How can GLP-1 therapies offer more than weight loss—and become a pathway to freedom, healing, and hope?
In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley sits down with Amanda Bonello, founder of the GLP-1 Collective nonprofit. Amanda shares her deeply personal journey through obesity, eating disorders, and recovery—and how GLP-1 medications brought her freedom from food noise, nicotine addiction, and years of shame. Together, Nina and Amanda explore how lived experience can fuel advocacy, why access and affordability matter, and what it means to create a more compassionate system for people using these life-changing therapies.
Key Takeaways
• GLP-1 medications quieted Amanda’s food noise and nicotine addiction.
• Her personal experience led to founding the GLP-1 Collective and GLP-1 Access LLC.
• Advocacy starts with storytelling—one patient voice at a time.
• True health means more than a number on the scale; body composition tells a fuller story.
• Collaboration between advocates, clinicians, and organizations can drive real change.
About my Guest
Amanda Bonello is the founder and executive director of the GLP-1 Collective, a nonprofit organization dedicated to affordable access, education, and community for individuals using GLP-1 therapies. She also leads GLP-1 Access LLC, an action-oriented partner that supports advocacy initiatives for medication affordability. Through her podcast and nonprofit work, Amanda amplifies patient voices and drives the national conversation toward empathy, education, and equitable care.
How to Connect
Podcast: GLP-1 Collective Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2khCfMHUPSGBKQNBM1ic4b?si=9b7b33e95b244da1
Website: https://glp1collective.org/
Instagram: amanda.bonell0
Tiktok: @amanda.bonello
