Fitt Insider

Today I'm joined by Anand Sharma. Anand is the founder and CEO of Gyroscope — an app that lets you track and improve everything about your health. In this episode, we talk about Gyroscope's evolution from a personal health experiment to a sustainable business. The challenges and opportunities in creating a personalized health dashboard. And the company's mission to build a new operating system for the human body. More from Anand Anand is the founder & CEO of Gyroscope. He built the first version of Gyroscope as a personal project to track his own life and health (aprilzero.com) and then founded the company to provide it as a service for everyone. He previously designed Quizlet, now used by millions of students to study for their classes, and theory11, an online school for magic. He can be found in most places as @aprilzero More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Anthony Geisler, Founder and CEO of Xponential Fitness — a holding company of nine boutique fitness brands, including Club Pilates, Pure Barre, CycleBar, and others. In this episode, Anthony tells us how they managed to open new studios during the pandemic. We talk about how the Rumble acquisition came together. And Anthony explains why he's bullish on the return of in-person exercise. We also discuss what's next for Xponential — including more acquisitions, whether or not they'll launch connected fitness equipment, and the likelihood that they go public this year. More from Anthony Anthony Geisler is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Xponential Fitness. After graduating from USC in 1999, Geisler and a friend saw the potential in the dot com era and created a domain name and website development business, before moving into casino gaming software, then to fitness when he purchased LA Boxing in 2001. Seeing more opportunity in specialized workouts, Geisler bought Club Pilates in early 2015, a small collection of boutique Reformer Pilates studios concentrated in California that has now grown to 900 licensed locations. In 2017, Anthony recognized there was further opportunity with scheduled boutique fitness and formed Xponential Fitness, which is now the curator of leading fitness brands across each vertical of the boutique fitness industry, including Club Pilates, Pure Barre, CycleBar, Row House, StretchLab, AKT, YogaSix, STRIDE, and Rumble. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Eric Min, co-founder and CEO of Zwift — a fitness company born out of gaming where users ride and run in virtual worlds. In this episode, Eric shares the key insights that led him to start Zwift. We discuss the company's plan to launch a smart bike and other connected equipment, including a rower. And Eric explains why Zwift hopes to make virtual cycling an Olympic sport. More from Eric Eric Min is the Zwift CEO and Co-Founder at Zwift, the online fitness company born from gaming. Launched in 2014, Zwift has grown to see over 3.4 million accounts registered with the platform. The company achieved Unicorn Status in 2020, following a $450M funding round, led by KKR. Utilizing massively multiplayer online (MMO) gaming technology, Zwift brings the outdoor experience indoors blending mass participation events, competition and social connections in immersive 3D environments, ripe for exploration. Working in partnership with the World Cycling Governing Body (the UCI), Zwift hosted the first UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in 2020. In the same year, Zwift also hosted the first Virtual Tour de France in July for both men and women. In collaboration with the UCI, Zwift will be one of the five sports – alongside rowing, baseball-softball, sailing and motor sport – on the programme of the inaugural edition of the Olympic Virtual Series, a new virtual event launched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Saeju Jeong, the co-founder and CEO of Noom — a psychology-based digital health platform. In this episode, we discuss Noom's 14-year history. Saeju shares his journey, from South Korea to founding and scaling a digital health startup. We explore the product's many iterations, including fitness, healthcare, and weight management. And Saeju explains why he is so passionate about helping people live healthier lives. More from Saeju Born in South Korea to a family of doctors, Saeju has always had an intense desire to help people. From an early age, he knew his life's work would be dedicated to improving the wellbeing of as many people as possible. It was after the death of his father at a young age that Saeju became more motivated than ever to truly change lives for the better and use his entrepreneurial spirit (Saeju founded South Korea's first-ever heavy metal record label) to make an impact. After dropping out of college and moving to the US, Saeju met his co-founder Artem Petakov who shared his vision of helping people live healthier lives and convinced him to leave Google to develop Noom. As CEO, Saeju is responsible for setting the strategic vision for Noom and has led the company through several years of tremendous growth, helping millions of people improve their lifestyles and health. In 2020, Saeju was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Jason Karp, Founder and CEO of HumanCo — a holding company of health and wellness brands. In this episode, we talk about Jason's experience starting Hu, a healthy snack brand, and selling the company to Mondelez. Jason shares his vision for HumanCo, which includes investing in, incubating, and acquiring brands. And we discuss HumanCo Acquisition Corp, a $250M SPAC led by Jason and CAVU Venture Partners. More from Jason Jason H. Karp is Founder and CEO of HumanCo – a mission-driven holding company that invests in and builds brands focused on healthier living and sustainability. Recently, Jason also co-founded HumanCo Acquisition Corp. – a $300m SPAC focused on Health & Wellness where he serves as Executive Chairman. In addition to HumanCo, Jason is also Chairman and Co-Founder of Hu (as in Human), one of the fastest-growing snacking companies in the U.S. Hu was recently sold to Mondelez International in January 2021. Prior to HumanCo, Jason spent over 20 years in the hedge fund industry. He was the Founder, CEO and CIO of Tourbillon Capital Partners, an investment fund that managed over $4 billion, and prior to that, worked at 3 multi-billion dollar funds at the partner level. Jason has a B.S. in Economics, summa cum laude, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he also was an Academic All-American and All-Ivy in Varsity Squash. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined Jacob Rothman, co-founder and CEO of Perch. Perch is a velocity-based training system that uses 3D cameras to quantify and improve performance. In this episode, we talk about using technology to improve strength training. The idea of trickle-down health — where a company initially targets elite athletes before broadening its customer base. And how Jacob thinks about the role of content, community, competition, and data in the future of strength training. More from Jacob Jacob is the Co-founder and CEO of Perch. Originally from Charlotte, NC, Jacob attended MIT where he studied Mechanical Engineering and played baseball. After graduating in 2016, he attended grad school at MIT for one year before dropping out to work on Perch full time. Perch uses small and mobile cameras to monitor and manage athlete performance and activity in the weight room. Perch currently helps elite athletic organizations, such as the LSU Tigers and the NY Giants, get the most out of their work in the weight room, while working towards enabling a safer, more efficient, and more connected fitness experience for everyone. Jacob has previous work experience at Apple, Oculus VR, and various MIT labs. He currently resides in Boston, MA. