CINCINNATI — Nourishing Change today celebrates the extraordinary career and enduring impact of Colleen Lindholz, founder of the Nourishing Change movement, as she retires from Kroger after 31 years of leadership in pharmacy and retail health.
Lindholz began her Kroger career as a pharmacist in 1995 and went on to hold leadership roles across pharmacy before becoming President and CEO of The Little Clinic and, in 2017, the first President of the newly formed Kroger Health organization. Across three decades, she helped challenge traditional assumptions about where healthcare begins and championed a more connected model that meets people where they are—in their communities, neighborhoods, pharmacies and grocery stores.
A defining chapter of that work was Lindholz’s role as the architect of Kroger Health’s Food as Medicine strategy. Long before food and nutrition became central to the national healthcare conversation, Lindholz advanced the idea that better health requires looking beyond treatment alone to the everyday choices, environments and resources that shape people’s lives. Her philosophy was rooted in care that is personalized, patient-driven, preventive and accessible.
That same conviction ultimately helped give rise to Nourishing Change. Lindholz recognized that the challenges facing health and wellness were too large and interconnected for any one company or sector to solve alone. She envisioned a place where leaders across retail, healthcare, pharmacy, food, technology, research, policy and community organizations could move beyond traditional boundaries—and even competitive lines—to work toward a shared goal of helping people live healthier lives.
What began as an idea has grown into a national movement. Founded by Kroger Health and guided by a steering committee of leading retailers, Nourishing Change brings together leaders across retail, healthcare, food, pharmacy, technology and policy to drive practical, measurable solutions that make healthier living more accessible and advance system-level change. The movement is grounded in a simple belief: meaningful progress happens faster when industries move from isolated innovation to shared action.
Lindholz’s influence extends well beyond the movement she founded. Throughout her career, she has mentored leaders, advanced the role of pharmacy and retail in healthcare, and served the industry and her community through organizations including the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the American Heart Association and Easterseals Redwood. Her work has been recognized through numerous industry and leadership honors, but her legacy is perhaps best reflected in the people, partnerships and ideas that will continue moving forward.
As Lindholz enters her next chapter, the movement she created continues. Nourishing Change will carry forward the principle she championed from the beginning: the future of health will not be built by one organization acting alone. It will be shaped by leaders willing to collaborate, challenge old models and turn bold ideas into measurable action for the people and communities they serve.
