Our Story

Shape Up The Nation was founded in 2006 by Brad Weinberg and Rajiv Kumar during medical school at Brown University. They learned from their early clinical encounters that patients who were most successful at losing weight, increasing their exercise, quitting tobacco and achieving lasting behavior change all had one thing in common: they had used their social network to create an environment that supported their efforts.

Watching the plight of unhealthy and frustrated patients, grasping the threat of a national obesity epidemic, and identifying online social networking as a strategic way to promote healthy living, Brad and Rajiv designed and launched a wellness platform to unite people and improve their health through teamwork and peer–support. They continue to lead the company today with a focus on reaching as many people as possible and promoting the idea that social incentives are the most powerful way to change behavior.

Brad and Rajiv have always had a strong interest in public health issues. Rajiv founded Shape Up RI, a community wellness program, and co–founded an NGO that provides financial support for doctors practicing in the poorest countries in the world. Brad biked border–to–border across China educating and raising awareness and funds to support autism research in honor of his younger brother.