Faces of Kelowna: Medical Aesthetics

Some of the best ideas start with a beer and a conversation.

For Darren Gill and Kory Zelickson, that casual chat turned into Bios Wellness Clinics, a Kelowna-based company quietly transforming how independent wellness and medical aesthetics clinics operate across North America.

Rather than creating one brand to rule them all, Bios Wellness is building a connected network of locally loved clinics that retain their own names, staff, and culture.

Behind the scenes, the company provides what many practitioners need most: business support, structure, and scalability so they can focus on what they do best, caring for patients.

“It’s a founder-first approach,” says Gill, Co- Founder and CEO. “Private equity has its place, but this is a people business. You can’t just look at margin and volume and forget the human side. That’s where we’re different.”.

Gill’s career began in the automotive sector before he joined a tech startup that grew from a hundred to over four thousand employees worldwide.

He later joined Deloitte where he was a leader in the integrations and separation advisory practice in western Canada, where he worked on deals across BC and Alberta. After years of scaling global corporations, he wanted to build something closer to home and more personal.

“We could have done this in Toronto or Vancouver, but we wanted to prove that world-class companies can be built right here in Kelowna,” he says.

That vision has taken root. From its headquarters in the Kelowna Innovation Centre, Bios Wellness acquired its first clinic in June 2024.

Less than a year later, the company is approaching 10 clinics, with a growing list of new clinics on the way and long-term plans to expand to as many as two hundred across North America.

For Co-Founder Kory Zelickson, the drive behind Bios Wellness was personal. Years ago, he battled chronic migraines. When a doctor prescribed a strong antidepressant, a pharmacist urged him to seek alternatives.

Zelickson turned to IV nutrient therapy, a service offered at many wellness clinics, and the results were life-changing.

“That experience completely shifted my perspective,” he says. “It opened my eyes to how powerful these treatments can be and how little awareness there still is.”

An engineer and lifelong entrepreneur, Zelickson saw that many clinic owners were spending more time managing payroll and marketing than treating patients. “We realized we could build a platform that lets them focus on what they love while we handle the business side,” he explains.

At its core, Bios Wellness isn’t about creating clones. Each partner clinic keeps its brand, reputation, and personality. The team steps in only where needed, handling operations, HR, accounting, and marketing so practitioners can focus on care.

“We’re not overly corporate,” says Gill. “We take whatever culture the clinic already has and enhance it, not detract from it.”

Zelickson adds that people and culture are the real differentiators. “Patients come because they trust their provider. They have real connections with their nurse injector, their naturopath, their doctor. So for us, the biggest focus when we buy a clinic is on the people and how we support them.”

That commitment extends to every acquisition. When a clinic joins Bios Wellness, Gill or Zelickson personally visit the site, meet the team, and ensure everyone feels confident and valued.

“We know these transitions can create anxiety,” Zelickson says. “We want every person to feel secure and excited about the future.”

Bios Wellness also aims to shift public perception of the industry. While aesthetic services like Botox and fillers are part of the mix, much of the company’s focus lies in functional and preventive medicine, including hormone therapy, IV nutrition, biohacking, and holistic wellness.

“There’s still a lot of public education to be done,” Zelickson says. “People associate our space with cosmetics, but there’s so much more. Women’s health, hormone balancing, and other therapies are often covered under extended benefits but underutilized.”

Bios Wellness may be growing quickly, but its foundation remains firmly planted in the Okanagan. Both founders see Kelowna as more than just a beautiful place to live; it’s the perfect ecosystem to launch a wellness company with purpose.

“What keeps me going isn’t just the growth numbers,” says Gill. “It’s the people—the doctors we meet, the teams we support, the patients whose lives are changing."

Zelickson agrees. “This is our backyard. We’re proud to be building something here that helps both clinics and patients thrive,” he says. “At the end of the day, it’s about helping people feel and function at their best.”

From the heart of downtown Kelowna, Bios Wellness Clinics is proving that innovation doesn’t have to come from a big city.

It can start with two entrepreneurs, a shared belief in better care, and a commitment to putting people first, one clinic, one community, and one patient at a time.

📍2448 Dobbin Rd West Kelowna (Kelowna Clinic) | Other clinic locations
📞(250) 768-5355
🌐https://bioswellnessclinics.com/
📧info@senseimedicalaesthetics.com (Kelowna Clinic) | Get in touch
🔗Facebook | Instagram