Kicking off Betterness will be a festival March 26 for Miami’s tech and wellness communities. Expect workouts, breathwork, sound healing, and panels on longevity and performance.
By Riley Kaminer
#MiamiTech OG Demian Bellumio has spent decades scaling tech startups, raising millions, and navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurial life. But through all the late nights, high-pressure deals, and nonstop grind, there was one thing he neglected: himself.
“I drank to calm myself down. I was constantly networking over cocktails and food. I looked back at photos of myself and thought, ‘wow, I was destroyed,’” Bellumio told Refresh Miami. “I had gained weight, I was stressed, and I wasn’t in a good place. And that impacted everything: my ability to be a better leader, a better businessperson, a better husband.”
Five years ago, his personal reset began. He lost weight, embraced cycling, and dove into the science of wellness. At the same time, he co-founded Nue Life, a psychedelic therapy startup that served over 10,000 patients across 23 states. That experience reinforced something he had already started to understand: mental health is just one part of wellness.
“You have to be well physically, mentally, spiritually,” he said. “You need the full ecosystem of support.”
Now, Bellumio is betting big on wellness with his latest venture, Betterness. It’s an AI-powered platform designed to help users make sense of the overwhelming amount of health data, wellness content, and expert advice available today.
“You have all this information – your Apple Health, your WHOOP data, all these podcasts and books telling you what to do. But how do you actually make sense of it? That’s where Betterness comes in,” he explained. The platform integrates personal health metrics with expert guidance, acting as a personalized AI wellness coach.
“AI doesn’t make you better, people make you better,” he said. That’s why Betterness is also building tools for wellness providers, from personal trainers to meditation studios, to help them better connect with and serve their clients.
“Most of these businesses still rely on outdated tech stacks. We’re creating an AI-driven ecosystem that lets them personalize recommendations and scale their impact,” he added.
To launch Betterness in true Miami style, Bellumio and his co-founders – Ari Katz (co-CEO, alongside Bellumio), Julia Mirer, MD, and Ashley Southard – are putting on an event. The Betterness Festival, happening on March 26 at Flow Miami, aims to bring together 1,000+ people from the city’s tech and wellness communities for an immersive day of workouts, breathwork, sound healing, and panels on longevity and performance.
“We want Miami to lead the way in making wellness as much a part of startup culture as fundraising and growth,” Bellumio asserted.
As part of this movement, Bellumio is also launching “Better Startup,” an initiative encouraging founders to prioritize their well-being. Startup life is tough, he acknowledged, but it doesn’t have to come at the cost of personal health.
“We’re giving free festival tickets to anyone who commits to doing something positive for their wellness,” he said. “Because if founders are healthier, they’ll build better startups.” To claim the free ticket, use code BETTERSTARTUP at checkout, and share your 2025 wellness goals on social media.
“This is the most excited I’ve been about a project in a long time,” Bellumio continued. “I truly believe we can change how people approach success, without burning themselves out in the process.”
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