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Greg Caplan. Greg is the co-founder and CEO of Spot Meetings — a platform for walking meetings. In this episode, Greg explains how his personal experience with remote work led him to start the company. We look at what goes into designing a meeting platform for walking. We discuss the health and productivity benefits of simply walking more. And Greg talks about launching Spot's beta and amassing a waitlist of 5K people. A quick disclosure, we are excited to be investors in Spot — supporting the company on its mission to help people escape Zoom fatigue and be more physically active. More from Greg Greg Caplan is the co-founder of Spot Meetings, a platform for walking meetings. Previously, he co-founded Remote Year, the original remote work and travel community. Visit: www.meetwithspot.com More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Jeff Morin — CEO of Liteboxer, an interactive at-home boxing experience. In this episode, we talk about Jeff's background in building hardware products, why Liteboxer was four years in the making, how the company's gaming-inspired platform makes people want to work out, and the potential for mixed reality to disrupt the fitness industry. More from Jeff Jeff Morin is an MIT-educated engineer and certified personal trainer with an eye for both physical and technological performance. Prior to founding Liteboxer, Jeff operated as Manufacturing Lead at Formlabs then DEKA, overseeing manufacturing management, supply chain, and procurement for next-gen product development. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Robin Thurston, CEO of Outside. Outside, or Pocket Outdoor Media, as it was formerly known, is a platform for active lifestyle content and experiences. In this episode, we talk about the acquisitions, rebrand, and $150M funding round that helped turn Pocket into Outside. Robin shares his vision for a recurring revenue bundle across all aspects of an active lifestyle. And we discuss the challenges and opportunities brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. More from Robin Robin Thurston is the CEO of Outside, the world's leading creator of active lifestyle content and experiences. Formerly known as Pocket Outdoor Media, Robin acquired Outside along with other companies such as OutsideTV, Gaia GPS, AthleteReg and Peloton Magazine in February of 2021. Across web, print, podcast, social, video, and TV, the brand engages with over 70 million of the most active and influential consumers in the world every month. Under his leadership, Outside is reinventing how athletes consume content, participate and engage, increase knowledge, find gear, and ultimately perform in their sport. Before joining Outside, he ran a consumer genetics company called Helix in Silicon Valley before returning to his home state of Colorado. Prior to Helix, Robin co-founded and built MapMyFitness into one of the world's largest open fitness tracking platforms. Following the acquisition of MapMyFitness by Under Armour, he joined the innovative sports apparel organization and served as Chief Digital Officer, where he led the overall strategic direction of the company's Connected Fitness and eCommerce business. Robin spent the first ten years of his career building a mutual fund classification and ratings platform at Lipper (a Thomson Reuters Company), as well as a risk and compensation platform at both American Century Investments and Wellington Management. He graduated with a MS in Finance from University of Colorado at Denver and lives with his wife and three children in Boulder, Co. He is a lifelong cyclist who started riding and racing in the early 1980's.

Today I'm joined by Alexa Meyer. Alexa is the co-founder and CEO of Coa — a mental health and emotional fitness company offering therapist-led classes. In this episode, we talk about Coa's mission to become the Nike of mental health. Why we should treat mental fitness like going to the gym. How in-person, community-focused classes help to destigmatize the idea of going to therapy. And why professional basketball player Kevin Love invested in the company. More from Alexa Alexa is the Co-Founder & CEO of Coa. After trying to take care of her own mental wellbeing, she was frustrated with the lack of options and asked: "Why isn't there a gym for mental health?" This sent her on a mission to make emotional fitness as inviting and community-based as physical fitness. She started the first "Mental Health Pop-Up" and helped hundreds of people across the country try therapy. She continues this mission at Coa where she uses her background in start-ups, product, and branding to change how the world thinks about emotional wellbeing. Prior to Coa, Alexa was a VP at a fast-paced tech startup, worked at the world's largest brand strategy firm, Interbrand, and studied psychology and consumer behavior in Canada (her home country!). More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Jon Carder. Jon is the co-founder and CEO of Vessel — an at-home diagnostics company helping users optimize their health. In this episode, we talk about using blood and urine tests to measure biomarkers. How Vessel sold 100K test kits as part of its pre-order campaign. Jon shares his plan to launch a connected, health-tracking toilet. And we discuss the company's mission to put a diagnostic lab in the palm of every hand. More from Jon Jon Carder is a serial Internet entrepreneur. After starting his first company, eHeaven.com, at the age of just 19 (which led to a short-lived early retirement at 27), his determination to build and innovate drove him to launch a series of multi-million-dollar online businesses: ClientShop.com, MojoPages.com, Mogl.com, and Empyr.com. Today, Carder serves as CEO and co-founder of Vessel, an in-home wellness tracking company that instantly and accurately uncovers what your body really needs. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Jeff Byers. Jeff is the CEO of Amp Human — a human performance company helping athletes unlock their potential. In this episode, we talk about Amp's evolution from a single product into a platform. Jeff's plan to build a system around human performance. How the company gained traction in the Tour de France, NFL, and United States military. More from Jeff Jeff Byers is the co-founder and CEO of Amp Human-- a human performance company and venture-backed startup based in Park City, Utah. They work with the world's best athletes and teams, including Super Bowl and Stanley Cup Champions, and Tour de France winners. In addition, Amp Human has assembled one of the best scientific advisory boards in the industry to help push innovation and research forward. Their flagship product, PR Lotion, gives the body more bicarb (a natural electrolyte) to neutralize lactic acid in muscles which allows athletes to push harder, feel better, and go longer. Prior to starting Amp Human, Jeff was an early member of a biotech company for 3 years, which inspired him to build Amp Human. At the biotech he and his co-founder saw an opportunity within the biotech to leverage its technology outside of medicine and in the human performance space and establish themselves at the forefront of human performance. Before his business career, Jeff attended the University of Southern California, where he was a 2-time captain and a multiple year starter for their championship football team. While playing he graduated with his undergraduate degree in 3 years and proceeded to earn his masters in business administration before entering the NFL. He had a 4 year career in the NFL, mostly for the Carolina Panthers, serving as a backup but also starting a handful of games

