From Overwhelmed Mom to CEO: The Story Behind Cartwheel Health & Nit Happens

When most people think about startups, they picture Silicon Valley, tech founders, and billion-dollar apps.

But for Joanna Shu, the inspiration behind Cartwheel Health came from something far more personal:

👉 Her children getting lice.

In a recent interview with Startup Boston, Joanna shared the deeply personal story behind building Cartwheel Health and why she became determined to create a safer, easier lice treatment for families. 

The Moment Everything Changed

Joanna explained that her journey started during one of the hardest periods of her life.

Freshly divorced and raising young children on her own, she suddenly found herself dealing with lice for the very first time. One child was six years old. Another was just one.

Like many parents, she rushed to the store searching for help—but quickly realized the treatments available felt overwhelming, harsh, and difficult to use.

Years later, lice hit the family again after one of her sons likely picked it up during baseball practice. Soon after, their youngest daughter got it too.

That was the moment Joanna realized something shocking:

Many products on store shelves weren’t even approved for children under two years old.

Instead of using a product she wasn’t comfortable with, the family manually combed through their daughter’s hair strand by strand.

And in that exhausting moment, Joanna thought:

“There has to be a better solution.” 

Building a Better Lice Treatment

That experience eventually led Joanna to co-found Cartwheel Health and launch Nit Happens—a lice treatment designed to be safer, gentler, and easier for families to use.

According to the interview, Joanna was immediately drawn to the product because:

• It had clinical testing showing over 95% efficacy
• It was non-irritating in dermatological testing
• The ingredients were recognizable and family-friendly

The formula includes:

• Organic coconut oil
• Walnut shell powder
• Diatomaceous earth
• Orange extract

Instead of relying on harsh chemicals, the goal was to create a treatment parents could actually feel comfortable putting on their kids’ heads.

Why the Brand Uses Humor

One of the most unique things about Cartwheel Health is its personality.

Rather than treating lice with scary or clinical messaging, Joanna says the brand intentionally leans into humor.

Why?

Because parents are already stressed enough.

In the interview, Joanna explained that lice is a topic that makes people uncomfortable—and humor helps break the tension and make families feel less alone.

At trade shows, Cartwheel’s booth reportedly says:

“Your kid has lice, that stinks, we’ll fix it naturally.”

That playful tone isn’t accidental. It reflects the company’s mission to make an overwhelming experience feel more manageable for parents.

Lessons Joanna Learned as a Second-Time Founder

Before Cartwheel Health, Joanna founded another company called Refresh Skin Therapy.

But she explained that Cartwheel was built very differently.

While her first company grew online first, Cartwheel made the bold decision to launch directly into thousands of Walgreens stores because lice treatment is an urgent purchase. Parents usually don’t want to wait days for shipping when they discover lice.

Joanna also shared how fundraising pushed her outside her comfort zone.

She described herself as naturally shy—but said entrepreneurship forced her to grow.

One line from the interview stood out:

“Do you want to eat or do you want to be shy?”

Now, she embraces every opportunity to speak with investors, parents, nurses, and retailers about the mission behind Cartwheel Health.

The Bigger Mission Behind Nit Happens

At its core, Joanna says Cartwheel Health is about helping families feel less overwhelmed.

Because the truth is:

• Most families will deal with lice at some point
• Parents often panic when it happens
• And many feel embarrassed or alone

Cartwheel wants to change that conversation.

Through approachable education, humor, and family-friendly products, the company aims to make lice treatment feel less scary—and more manageable.