Yunara Life Debuts Hybrid App and NYC Flagship, Launching the Future of Preventive Healthcare, Where Healthy Habits Earn Massages, Botox, Facials, and Wellness Rewards
Powered by a leadership team and advisory board with experience across One Medical, CityMD, Columbia University, Oracle, and e.l.f. Beauty, Yunara Life merges clinical care, cutting-edge technology, and the
psychology of rewards to redefine how people engage with their long-term health.
NEW YORK, June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Yunara Life, a next-generation, whole-health ecosystem that sits at the intersection of lifestyle medicine, wellness, and regenerative aesthetics, is officially launching this July in New York City with a simple but powerful vision: to make healthy choices as rewarding as earning airline miles, hotel points, or credit card cash back – but in the form of self-care.
As preventive health rapidly emerges as the next frontier of the wellness economy, Yunara Life is positioning itself at the center of that shift through a hybrid model that combines a personalized AI-powered app with a flagship physical destination in Manhattan’s Gramercy neighborhood. Backed by investors including Dr. Dan Frogel, Co-Founder of CityMD, and Mamei Sun, former Chief of Staff to Larry Ellison and seasoned tech executive, Yunara brings together expertise from healthcare, technology, behavioral science, and consumer wellness to create a new model for preventive care.
The timing could not be more urgent. A recent survey (2025 Aflac Wellness Matters*), found that 90% of Americans delay or avoid preventive health screenings and appointments. The gap is even more pronounced among younger consumers: while 68% of Gen Z women report avoiding recommended health screenings, the same demographic is fueling explosive growth in preventative Botox, skin treatments, and aesthetics-driven self-care. The result is a generation investing in how they look long before investing in how they function.
Founded by Erika Chen, FNP-BC, Yunara Life was born from Chen’s 15 years in healthcare across primary care, ICU, and emergency medicine, including frontline work throughout the COVID pandemic in New York City.
Through that experience, Chen witnessed firsthand the limitations of a healthcare system built primarily to treat disease rather than prevent it.
“Today, people have access to more health data than ever before – wearables, biomarkers, scans, and endless information online, yet rates of chronic disease continue to rise,” said Chen. “People readily invest in beauty, fitness, recovery, and wellness because the benefits are immediate and tangible. Preventive healthcare has never offered the same experience. Our vision is to change that by rewarding healthy behaviors and bridging the gap between healthcare and self-care.”
At the core of Yunara Life is its proprietary app, which functions as a personalized AI health companion. Users begin with advanced diagnostics and biomarker testing, allowing clinicians to translate comprehensive health data into individualized protocols rooted in evidence-based lifestyle medicine. These personalized plans focus on preventive screenings, nutrition, sleep, movement, stress management, and when indicated, hormone optimization, weight loss programs, and peptide protocols.
As users consistently engage in healthy behaviors tied to their biomarker-driven care plans, they earn points through a gamified rewards program designed to reinforce consistency and long-term habit formation. Those rewards can then be redeemed for services and experiences including facials, massages, Botox, and other wellness offerings within Yunara Life’s inaugural location, creating a continuous engagement loop that brings members back on-site to reconnect with their health, track progress, and take the next step in their longevity journey.
“Healthcare has historically over-indexed on the science of biology and underinvested in the science of behavior, despite behavior driving a significant portion of real-world outcomes,” said Dr. Bernard Chang, MD, PhD, MBA, Chief Scientific Advisor of Yunara Life.
Dr. Chang, an Associate Dean and Vice Chair of Research at Columbia University Medical Center, describes Yunara’s mission to harness behavioral science and drive lasting lifestyle changes that improve long-term health outcomes. “Too often, people know what they should do for their health but struggle to make it stick. Yunara bridges that gap by leveraging habit formation and motivation into practical, personalized guidance. The result is a program designed not just to add years to life, but life to years.”
Located on 23rd Street and Park Avenue, the over 6,000-square-foot destination was intentionally designed by opa architecture to feel fundamentally different from both sterile healthcare settings and conventional wellness spaces. Offering both a membership-based subscription model and a non-member drop-in menu, Yunara Life is positioning itself as an elevated wellness hub where healthcare and self-care seamlessly intersect. In addition to its treatments and services, the company will host clinician-led programming including interactive walks, nutrition workshops, cooking classes, and community wellness experiences.
Underscoring its commitment to clinically grounded, evidence-based care, Yunara Life has assembled a multidisciplinary leadership team spanning medicine, technology, and clinical research, including:
- Erika Chen, FNP-BC, double-board certified nurse practitioner who has worked in the ICU, emergency medicine, and primary care, including at One Medical during its growth phase prior to IPO and acquisition
- Marcus Dillavou, MEng, co-founder of VIPAAR (now HelpLightning), a patented augmented reality platform with over 70,000 users in more than 80 countries
- Craig Zebuda, MD, double-board-certified physician, early partner and medical director of CityMD, who helped scale the company into one of the nation’s leading urgent care networks
- Esther Han, DO, FACS, FACOS, former Fulbright and Fogarty scholar, board-certified reconstructive urogynecological surgeon, specializing in pelvic medicine, hormone management, and sexual wellness
- Bernard Chang, MD, PhD, MBA, Vice Chair of Research, Endowed Professor, Associate Dean at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and top 10 highest NIH-funded physician-scientists
Launch Details
- App Launch & Flagship Opening: July 2026
- Location: 115 E 23rd St. 10th floor in New York City
- Membership Model: Range from $199-399/month and include monthly wellness services, access to private health and wellness events, membership pricing on longevity, peptide, hormone, and weight loss packages, plus special rates on wellness and aesthetics services. À la carte pricing is also available for individual services.
- App Access: Yunara Life is available for download in the Apple and Google Play stores
- Website & Waitlist Information: www.yunara.life
About Yunara Life
Yunara Life is a hybrid preventive health ecosystem combining a personalized AI-driven app with a physical wellness destination in New York City. Founded by Erika Chen, a double-board-certified nurse practitioner, the company is designed to close the gap between knowing and doing. It integrates behavioral science, clinician-guided protocols, and real-world incentives to make preventive care more engaging, accessible, and sustainable. With a leadership team spanning clinical medicine, advanced technology, and academic research, Yunara Life is redefining what it means to invest in long-term health. For more on Yunara Life, visit www.yunara.life and follow @yunara.life on Instagram for the latest updates.
Media Contact
Kristin Breen Communications
Kristin Breen: Kristin@KristinBreenCommunications.co
*Source: 2025 Aflac Wellness Matters Survey, conducted by Kantar Profiles on behalf of Aflac among 2,000 employed U.S. adults ages 18–65 in January 2025.
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