Today I'm joined by Brian Reilly. Brian is the co-founder and managing partner of Will Ventures — an early-stage firm investing across health & wellness, media, and consumer products. In this episode, we discuss the firm's $55M inaugural fund. We take a closer look at a few of their portfolio companies — including Elo, Liteboxer, and Breathwork. Then Brian talks through ideas and untapped opportunities he's interested in backing. Let's get into it. More from Brian Brian brings a diverse professional background to bear on his work, with experience spanning the sports, fitness and healthcare sectors and across technologies (wearables, disposables, artificial intelligence, machine-learning) and business environments (VC-funded startups and investment firms). In addition to his investment expertise, Brian has deep technology experience, gained as a Founding Member and the Director of Product and Research at the Sports Innovation Lab, the premier sports technology research and advisory firm, and as a product manager at MC10, where he was responsible for the development and commercialization of next-generation sports, fitness and healthcare wearables and software systems for big data storage and machine-learning. Brian earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University and was a member of the college's varsity football team. He is from East Windsor, New Jersey. > Brian's Twitter and LinkedIn > Will Ventures Twitter (company) More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Harpreet Singh Rai, CEO of Oura — makers of a health-tracking smart ring. In this episode, we talk about the evolution of wearables from step counting to health monitoring. We discuss Oura's focus on accurate, actionable data. And Harpreet explains why he thinks competition from Apple, Amazon, and Google is actually a good thing. More from Harpreet Harpreet Singh Rai is the Chief Executive Officer of Oura and a member of its board. His purpose is to be part of a team that is committed to improving population-level health and wellbeing. Under his leadership, Oura has grown to a team of over 150 employees and has launched its generation 2 ring, shipping over 300,000 units to 98 different countries. He is responsible for Oura's vision and strategy and guides decisions that ensure the organization's financial health. Before joining Oura in 2017, Harpreet was a portfolio manager who led the technology, media and telecom portfolio at Eminence Capital for 9 years. He began his career working in Morgan Stanley's merger and acquisitions group. Harpreet studied electrical engineering at the University of Michigan. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Brett Thomas. Brett is the co-founder and managing partner of CAVU Venture Partners — a leading venture capital firm investing in better-for-you food and beverage brands, as well as companies across health and wellness. In this episode, we discuss the evolving definition of health and how it's broadening the firm's thesis. We explore the art, science, and luck behind investments in Beyond Meat, Vital Proteins, Hims, and Thrive Market. And Brett talks about CAVU's role in a new $225M SPAC targeting the health and wellness space. More from Brett Brett Thomas is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of CAVU Venture Partners. Prior to co-founding CAVU in 2015, Brett was the founder of Thematic Capital Partners, a private investment vehicle focused on private/public equity investments in the consumer sector. Before entering into the consumer investing space, Brett worked at Scout Capital Management for 5 years, a long-short hedge fund focusing on special situations with over $9B in AUM based in NYC. He is a graduate of Boston College, with a concentration in Finance, and was a Division I Student Athlete. In 2017, Brett was elected to Boston College's prestigious "40 under 40 list" and was named a "Consumer Catalyst" by Forbes as one of the top dealmakers and influencers in the consumer space. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his 3 kids and wife and rooting for all professional Cleveland sports teams, hoping one day to see the Cleveland Indians win a World Series! More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

This week, we're excited to bring you another edition of Startup Spotlight – a series where we speak with early-stage founders working on fitness and wellness startups. Today I'm joined by Wilfred Valenta, CEO of Silofit. Silofit is a network of private, on-demand fitness spaces. In this episode, we discuss innovative approaches to brick and mortar fitness. Wilfred shares his vision for a decentralized gym — spanning real estate, software, and services. And we talk about why the company is focused on helping fitness professionals grow their business. More from Wilfred Wilfred is the CEO & Co-founder of Silofit, a platform for fitness and wellness professionals to run their physical and digital business completely from end to end. The company offers private workout space at 40% less compared to standard gyms, an app to help sell content and find leads, and supporting education and certification. Silofit is venture-backed by Whitecap VP, Courtside VC, Alate Partners, and famed football player Ndamukong Suh. Currently operating 8 spaces across 2 cities, the company is set to demonstrate significant growth as it enters the U.S. market in 2021. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Brian Kirkbride. Brian is the co-founder and co-CEO of FitLab — an integrated holding company of Performance Lifestyle brands. In this episode, we talk about FitLab's evolution from venture studio to holding company. How they've partnered with brands like XPT, McGregor Fast, and Freeletics. Then Brian and I discuss the future of the fitness space, including digital options, the in-person experience, and community. More from Brian Brian Kirkbride is the co-Founder and co-CEO of FitLab, the fitness and sport lifestyle company whose brands include Electric, Freeletics, McGregor FAST and XPT. Brian has spent nearly two decades building and scaling companies in sport, fitness and wellness. At Nike, Brian oversaw business development and partnerships, and was founder & GM of the Nike+ Lab and the Nike+ Accelerator. Brian was previously COO of Kalologie, a retail wellness company, as well as a venture capitalist at Highland Capital Partners. Brian received an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt and a MBA from Harvard Business School. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Jimmy DeCicco, CEO of Super Coffee. In this episode, we discuss the company's journey from college room to Shark Tank and landing an investment from Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez. Jimmy also talks about the importance of being action-oriented, building a strong culture and team, and how he thinks about the evolution of the better-for-you food and beverage category. Let's get into it. More from Jimmy Jimmy is the oldest of the three DeCicco brothers who founded Super Coffee in 2015 as tired collegiate student-athletes. Sick of unhealthy bottled coffees and energy drinks, the DeCicco brothers invented a sugar-free, enhanced coffee in their dorm room and challenged big sugar head-on. Today, Super Coffee is the fastest growing food and beverage company in the country (Inc. 5000, 2020). The DeCicco brothers appeared on ABC's Shark Tank in 2018 (Season 9, Episode 22), the Forbes 30 Under 30 List 2019, and were EY's Entrepreneurs of the Year in 2020 (NYC Region). Super Coffee is nationally distributed by Anheuser Busch and is available in over 50,000 stores in the US. The DeCicco brothers have raised over $50 million in venture capital, attracting big-name investors like Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Aaron Rodgers, Baron Davis, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Anheuser Busch and more. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

