Bea Better Eating
Bea Better Eating is an emotional eating therapy app that I co-founded with a clinical psychologist to help people build a healthier relationship with food, without relying on diets, willpower, or shame. As CPO and individual contributor, I lead product strategy, design, and execution, translating evidence-based therapy into an engaging digital experience powered by AI and behavioral science. I manage a cross-functional team, shape the roadmap, and directly design and build key features, such as our gamified 15-day challenge. Bea continues to grow, improving trial-to-paid conversion and engagement, and is backed by leading wellness partners.
Case Study Summary
INDUSTRY:
PRODUCT TYPE:
YEAR:
ROLE:
HEALTH & FITNESS
MOBILE APP
2023 - PRESENT
CO-FOUNDER / CPO
KEY ACTIONS & OUTCOMES
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PHASE
Emphathize
Define
Ideation
Prototype
Test
Iterate
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Results
Challenge
We launched Bea on the App Store and Google Play in early 2025 and have since collected enough user feedback to iterate and improve the experience. With minimal go-to-market strategies, the app has averaged approximately 400 downloads per month, with a 30-day retention rate of around 3%. (3.7% is the average for health and fitness apps.)
With the app store versions still in their MVP stage, opportunities for improvement are abundant. The research and data I’ve delivered now guide the team toward the most impactful next steps.
One of the toughest challenges has been translating complex, evidence-based therapy into a simple, engaging digital experience that feels personal—not clinical. Teaching emotional eating awareness adds another layer of complexity. Partnering with a co-founder who is a clinical psychologist has been both a strength and a challenge: her deep clinical expertise builds credibility, but the lack of product knowledge often means I bridge a wide gap between research, therapy frameworks, and user-ready design. Balancing that dynamic with real-world constraints—such as limited development resources and a lean budget—has required creative problem-solving and ruthless prioritization.
As both CPO and hands-on IC, I constantly switch between strategic vision and tactical execution, filling gaps across design, product, and growth. In a saturated wellness market, we’ve stayed true to our mission by differentiating through emotional intelligence, clinical credibility, and the kind of trust that keeps users coming back.
Engaged with emotional eaters, Dr. Lavelle’s insight from patient experience, shaped mission
Identified need for compassion, emotional support, and habit reinforcement.
Conceptualize an AI companion, tracking tools, and types of guided activities
Designed chat flows, dashboard, gamification, and low fideility UI
Analyzed user feedback to pinpoint pain points and prioritize new feature improvements
Refined content, pacing, AI voice, and gamification to boost engagement and conversions.