress reduction; integrated into Yale's Preventive Medicine Residency Program.
• Harvard Medical School Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group (LMIG) Lecture Series Lecture series sponsored by ILM since 2009 providing lifestyle medicine presentations by ILM staff and special guests for first- and second-year Harvard Medical School students.
• ILM Bookstore Online bookstore offering publications and resources for lifestyle medicine education and patient/client work, available through Healthy Learning Publishing.
• Food We Need to Talk Podcast Science-based, humor-laced health and fitness podcast co-hosted by Juna Gjata and Dr. Eddie Phillips addressing intermittent fasting, metabolism, aging, fat loss, and microbiome topics. Targets general consumers interested in evidence-based nutrition and fitness.
• Lifestyle Medicine Changemakers Community program showcasing individuals contributing to the growth of lifestyle medicine through stories and testimonials shared in ILM newsletters, website, and social media.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 clinicians trained through CHEF Coaching program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Harvard Medical SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILM is headquartered at Harvard Medical School, with courses offered as Harvard Medical School CME programs. This affiliation provides credibility and institutional infrastructure for professional education.
• Spaulding Rehabilitation HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILM operates within the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School. CHEF Coaching implemented as a service at this hospital.
• WellcoachesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaboration with Wellcoaches for live online CHEF Coaching programs. Wellcoaches is a major wellness coach training organization that distributes ILM's culinary coaching curriculum.
• Joslin Diabetes CentermajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCHEF Coaching for Patients implemented as a service at Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA starting in 2015, demonstrating clinical implementation partnership.
• Yale School of MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILM's web-based training modules integrated into Yale's Preventive Medicine Residency Program curriculum, with Dr. Phillips leading development of innovative lifestyle medicine curriculum.
• Veterans AdministrationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary coaching module included in VA's physician assistant training program; Whole Health curriculum includes culinary coaching elements for VA physicians.
• American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary coaching module developed for ACLM's Lifestyle Medicine for Coaches course; joint efforts in advancing lifestyle medicine education and certification.
• American Board of Lifestyle Medicine / International Board of Lifestyle MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILM programs approved for Maintenance of Certification credits with ABLM/IBLM; supports certification pathway for lifestyle medicine practitioners.
• University of North Texas Health Science CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary coaching chosen as the Culinary Medicine module at the Department of Lifestyle Health Sciences.
• Queen\'s Medical School / Providence Care HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary coaching program selected as nutritional intervention for patients with spinal cord injury; research collaboration on medical education program evaluation.
• American Congress of Rehabilitation MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary Medicine Task Force founded as one of ACRM communities; CHEF Coaching selected as instructional course at ACRM.
• Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on stress management resources and tools; shared expertise in mind body medicine approaches.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cleveland Clinic Center for Lifestyle Medicine: Cleveland Clinic operates a lifestyle medicine center offering clinical programs and clinician education. As a large, well-funded health system, it is a broad incumbent in lifestyle medicine with overlapping educational and clinical offerings.
• Mayo Clinic - Lifestyle Medicine Program: Mayo Clinic operates a well-resourced lifestyle medicine program that includes clinician education and patient services. As a flagship U.S. health system, it competes for the same clinician training partnerships and CME dollars that ILM pursues.

Direct peers

• Lifestyle Medicine Institute: Lifestyle Medicine Institute is an education-focused non-profit that trains clinicians and patients in lifestyle medicine, overlapping directly with ILM's mission of clinician-directed lifestyle interventions.
• Wellcoaches: Wellcoaches is a major wellness coach training and certification organization that distributes ILM's CHEF Coaching curriculum via partnership. It competes more broadly in the health and wellness coaching certification market and could expand into culinary coaching independently.
• Health meets Food (Tulane Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine): Tulane's culinary medicine program is the other leading culinary medicine curriculum for medical students, offering hands-on cooking modules in medical school curricula. It directly competes with CHEF Coaching for institutional licensing deals with U.S. medical schools.
• American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM): ACLM is the leading membership and education organization for lifestyle medicine clinicians. ILM partners with ACLM on the Lifestyle Medicine for Coaches course but ACLM also offers its own certification and curriculum pathways, making it both collaborator and direct competitor in lifestyle medicine professional education.
• Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine: Benson-Henry Institute is also based at Harvard Medical School / Mass General and collaborates with ILM on mind-body medicine courses (e.g., Benson Course). It is comparable as a Harvard-affiliated lifestyle/mind-body medicine educator with overlapping CME audiences.
• American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) / International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM): ABLM/IBLM provide board certification for lifestyle medicine physicians and are tightly linked to ILM through approved Maintenance of Certification pathways. They are comparable as certification-driving entities but operate at the certification layer rather than curriculum delivery.
• Teaching Kitchens Collaborative: Teaching Kitchens Collaborative is a member network of institutions using teaching kitchens for nutrition and health education; ILM joined as a member in 2023. It competes for institutional mindshare in culinary medicine and is comparable as a culinary medicine ecosystem.

Emerging players

• National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC): NBHWC certifies health and wellness coaches and approves CE courses, including ILM's. It is comparable as a certification ecosystem that intersects with ILM's coach training pipeline.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ILMLifestyleMed
• Facebookfacebook.com/InstituteofLifestyleMedicine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-of-lifestyle-medicine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute of Lifestyle Medicine