This week, we're excited to bring you another edition of Startup Spotlight – a recurring series where we speak with early-stage founders working on fitness and wellness startups. We usually focus on established companies, operators, and inventors — and we'll continue bringing you those conversations most weeks. But, from time to time, we're highlight companies at the beginning of their journey. Today I'm joined by Emily Hochman, the founder and CEO of Wellory. In this episode, we talk about building the anti-diet app. How Emily was able to raise $4.2M to personalize nutrition. And the growing opportunity to create a high-touch experience for health seekers. More from Emily Emily Hochman is the Founder and CEO of Wellory, the anti-diet nutrition app on a mission to make personalized nutrition accessible for all. Hochman has been featured in Business Insider, Thrive Global, Well+Good, named Bucknell University's 13 Under 35 Innovators and Forbes 30 Under 30. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Avrum Elmakis, founder and CEO of CLMBR — a connected vertical climbing machine. I this episode, we talk about launching a company during a pandemic, introducing a new piece of equipment to the connected fitness category, why CLMBR plans to target the commercial sector in addition to at-home, and how the company landed investors like Jay-Z, Pitbull, and Novak Djokovic. More from Avrum Avrum Elmakis is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at CLMBR. A serial entrepreneur, Avrum has founded and sold many successful businesses, and won EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013. At CLMBR, he is responsible for leading a team of design, fitness and tech visionaries in creating the world's most advanced climbing machine. He is also the owner of two Rise Nation climbing studios in Colorado and still serves as the chairman of the board of TDBBS, his business which scaled quickly into a behemoth in the pet industry. He is an avid skier and enjoys spending time with his wife and four daughters and loving the great state of Colorado. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by John Burns, CEO of TB12. TB12 is a health and wellness company founded by Tom Brady and his personal trainer Alex Guerrero. In this episode, we talk about the company's mission to help people perform better and live pain-free. Building a business that encompasses physical locations, digital content, nutritional supplements, fitness equipment, and more. And John talks about the company's plans to develop an education and certification program for TB12 coaches. More from John John Burns is the CEO of TB12, the health and wellness company founded by 6-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady and co-Founder Alex Guerrero. John is responsible for leading all aspects of the company's operations and growth strategy. He has enjoyed a successful career in executive leadership and venture capital. With a strong passion for entrepreneurship and brand building, he has served as Founder, Chairman, and/or CEO of multiple consumer companies. John has a particular interest in health, wellness, sports, and fitness. He serves, or has served, on the Boards of TB12, Spartan Race, Grillos Pickles, Yasso, and EverybodyFights. John received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his M.B.A. from Babson College. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the business of fitness and wellness. Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Jason LaRose, CEO of Equinox Media. In this episode, we discuss the SoulCycle at-home bike and Variis by Equinox — the digital platform powering the content and connected fitness experience. We talk about the role of the instructor, music, community, and programming in producing fitness content. Then we look ahead to the return of exercising in person, and how Equinox will approach an omnichannel fitness environment. Let's get into it More about Jason Jason LaRose is the CEO of Equinox Media, a transformative on-demand platform offering access to the best brands in fitness. In his role, LaRose is responsible for leading strategy, growth and expansion for the company. LaRose joined Equinox Media following more than 20 years of experience in brand, e-commerce, omnichannel retailing, and building communities in the digital and athletic spaces. Prior to Equinox Media, LaRose was President of North America for Under Armour where he spearheaded the company's entrée into wearables and fitness tracking apps, expanded the Under Armour Connected Fitness platform, and established the global e-commerce business. In the earlier days of e-commerce and social media, LaRose served as an Associate Principal in the Consumer and Digital Practices at McKinsey & Company where he helped companies expand their brands into the digital space. LaRose also previously served as a board member at Shop.org and held numerous executive strategy and operating positions at Sears Holding Corporation and Express, LLC. LaRose holds a B.S. from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Duke University. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

This week, we're excited to bring you another edition of Startup Spotlight – a recurring series where we speak with early-stage founders working on fitness and wellness startups. We usually focus on established companies, operators, and inventors — and we'll continue bringing you those conversations most weeks. But, from time to time, we're highlight companies at the beginning of their journey. Today I'm joined by Lola Priego. Lola is the founder of Base — where they're using at-home blood testing to improve diet, stress, sleep, and brain fog. In this episode, we talk about putting health in the consumer's hands, targeting potential customers beyond the realm of biohackers, and how Lola was able to raise $3.5M with a team of only five employees as a first-time founder. Let's get into it. More from Lola Lola is the Founder and CEO of Base, the first health tracker that uses a data science app paired with at-home testing to help people feel better. Prior to founding Base, Lola was a software engineer at Amazon, Facebook and Instagram where she was focused on improving network performance. She later went on to be the Head of Engineering at a Khosla-backed startup within the lab industry space. Through her own personal health journey, Lola realized that a major discrepancy in the healthcare system is the lack of access to data around one's health. She founded Base as a way to help people understand why they are feeling off with a data-driven approach. Base helps those users that can't sleep, are fatigued, brain fogged or are looking for the optimal personalized diet. Originally from Spain, Lola studied medicine for a year before transferring to engineering at the Technical University of Madrid. She then came to the United States to study at the Illinois Institute of Technology and received her Master's Degree in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. In her free time, Lola started a project through the organization More than Me where she goes to Liberia and teaches girls to code with tablets that she uniquely designed to work offline. Social: https://www.instagram.com/get_base/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lolitapriego Webpage: https://get-base.com/fitt for a 20% off discount More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co ### A quick reminder before we get into today's show — every Tuesday, we send a weekly newsletter filled with insights and analysts on the business of fitness and wellness. Join other decision-makers and industry operators, by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Brynn Putnam. Brynn is the founder and CEO of Mirror — a connected fitness company that combines an interactive screen with on-demand workout content. In July, lululemon acquired Mirror for $500M. In this episode, we talk about Brynn's motivation for starting Mirror and the genesis of the idea. What differentiates the company from the growing number of look-a-like products. How Brynn defines community in a digital world. And what factors led lululemon to ultimately acquire the company. More from Brynn Brynn Putnam is the founder and CEO of MIRROR, the nearly invisible, interactive home gym that streams live and on-demand fitness classes in a variety of genres. For more than a decade, Brynn has been regarded as a pioneer of the fitness industry. First as a ballet dancer for the New York City Ballet, then as the founder and CEO of Refine Method, the acclaimed fitness studio in New York dubbed "Best New Workout" by New York magazine. Now, Brynn is applying her deep expertise in fitness, both as an accomplished entrepreneur and athlete, to transform the fitness industry again. Brynn graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Russian Literature and Culture and is based in New York City. