Skin in the Game: The Visionary Founders Turning Aesthetics Into Access

When Mike Jafar founded Joya Health, it wasn’t just about skin care, it was about equity, prevention, and confidence. After 20 years working with major aesthetic brands like Botox and Juvederm, Mike saw an industry full of innovation but out of reach for most people. Treatments were expensive, confusing, and hard to access until now.

Together with VP of Product Ian Metz, the Joya team is changing how we think about skin. Not as a luxury, but as a vital part of our overall health, just like vision or dental. Their mission? Make top-tier skincare and preventive dermatology accessible to everyone through a first-of-its-kind employee benefit.

“Skin should be second or third to dental or vision in every benefit package in America.”
— Mike Jafar, Founder & CEO, Joya Health
Why Joya Stands Out or What Makes Joya So Special

Prevention-first approach:
You can’t even unlock your aesthetic benefits until you’ve had a skin cancer screening, putting health before beauty, without compromise.

Built for the benefits ecosystem:
Joya works with employers, providers, brokers, and employees, navigating a complex web to deliver value to everyone involved.

Cultural shift meets generational demand:
What was once stigmatized—Botox, facials, skincare routines, is now openly discussed across ages and genders. Joya is riding that wave, not pushing against it.

Transparent, people-first culture:
Mike and Ian don’t just build software; they build trust. Radical honesty, shared ownership, and outcome-driven teamwork are at the core of how they operate.

“We built this company off of a feeling. We don’t care to sell a product—we want you to feel what good skin feels like.”
— Mike Jafar

Whether it's helping detect melanoma early or making Botox more affordable, Joya Health is turning skincare into something essential, not extra. And they're doing it with humility, grit, and the kind of radical transparency most startups only pretend to embrace. From personalized onboarding to partnerships with menopause and postpartum-focused care companies, Joya is scaling fast and making skin a serious part of the wellness conversation.

Next
Next

AI Is Making Longevity Care Scalable. Without Losing the Human Touch