Matt Dawson, M.D., is a medical entrepreneur with a passion for science and business. He is fascinated with maximizing health and extending the human lifespan. You could say this interest is in his DNA.
In fact, DNA is essential in Dawson’s latest entrepreneurial venture, Wild Health, a genomics-based precision medicine company he co-founded in the spring of 2019.
Matt Dawson, M.D., is a founder of Wild Health and co-owner of the Kentucky Castle.
“We saw all the science emerging about genomics and how we could truly practice personalized medicine by looking deeply at an individual’s genomics, but no one was doing it,” he said of the business idea. “Once we sequenced our DNA and dug in, we solved some difficult medical problems for ourselves. Then we did the same for friends and family, and eventually we became convinced this is how medicine should be practiced in the future.”
Dawson left University of Kentucky HealthCare, where he had been the director of Point of Care Ultrasound, to launch Wild Health. At this cutting-edge medical facility, a team of physicians and health coaches conduct a deep analysis of a patient’s DNA, biometrics, bloodwork and microbiome via proprietary software. They then combine the data with conversations “and other factors to tell you exactly how to optimize your health,” Dawson said, providing clients with an individualized plan for diet, exercise, supplements and lifestyle factors to optimize health and prevent disease.
In less than three years, Wild Health has treated thousands of patients “and the results we’ve gotten have been unheard of,” Dawson said.
In October 2021, Wild Health launched a nationwide partnership with Boulder, Colorado-based CrossFit. Called CrossFit Precision Care, this new business model combines the medical science from Wild Health with CrossFit’s physiological exercise and lifestyle to provide a comprehensive, individualized health plan for clients.
CrossFit Precision Care co-founder Dr. Julie Foucher is a Lexington-based physician and CrossFit athlete working full-time with Wild Health.
Wild Health has partnered with CrossFit to incorporate its genetics-based analysis in crafting a multidimensional health plan for clients.
Other national and international organizations are also using Wild Health’s precision-based technology and science.
Since the spring of 2020, Wild Health has partnered with the University of Kentucky and the Commonwealth of Kentucky to conduct COVID-19 tests and administer Pfizer vaccines throughout Lexington and the state. As of late November, Wild Health has tested over 600,000 people in Kentucky and 17 other states.
“I no longer practice emergency medicine,” Dawson said. “It was a love of mine, but my love of genomics and practicing precision medicine grew too much to do them both.”
At 5 years old, Dawson knew he wanted to be a doctor and help, but he also had an entrepreneurial spirit. In grade school, in Stanford, Kentucky, he started a landscaping business and sold it when he was in high school.
“I’ve always loved solving problems, creating solutions and building businesses,” said Dawson, now 40. “I feel fortunate now to be able to combine my loves of medicine, health and entrepreneurship.”
Dawson went to the UK for his undergrad degree and medical school and did his residency training in emergency medicine at the University of Utah. Right out of med school, Dawson started his first medical business, one of teaching other physicians.
“We created an app that was downloaded over 100,000 times, a podcast that was downloaded over 1 million times, taught over 10,000 physicians, and then created a nonprofit to teach physicians in underserved countries around the world,” he said.
Dawson co-hosts a Wild Health podcast with Dr. Mike Mallin, chief medical officer at Wild Health. They interview authors, athletes, entrepreneurs, researchers and physicians — including Dr. Kristin Dawson, Erin Calipari, Ph.D., Dr. Julie Foucher and CrossFit CEO Eric Roza — and cover topics like nutrition, mindfulness and genomics-based sleep optimization.
Each of Dawson’s ventures is its own business entity with different partners, “building something with other passionate people.”
In 2017, he and a small group of fellow doctors purchased the Kentucky Castle on Versailles Road. He is still an owner but has changed his title from CEO to CFO — chief farming officer — “to signal the importance of the land and farming,” he said.
Most of the produce for the restaurant at the Kentucky Castle is grown in a large garden on the property. His interest in the 110-acre farm inspired Dawson to purchase the castle in the first place.
“We wanted to teach people where their food comes from by growing and showing onsite where we get the food for the restaurant,” he said. “That’s still a work in progress as it’s hard to make trees grow faster and change the landscape, but we’re committed to it and we’re making progress.”
The Kentucky Castle has sheep, goats, chickens and bees, and will add more animals and plant varieties in 2022.
While the property has won awards for its architectural beauty and as a tourism draw, Dawson is most proud of the team members and their commitment to running a nature-based business. He cites COO Christie Eckerline and general manager RJ Bilinovic for their work in growing the hotel, restaurant and event space while pushing forward the farm’s mission.
“Our farm manager, Toni Meyers, and her students have been such an inspiration with how they’ve worked and built out the actual farm,” he said. “Our executive chef, Jason Walls, truly understands what it means to grow food, not just prepare it deliciously, and he’s working on the farm as much as he is cooking in the kitchen. It’s such a joy to see them all at work each day.”
“It’s a myth to think you have to go to the Bay Area or New York City to find great tech talent. Every time I come home from one of those places, I’m so thankful for Kentucky and very proud that our company is based here.” —Matt Dawson
At Wild Health, Dawson works with several companies on the West Coast and in New York City “and they’re frequently surprised when they hear that this deep science tech company is based in Lexington. It gives me great pride to tell them that,” Dawson said. “Central Kentucky has an amazing pool of talent.”
Some of the scientists and software engineers with Wild Health are in other locations, but the vast majority are in the Lexington area.
“It’s a myth to think you have to go to the Bay Area or New York City to find great tech talent,” Dawson said. “Every time I come home from one of those places, I’m so thankful for Kentucky and very proud that our company is based here.”