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Byron Ling of Canaan Partners. In this episode, we discuss Byron's investments in companies like Mirror, Ro, Papa, and Uniform Teeth. His insights on building a consumer brand in the healthcare space. And what we should look out for as fitness, wellness, and healthcare converge. About Byron Byron is a Partner at Canaan focusing on consumer and digital health investing. His investments include Papa, Ro, Uniform Teeth, Kin Euphorics, and Bravo Sierra. He was previously an investor at Primary Venture Partners, leading investments in companies such as Mirror and K Health. Prior to venture capital, he was an early employee at Gilt Groupe, helping scale the flash sale e-commerce company from product-market fit through the growth stage. Byron holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a B.S. in Economics from Case Western Reserve University. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Nate Raabe, the Managing Partner at Rx3 Growth Partners. In this episode, Nate tells us about partnering with Aaron Rogers to start Rx3. How the firm uses influencer investors to add value. And we learn about their investments in companies like Hydrow, Hims, Super Coffee, and CorePower Yoga. About Nate Nate is currently the managing partner at Rx3 Growth Partners, a consumer-focused influencer fund based in Orange County. Rx3 invests in both growing and established brands across the consumer space. Prior to Rx3, he was managing director of ROTH's private capital group, where he was responsible for deal sourcing, valuation analysis, and distribution for private companies. Nate also acts as CIO for his family investments and is the managing partner for A&N Ventures. Prior to ROTH, Nate was a founding member of Sapheon where he spearheaded the private companies fundraising prior to its acquisition. He is on the Board of Directors for the San Diego Sports Innovators. Nate graduated from Santa Clara University with a BA in Finance. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

This week, we're excited to bring you another edition of Startup Spotlight – a recurring series where we speak with early-stage founders working on fitness and wellness startups. We usually focus on established companies, operators, and inventors — and we'll continue bringing you those conversations most weeks. But, from time to time, we're highlight companies at the beginning of their journey. Today I'm joined by Zaw Thet, CEO of Exer. Exer uses AI and computer vision to power its motion coaching platform. In this episode, we talk about Exer Studio, the company's Mac app that creates a leaderboard and captures workout stats for any virtual workout, without additional hardware. A partnership with Zoom that lets trainers easily layer Exer on top of their classes. And the company's B2B2C model aimed at helping trainers better engage with their clients in a remote training environment. More from Zaw Zaw Thet is a veteran entrepreneur/investor who has been at the forefront of new technology and starting companies since the age of 19. He is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Exer, on a mission to help millions of people move, train, and play better using the power of AI. Previously, Zaw was a Founding Partner at Signia Venture Partners focused on early-stage tech investing and on creating a new model of venture capital. He helped start Signia in 2012 and led investments across 3 funds. Zaw was the founder and CEO of 4INFO, one of the first and largest mobile advertising platforms in the world. Business Week recognized him as one the "Mobile Barons" helping to shape the mobile ad industry since 2004. In 2011, Zaw was selected as one of ten entrepreneurs to serve on the United Nations Foundation's inaugural Global Entrepreneurs Council, where he is now an Emeritus Member of the board. Zaw studied Political and Computer Science at Stanford, where he was a President's Scholar. He received his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was a Soros Fellow. Exer: http://www.exerstudio.com & http://www.exer.ai/ @movewithexer @zawthet More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today, I'm joined by Deepen Parikh, a partner at Courtside Ventures. Courtside is an early-stage venture firm focused on fitness and wellness, sports and media, and gaming. In this episode, Deepen tells us about Courtside's new $75M fund, the firm's thesis as it related to fitness: including the reinvented gym, human performance, community, and personalized data. And we get into how he thinks about the team, business model, and market when evaluating an investment opportunity. A quick announcement that we touch on this in the episode: Anthony & I are excited to be partnering with Courtside — where we'll be working as advisors to the firm. So if you're building a company in health, fitness, wellness, or sports categories, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email: [email protected] More from Deepen Deepen Parikh is a Partner at Courtside Ventures, a leading VC fund focused on early-stage companies across sports/digital media, fitness/wellness and gaming. Since launching Courtside Ventures in 2016, they've invested in 45+ companies, including Freeletics, Future.fit, Gainful, Silofit, Paceline, The Athletic, StockX, The Drone Racing League, Religion of Sports, Beam (acq by Microsoft), 100 Thieves, RecoverX, among several others. He leads the funds investment focus across fitness, and wellness along with select investment in sports and digital media. Sitting at the intersection of the rapidly growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and the broader sports technology industry, he was recognized as a 2018 Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 recipient. Previously, Deepen was a Partner at Interplay Ventures, an early-stage technology incubator and investor, where he was part of launching/building 15+ companies and investing in another 6 companies. Deepen started his career as an Associate at UBS Financial Services and earned his BA in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park. He currently resides in New York City with his wife, Rakhi (who works at Major League Soccer) and his daughter Prem. More on Courtside Courtside Ventures is a leading early-stage VC fund, backed by several professional sports team owners, public media companies, global family offices and strategic individuals and athletes. They focus on investing across sports/digital media, fitness/wellness and gaming. Across Fund I and Fund II (which they are in the process of closing), they've invested in 45+ companies, including The Athletic, StockX, The Drone Racing League, Religion of Sports, Beam (acq by Microsoft), Rebel (acq by Salesforce), Freeletics, 100 Thieves, Players Lounge, RecoverX, Future.fit, Gainful, Silofit, Paceline, among several others. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Nick Green, CEO of Thrive Market. In this episode, we discuss: Thrive's business model that's been described as Costco meets Whole Foods. The importance of increasing access to healthy, high-quality foods. How Nick was able to raise $250M after getting turned down by countless investors. Why he says the company is just getting started. About Nick Nick Green is the co-founder and CEO of Thrive Market, an online market on a mission to make healthy living easy and accessible for every budget, lifestyle, and geography. For $60/year, Thrive Market members save 25% or more on a curated catalog of the world's highest quality healthy and sustainable food, home, and beauty products. Each paid membership also sponsors a free one for a family in need and enables Thrive Market to ship every member order using carbon-neutral shipping from its zero-waste fulfillment centers. Since its inception in 2015, Thrive Market has grown to a community of over 800,000 paid members, each committed to the health and wellbeing of their families but also united around a vision for a healthier and more sustainable world. