Attitude with Gratitude: Trailblazer Nominee Vic Rathi on a Lifetime of Innovation

In this episode of Supplement Source, CRN’s Jeff Ventura sits down with Vic Rathi, founder and CEO of Specialty Enzymes & Probiotics and a finalist for CRN’s Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award.

Rathi reflects on more than four decades in the industry, including his early recognition that enzymes and probiotics needed greater scientific understanding and more thoughtful formulation. He discusses the influence of his father—who began producing enzymes in India in the 1950s—and how the industry has evolved from simply adding ingredients to formulations to demanding scientific evidence and proven results.

Rathi also shares what continues to fuel his passion for research and innovation, his hopes for the next generation of industry leaders, and the family philosophy that has helped guide his career: “attitude with gratitude.”

Listen for a conversation about science, leadership, curiosity and the importance of staying grounded while continuing to push an industry forward.

About the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) 
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973 and based in Washington, D.C., is the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement and functional food industry. Bringing together manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and service providers, CRN unites its member companies around a shared commitment to science, transparency, and responsible business practices—advancing a strong, credible marketplace that supports consumer health and industry growth.

In an increasingly complex regulatory and media environment, CRN serves as the industry’s front line—shaping science-based policy, defending market access, and countering misinformation. Through strategic advocacy, self-regulatory leadership, voluntary guidelines, and evidence-based communications, CRN ensures that responsible companies are recognized, protected, and positioned to innovate and compete. Learn more at crnusa.org and follow @CRN_Supplements on X and LinkedIn.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:00

Please note, the Council for Responsible Nutrition, CRN, does not endorse any guest appearing on this podcast or any products or services they may discuss. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of CRN. Thank you and enjoy the episode.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

You are listening to Supplement Source, the official podcast of the Council for Responsible Nutrition. And now your host, Jeff Ventura.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

Hello, and thank you for listening to Supplement Source. My name is Jeff Ventura. I'm the Vice President of Communications here at the Council for Responsible Nutrition here in Washington, D.C. I'm delighted to be joined by Vic Rothi, who is from Specialty Enzymes and Probiotics. And I am also thrilled to say that he is a nominee for the Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award this year. I just want to welcome you, Vic, to the show. How are you?

SPEAKER_03 1:05

Thank you. And I'm doing very well, Jeff.

SPEAKER_02 1:08

What does being named a finalist for the Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award mean to you personally? I think that's something uh our listeners would love to know.

SPEAKER_03 1:16

Well, it is a great honor. I did not expect anything of that nature, and it was kind of shocking also to begin with. I'm really humbled and greatly honored.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Let's talk about trailblazing for a second. When you look back on your career, when did you first feel like you were breaking new ground? Like you you were blazing that proverbial trail.

SPEAKER_03 1:41

Well, in the early days of uh late 80s or in early 90s, I noticed that people were not aware much about the enzymes and probiotics. Basically, ignorance is there, they just wanted to throw something in the formulation, not knowing what it will do or how it will help. That's when I felt that there is so much science behind this. And there is a need in the industry to really uh bring these enzymes and probiotics to a new life. People need to understand it. And that is at that time I felt that there is a big, big need in the industry.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

Why gave you the confidence, Vic, to pursue uh ideas before others saw that potential? I'm sure you encountered some resistance along the way.

SPEAKER_03 2:36

There was always a resistance because in industry where we always knew that people were looking to be at the cheapest possible cost, they can put you know, least cost amount of ingredient they can put and still market with that high numbers. Cost was an always question. And enzymes and probiotics are such things that they are not very cheap. They are cost effective, but that not necessarily cheap. So there was a lot of resistance when I will talk to the people and say, hey, what are you trying to do? I mean, objective is very important to achieve rather than just throw something at it. And that is a lot of resistance you get through. But you have to be honest. And as as you honestly start talking to the people, they realize yes, it makes sense. And when it makes common sense, and then it is uh cost effective, and enzymes and probiotics can be made cost effective because in the industry you don't need more is better. And this is the beauty about the enzymes and probiotics is that you don't need to keep on increasing the numbers for the label's sake. You need to have a proper knowledge and understanding of how you put these things together, which can be very, very effective.

SPEAKER_02 4:03

I'm sure that you're shaping the future leaders of this industry in your own way, who, when you look back, help shape you into the leader and and uh innovator that you are today.

SPEAKER_03 4:18

There are a lot of people in your life who come and help you. But to to really begin with, my father was a great leader and he shaped me and he really showed me how how the enzymes uh can be the future. I was not very sure if whether I want to be in this industry at all to begin with. Uh I wanted to be an engineer, to be honestly speaking, uh, when I was young and a young kid. But uh my father showed me how this can innovate and change the life and how to be a leader and how to look at the different innovations and how to be the best when you do something, do the best and be the best.

SPEAKER_02 5:08

What was his connection to the industry, Dick?

SPEAKER_03 5:11

Well, he's he was the first one originally in India during that time in early fifties, when he was a businessman and uh but realizes the the really importance of the agriculture business and looked into papaya plantations and then with some other relatives and friends, he started his first production of enzymes in 1957. Wow. And that was uh amazing to me because a person who doesn't come from the industry but adopt and learn how rapidly and fast to become not only great as a business but innovative business and you know proceed further in his life. So that is where it leadership and uh you know things come in life.

