Becca McCarthy says she’s always been good at recognizing when something is about to break into the mainstream. She has spent her career inside startups, helping turn early interest into real markets and building products before most people realize there’s demand for them.

That’s why, a few years ago, when she started hearing people in her network talking about GLP-1 drugs, she paid attention. GLP‑1 drugs such as Ozempic and Zepbound are among the fastest‑growing prescription medicines in the U.S., with total GLP‑1 sales worldwide estimated at around $50 billion.

But McCarthy was hearing about them long before they became cultural shorthand. Her otherwise healthy friends and family were injecting these drugs for weight loss and keeping it mostly to themselves. Using a medication designed for diabetes to manage appetite carried a stigma. It was considered cheating and ran counter to the wellness world’s insistence on clean eating, discipline, and willpower.

That’s when she saw an opportunity gap. “I thought, what if you could come up with a solve for this massive demand that’s building for efficacy from GLP-1 receptor activation without upsetting the diet and exercise police, then you have a massive solution.”

The answer eventually became Evolv, a natural, oral supplement designed to mimic the effects of GLP-1 without needles, prescriptions, synthetic hormones, or the judgment that surrounds pharmaceuticals.

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A natural solution

To get there, McCarthy teamed up in 2023 with Dr. Corey Henderson, a molecular biologist who had designed a novel peptide that could interact with GLP1 and GIP receptors in the same way that the drugs do, but in a totally natural way without any synthetics. The company says the product supports appetite regulation and metabolic function by activating the same pathways that make pharmaceutical GLP-1s so compelling—but through a natural mechanism that begins in the gut.

They experimented with different delivery methods—first a shake, then a dietary supplement—and eventually landed on a pill. Once they received encouraging feedback from early data, McCarthy committed fully. “I realized this is going to change the world. So I just went all in,” she says.

Related: How This Founder Turned ‘Dry January’ Into a Year-Round Movement — And Built America’s #1 Non-Alcoholic Beer Brand

Overcoming hurdles

McCarthy has had to push through her share of hurdles. One of the most persistent is being taken seriously as a female founder. “There is an inherent bias that we are up against, where it’s really easy for me to be perceived as a highly competent and investable founder or entrepreneur or boss or leader, but it’s very hard for me to be perceived as likable in that role,” she says.

McCarthy recalls times she’s gone to pitch meetings and was mistaken for an admin. Another time, she was turned down only to watch men get funding with a far inferior idea. It’s hard,” she says. “It’s not handed to you in the same way when you’re a female.”

Another challenge has been the silence that comes with success. Customers see results, but they don’t necessarily want to explain how they got them. “People want everybody to think it’s because they went to so many Pilates classes,” she says. It’s hard to build word of mouth when the very thing people like most about a product is that no one knows they’re using it.

Despite the challenge of getting customers to talk openly about the product, McCarthy isn’t dwelling on the marketing dilemma. She’s focused on helping people manage their appetite without requiring a doctor, a prescription, or a needle. It’s the results that will ultimately make the biggest difference. “People just want to look better naked. So when we deliver on that, that’s what works.”