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today, I'm joined by L Catterton Managing Partners Michael Farello & Jon Owsley. In addition to investments in consumer brands across almost every category, L Catterton has been heavily involved in the fitness space investing in Equinox, ClassPass, Peloton, Tonal, and many others. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the future of fitness, including COVID's impact on gyms and studios, the growth of connected fitness, and the potential for tech companies like Apple and Amazon to get involved. More on today's guests Michael Farello Michael is a Managing Partner of L Catterton's growth fund, focusing on all aspects of the fund's investment strategy and portfolio management. Over the course of his career, he has served on the Boards of more than 30 companies, with a particular focus on health and wellness, technology and direct-to-consumer businesses. In this capacity, he has focused on the companies' growth strategies, acquisitions and marketing and has extensive experience on both compensation and audit committees. He has served on the Boards of Vroom (NASDAQ: VRM), HomeChef (acquired by Kroger), Better.com, 98point6, ClassPass, Hydrow, Humann, and Pinarello among others. Michael has worked in the consumer sector since the late-80s as a consultant, senior executive, and investor. Prior to joining Catterton, he held several executive positions at Dell where he led the company's consumer marketing and ecommerce business following a strategic role in the Office of the Chairman. Previously, Michael spent 12 years at McKinsey & Company, most recently as a Partner focusing on the consumer sector. Mr. Farello earned an M.B.A. with distinction from the Harvard Business School and a B.S. with distinction in industrial engineering from Stanford University. Jon Owsley Jon is a Managing Partner of the L Catterton Growth Fund. Prior to joining L Catterton, he was a consultant at The Parthenon Group, a strategy consulting firm based in Boston. Prior to joining The Parthenon Group, Jon was a corporate attorney at Hale and Dorr (now Wilmer Hale) in Boston. Prior to Hale and Dorr, he was the Assistant Brew Master at Otter Creek Brewing and was a college lacrosse coach. Jon received a B.A, magna cum laude, from Middlebury College and a JD, with honors, from Cornell Law School. Jon lives in Connecticut with his wife and three teenage daughters. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

This week, we're excited to bring you the first episode of Startup Spotlight – a recurring series where we speak with early-stage founders working on fitness and wellness startups. We usually focus on established companies, operators, and inventors — and we'll continue bringing you those conversations most weeks. But, from time to time, we're highlight companies at the beginning of their journey. Today I'm joined by Cam Porter — the Founder and CEO of Core. Core is making it easy for fitness instructors to create a branded digital experience across iOS, Android, and the web. The company's content and client management tools help instructors launch and scale their business. In this episode, we discuss the current state of digital fitness, the disconnect between fitness and health, empowering instructors to build an online business, and the challenges Core is working through to get a product to market. A quick note on today's episode, Anthony and I working with Cam and the Core team in an advisory role. We're excited to play a small part in helping fitness instructors grow their businesses. More from Cam Cameron Porter is the founder and CEO of Core, the most recent incubation to come out of the NYC based venture studio, AlleyCorp, best known for its past incubations that include; MongoDB (MDB), BusinessInsider, Gilt Groupe, Zola, and many more. Prior to leading Core, Cameron worked as a Venture Architect at AlleyCorp where he helped to launch companies in spaces ranging from renewable energy food truck fleets to prescription digital therapeutics. His path the venture world was not a traditional one. Cameron dropped out Princeton when he was drafted into Major League Soccer. While playing professionally, Cameron also worked with the league's front office as a software engineer. Through all of it, he has maintained a deep passion for how people relate to their bodies and hopes that his work can help people get a little closer to arete — fulfillment through the mind, body, and soul. About Core: Core enables fitness instructors to launch, scale, and grow their business. To do this, Core provides a one-stop-shop for content and client management that powers the instructor's own branded experience across iOS, Android, and web. You set the prices. You own the content. You own the customers. It's your business powered by Core. Learn more: https://www.core.fitness/ More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Randy Hetrick — the Founder and CEO of TRX. In today's episode, we discuss Randy's journey from Navy SEAL to inventing the TRX suspension trainer. The company's "triple threat" of innovative products, professional education, and fitness content. And why Randy believes TRX represents a more accessible approach to exercise than more expensive connective fitness options. About Randy Randy Hetrick is the founder and CEO of TRX Training, one of the world's leading fitness brands. After graduating from USC, Randy attended BUD/S and began a 14-year career as a Navy SEAL. He completed multiple deployments, and his operational career culminated as a Squadron Commander of the SEAL's elite special missions unit where he was tasked with leading the nation's most crucial special operations missions. While on one deployment in Southeast Asia, Randy created the Suspension Trainer®–perhaps the most prolific piece of exercise equipment in history and later the first TRX product. In addition to his role at TRX, Randy is also an investor and advisor to early-stage businesses, a speaker to organizations around the world, and a regular lecturer on leadership and entrepreneurship at his alma maters (USC & Stanford). More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Jason Baptiste, CEO of STUDIO. STUDIO is a smart hub for your home gym. In this episode, we discuss STUDIO's transition from a fitness app to connected hardware. How digital fitness companies can build community online. Business model innovation in the fitness industry. And whether or not gyms will go the way of movie theatres and arcades. More from Jason Jason is the CEO and co-founder of STUDIO, the smart hub for your home gym. STUDIO is the one immersive screen that connects to all your home gym equipment to take fitness classes from instructors you love with a community that uplifts you. STUDIO is financially backed by investors including Huami (NYSE:HMI), the world's largest wearable maker, and LifeFitness, the world's largest manufacturer of commercial fitness equipment. Prior to STUDIO, Jason was the CEO and founder of Onswipe, the world's largest mobile publishing platform, before it was acquired in 2014. Jason is also the author of "The Ultralight Startup", a book on entrepreneurship professionally published by Penguin Random House. Jason has also been recognized by Forbes and Inc. as a 30 under 30 CEO. STUDIO, the smart hub for your home gym, is the one immersive screen that connects to all your home gym equipment to take fitness classes from instructors you love with a community that uplifts you. STUDIO is financially backed by investors including Huami (NYSE:HMI), the world's largest wearable maker, and LifeFitness, the world's largest manufacturer of commercial fitness equipment. STUDIO was founded by Jason L. Baptiste and Nathaniel McNamara and is headquartered in New York City. Learn more: https://www.trystudio.com/ More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.

