Congratulations to the 2025 Shark Tank of Wellness Winners!
Please join us in congratulating the winner of the 2025 Shark Tank of Wellness Competition: Lina Madeleine Holzkämper! The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) in Dubai, Sofia and two other entrepreneurial innovators, Riya Shah and Damia Ahmad Faizal, presented their business ideas to our esteemed Wellness Sharks, Karen Campbell, Frank Pitsikalis, Meng-Mei “Maggie” Chen, PhD, and Robert Hammond. All three finalists received an all-expenses-paid trip to the GWS in Dubai.
Winning the top prize ($5,000): Lina Madeleine Holzkämper, Management Center Innsbruck, Austria. View her video submission below:
Lina Madeleine Holzkämper is dedicated to shaping the future of wellness tourism by bridging business innovation with wellness-driven hospitality practices. With hands-on experience in leading wellness resorts and global hospitality consulting, she brings both operational expertise and strategic insight to her work. Grounded in a degree in Business and Tourism Management, Lina combines an entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for creating sustainable wellness experiences that elevate industry standards while continually expanding her knowledge at the intersection of hospitality and holistic wellbeing.
Professor: Dr. Franz Linser
School: Management Center Innsbruck
Name of Innovation: WellNest
Winning the second place price ($3,000): Riya Shah, Savannah College of Art & Design, United States. View her video submission below:
Riya Shah grew up in India surrounded by the world of wellness, finding balance in mindful tools amid the chaos of daily life. Now a senior at SCAD Atlanta majoring in Advertising and Branding with a minor in Graphic Design, she aspires to become an art director who uses creativity to drive meaningful social impact and inspire positive change. An International Design and Microsoft award winner, Riya is passionate about exploring how AI can be ethically integrated into creative workflows.
Professor: Gauri Misra-Deshpande
School: Savannah College of Art & Design
Name of Innovation: Vohm
Winning the second place price ($2,000): Damia Ahmad Faizal, Dongseo University, South Korea. View her video submission below:
Damia Batrisyia, a Malaysian student at Dongseo University in South Korea, is pursuing a double degree in Global Business Administration and Film & VFX. Serving as Student President of the Wellness Research Lab since 2023, she aspires to bridge creativity and strategy. She seeks to combine storytelling and strategic marketing to craft transformative wellness initiatives that inspire innovation and drive meaningful global impact.
Professor: Danny Kessler
School: Dongseo University
Name of Innovation: Seedsniff