SPEAKER_02 6:07

So when you look back on the four decades or so that you've been in the industry, what what are you most proud of?

SPEAKER_03 6:16

I'm so proud of this industry which is matured over the period of years. Now you can see that industry not only asks for results, but they also want that to be proven. Is there any double blind studies, if there is any any scientific evidence? And that is a maturity of the industry where in late 80s people were just throwing some ingredients together while uh as you look at it today, everybody is looking at some kind of uh science behind everything and they want to make sense of it. And that is uh that's a great leap forward for the industry.

SPEAKER_02 7:01

Speaking of leaps forward, in terms of your own career progression, did you recall a time where you took a specific risk that ultimately changed the path you were on?

SPEAKER_03 7:15

Well, the risk which I took was uh, as I said, moving from originally from the from what I wanted to do from chemical engineer to become an enthalmologist, working into then getting the studies done myself, and then really getting this industry and trying to change one thing at a time, you know. And it is very fascinating to me that when I met so many great people in our industry, and every time you sit down and talk together along with the medical professionals, and see that uh the medical profession doesn't have all the answers, uh, and that our industry can make a big, big difference in the uh how people can live rather than uh cured, you know, necessarily all the time. And that fundamentally we can bring a good health. People who is more important to me is not getting sick than treating the sick people to the to better to be better.

unknown 8:28

You know?

SPEAKER_02 8:29

I've heard that you're you're known as the godfather of enzymes, and so a couple of things that I I'm curious to know. How how does it feel to have made that kind of mark on the industry? And how do you think your father would feel hearing that?

SPEAKER_03 8:43

My father will feel very proud of it, uh I'm sure. But it is a humbling experience. It is uh and and I I don't think I'm the only person or godfather per se. There is a lot of people who has worked so much in the enzyme development uh for many, many, many years before I came. Only thing which was very important is to bring that knowledge to the common place. Everyone can benefit. And as I said, it doesn't mean it doesn't mean that you got to have a lot of enzymes to be feel better. But it is phenomenal to see that how enzymes can be a fundamental product, enzymes and probiotics can be fundamental products to have a great health, good health in your life, so that there are less miseries and less pain. Okay. And that is critical and important for me.

SPEAKER_02 9:45

Yeah, that's a good goal. Tell me about staying curious and pushing forward after all of this time. How do you you know a lot of people I think their interest level or curiosity in their own careers plateaus sometimes early. Um, but it seems as if you've really kind of kept that going. What's the secret?

SPEAKER_03 10:06

You know, a lot of times people always ask me that question, how come you are not retired yet? You know, and yeah, that that's a very natural question when people think about it. And I tell you, what really, really makes me kicks me, is that I not only I love what I do, because enzyme is fascinating, but every time I go to my research lab, research people and talk to them, and we have, by the way, more than 150 research people, you know, very huge staff in the enzyme industry uh innovating various different uh areas. I get so stimulated and excited because these guys in our research area are phenomenal. I mean, how many different types of enzymes are there? And every time when you recover something new and make it commercially viable, because there are a lot of enzymes which are not commercially viable, uh cost effective. But when you make it commercially viable, and it can be applicable in a real life, day-to-day life, solving the issues where people are facing today, then that really excites me. And that is what keeps me going. I love it. You know what I do, I just love it.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

And I've heard your your your motto is attitude with gratitude. Um, where does that philosophy come from? Is that something else that that sort of flowed down from your father?

SPEAKER_03 11:45

That flows down from my grandmother.

SPEAKER_02 11:48

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 11:49

In life, people do get everything, um, but then you lose the sense of it because there are so many people who makes it happen. It is that sense of awareness that gratitude keeps you humble, keeps you uh grounded. Uh that is my grandma grandmother's uh I I will say gift to me, you know.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

Was that your dad's mother or your mother's mother? My grand my dad dad's mother. Your dad's mother. That's that's lovely. What do you hope for the next generation of industry trailblazers? What do you what do you hope that they learn from your journey?

SPEAKER_03 12:29

I hope that we just uh next generation keeps on moving to have a new research, new innovations. There is nature is phenomenal because these uh civilizations, you can call it, uh, the human beings are here for thousands of years. Uh, India, I where I came from early in the 70s here, is a laboratory of 5,000, 7,000 years old. You know, there is there were science, there was literature, there was so much work done for nature, in nature, which is natural living. And we lost a lot of this, and we are now re-found uh we are connecting it again to the nature, trying to find natural product industry per se, you know, so that we we go back to the nature with a good living, good health, you know, less less diseases, less sufferings in our life.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

Well, Vic Rathi, thank you so much for the generosity of your wisdom today. And uh we really do uh wish you the very best uh in uh this award season for the Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award. Uh, and thank you again for uh your time coming on Supplement Source. Uh Vic, founder and CEO at Specialty Enzymes and Probiotics, we wish you all the best and good luck.

SPEAKER_03 14:00

Thank you, Jeff. Thank you very much for uh for this uh nomination to all the people who has been in this uh uh truly humbling, and we really I really personally appreciate each and every one of them. And there are great people in our industries uh who are striving and doing very best uh for this industry, and the future for this industry is very bright. Uh thank you, thank you again.

SPEAKER_02 14:28

We look forward to seeing you in Carlsbad.