Today I'm joined by Lionel Conacher — Managing Partner at Next Ventures. Next Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in companies focused on human optimization across sports, fitness, and wellness. In this episode, we talk about how Lionel teamed up with Lance Armstrong to start the firm. Emerging opportunities in hydration, AI, and skin sensors. And why companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google are entering the health and fitness space. More on Lionel Lionel Conacher is a life-long multi-sport athlete and outdoorsman and proud member of Canada's first family of sport. His financial experience spans senior positions in public companies in both Canada and the US, investment banking, and most recently private equity. He understands what it takes to create a highly successful start-up having co-founded Westwind Partners Inc., a specialized Canadian institutional investment bank. As Chief Executive Officer, Lionel grew Westwind to $100 million in revenues over 5 years after which it was sold to Thomas Weisel Partners (TWP) for $145 million. Post-sale Lionel served as President of TWP until the sale of TWP to Stifel Financial in 2010. For 7 years prior to co-founding NEXT VENTŪRES, Lionel was a Senior Advisor and Operating Partner at Palo Alto based private equity firm, Altamont Capital Partners, LLC. He currently sits on the boards AMP Human Inc., Kinetyx™ and DXL Group (NASDAQ: DXLG). Lionel is also actively involved in various non-profits including serving as a Trustee of SFMOMA, Council for Canadian American Relations and Surf Canada. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Keith Nowak, CEO of Ten Thousand. Ten Thousand is an athletic apparel brand for men. In this episode, we talk about how Keith's athletic background and experience working venture capital inspired him to start the company. His laser focus on building an industry-defining brand for guys. And how they've managed to grow quickly while also achieving profitability. More from Keith Keith Nowak is the co-founder and CEO of the New York-based men's activewear brand, Ten Thousand. Prior to launching Ten Thousand in early 2017, Keith spent three years leading Seed and Series A investing for a family office into over 50 companies across consumer, software, healthcare, and digital media, including early investments in Everlane, Warby Parker, and Classpass. Before that, Keith founded and co-founded a number of early-stage tech startups. Outside of the office, Keith is passionate about fitness and spends his time training for marathons and Ironman triathlons, or in a CrossFit box. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Holly Maloney. Holly is the Managing Director at General Catalyst In this episode, we discuss Holly's focus on growth-stage investments in the fitness and wellness space, why General Catalyst led Tempo's $60M Series B, and Holly's "Management, Market, Model" framework for evaluating deals. Get to know Holly: Holly Maloney is a managing director at venture capital firm General Catalyst. She works with GC's Executives-in-Residence (XIRs) to create a new business or identify an existing growth- stage business to accelerate their trajectory and transform with them. Her portfolio of investments includes Allego, Teamworks, Tempo, The Predictive Index, and SonderMind. Prior to joining GC, Holly was a principal at Guidepost Growth Equity (FKA: North Bridge Growth Equity), working closely with companies such as WP Engine and Dyn [acquired by Oracle (NYSE: ORCL)]. Outside the office, Holly is very active (running, hiking, biking, exploring) and is a novice surfer. Holly received a BA in Economics from Bowdoin College. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Josh Augustin. Josh is the CTO of Tempo — a smart home gym that uses computer vision to track your form in real-time. In this episode, we discuss the company's origin story as a product designed to be used in the gym. How they pivoted to at-home fitness. The recent $60M funding round that valued the company at $250M. And the future of the connected fitness category. Get to know Josh: Josh Augustin is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Tempo since 2014. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Josh attended Columbia University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. At Columbia, he worked as a researcher in the Robotics and Computer Graphics labs, studying robotic cloth perception and manipulation among other topics. In 2014, Josh was a software engineering intern at Pixar Animation Studios and was later accepted into startup accelerator Y-Combinator's prestigious Winter 2015 class along with his Co-Founder, Moawia Eldeeb. Josh was recently honored on Forbes' 30 under 30 list for Consumer Technology. More from Fitt Insider Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Mike Maser. Mike is the CEO of Big Sky Health, the company behind the fasting app Zero, Oak, a mindfulness app, and Less, an app for mindful drinking. In this episode, we discussed Mike's experience starting FitStar and selling it to Fitbit. How his personal battle with cancer led him to fasting and, ultimately, becoming CEO of Zero. And we talk about his plans to turn Big Sky Health into a platform for science-backed longevity products. About Mike Mike Maser is the CEO and founder of Big Sky Health, the parent company of wellness apps Zero, Less, and Oak. Formerly the CEO and co-founder of FitStar, and over 2 decades of executive leadership experience at companies including Electronic Arts, Digg, AOL, and Fitbit, Mike has rich experience in the tech and health startup spaces. His work at Big Sky Health blends this knowledge with a personal passion: helping people live longer, healthier lives. When Mike isn't helping millions of users on their wellness journeys, you can find him and his dog, Hank out on the trails in Big Sky, Montana." More from Fitt Insider >> Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Matt Taylor, CEO of Tracksmith In this episode, we talk about what it takes to build a brand from the ground up, using storytelling to cultivate community, and Matt's ambition to make Tracksmith a generational company. Let's get into it. About Matt: Matt Taylor is a runner. From high school track meets to racing cross country and steeplechase at Yale, Matt learned to relish the challenge of competition and the delayed gratification inherent in the sport. After graduating, Matt began his career in the sports industry. From his first role at IMG, Matt moved towards more running-focused positions, ultimately serving as PUMA's Global Head of Marketing for the Running, Training and Fitness categories. He's also the co-creator of Usain Bolt's signature iPhone game. Though deeply immersed in the business of running, Matt became increasingly frustrated with the industry's slow pace, lookalike products and "everyone gets a medal" mentality that diminished the reverence for personal achievement in favor of watered-down fitness messaging. So he set out to create Tracksmith: an independent running brand built on a deep love of the sport. Launched in 2014, Tracksmith has been recognized by outlets like Runner's World, Competitor, the Wall Street Journal, WIRED and more for "further defining what running apparel can be" and for its "anti-Nike" approach to marketing. Based out of the Trackhouse in Boston, MA, Tracksmith crafts products, stories and experiences for the amateur runner. More from Fitt Insider >> Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Dayton Miller, Managing Partner at Boulder Food Group. In this episode, we talked about investing in better-for-you brands, breaking into food and beverage, the four variables Dayton looks for in a startup, and where the category is heading next. About Dayton: Dayton previously co-founded Function, a venture-backed health and wellness beverage company, which Dayton built from idea-conception to $20 million in retail sales until its acquisition by Sunsweet Growers, Inc. Prior to Function, Dayton was an executive in the strategy group at The Walt Disney Company where he worked for over seven years focusing on mergers & acquisitions and operating strategy. Dayton began his career as an analyst in investment banking and spent time as a management consultant for Bain & Co. Dayton serves on the Board of Directors for the Harvard Business School Alumni Association of SoCal and also serves on the Leadership Council of the Fulfillment Fund, an LA non-profit focused on underprivileged youth and education. Dayton was born and raised in Baltimore, MD where he attended McDonogh School. Dayton received his BA from Vanderbilt University and his MBA from Harvard Business School. More from Fitt Insider >> Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Bill Shufelt, CEO of Athletic Brewing Athletic Brewing makes non-alcoholic craft beer. Back in March, the company closed a $17.5M Series B funding round. In today's episode, we talk about the rise of mindful drinking, making non-alcoholic beer cool, and how Bill was able to raise money from 60 angel investors for a pre-product, pre-revenue company. About Bill Schuflet >> Bill Shufelt is the founder of Athletic Brewing Company - the first brewery in the country dedicated entirely to non-alcoholic craft beer. After spending 12 years in the hedge fund world, healthy lifestyle changes and a love of endurance sports and adventure led him to leave alcohol behind. Along with co-founder and head brewer John Walker, they have set out to revolutionize decades-old stigmas around non-alcoholic beer by making great beer for modern, healthy & active adults. After opening their doors in 2018, Athletic's flagship beers are available nationwide on their website athleticbrewing.com. Bill is married to an incredible gardener and plant-based chef further driving his passion for high-quality fuel and healthy eating. Bill grew up in CT, attended Middlebury College, and now splits his time between breweries in San Diego, CA and Stratford, CT. More from Fitt Insider >> Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, Apple, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Paul F. Austin. Paul is the founder of The Third Wave — a resource for safe and responsible use of psychedelics. In today's episode, we discussed where psychedelics fit in the broader wellness industry, the shift from industrialized medicine to personalized medicine, and what the "Equinox of psychedelics" might look like. More from Paul >> Paul F. Austin is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and educator. He has founded two companies in the emerging psychedelic space, The Third Wave and Synthesis. Within The Third Wave, Paul leads a team of creatives, engineers, and coaches to develop a comprehensive educational platform that serves the psychedelic ecosystem. Currently, The Third Wave offers in-depth psychedelic guides, online courses, and 1-on-1 coaching. Because of his pioneering work at the intersection of microdosing, personal transformation, and professional success, Paul has been featured on the BBC, Forbes, and Rolling Stone. More from Fitt Insider >> Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, L'Catterton, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Josh Clemente, the Founder of Levels — a metabolic fitness company. In today's episode, we talked about continuous glucose monitoring and using Levels to unlock real-time feedback on lifestyle choices, like what you eat, how you exercise, and the quality of your sleep. We also discussed Josh's plan to make metabolic fitness mainstream in hopes of tackling diabetes, obesity, and chronic ailments. About Josh Clemente >> Josh, Founder of Levels, is a mechanical engineer and CrossFit-L2 trainer. At SpaceX, he led a team to develop life support systems that sustained astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on their May 2020 trip to the International Space Station aboard Dragon Endeavor: the first new crew-carrying spacecraft since 1980. Josh has also spent time designing and building Hyperloop technology and leading engineering for a company providing vehicle-based rescue systems for emergency response teams. Josh enjoys the outdoors, functional fitness training, technology, coffee, and restoring motorcycles. More from Fitt Insider >> Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, L'Catterton, Peloton, Goldman Sachs, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Jason Feldman. Jason is the CEO of Vault Health — a performance healthcare company helping men optimize their well-being. In today's episode, we talked about the barriers preventing men from accessing care, the difference between telehealth and online pharmacies, the company's pivot to COVID testing, and why Jason believes men's health is just the beginning for Vault. More from Jason >> Jason Feldman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Vault Health - a fast-growing startup providing specialized healthcare for men and their manhood… at home. Vault makes it easy for men to get the specialized care they need and to perform on the level they strive to achieve. Before founding Vault, Feldman was Head of Prime Video Direct, Amazon's self-service marketplace for studios, distributors and content creators to make their content available on Prime Video in over 200 countries. In his prior leadership role at Amazon, Feldman led Global Innovation and Global Vendor Management, expanding Amazon's retail reach around the world. A long time senior leader in retail and consumer products, Feldman helped build brands, innovate new e-commerce distribution platforms and retail format portfolios for L'Oreal, Hanesbrands and Home Depot. He studied international communications and has a Master's in Public Administration from The George Washington University. Feldman is a father to 17 year old triplets and lives in New York.

Today I'm joined by Nate Forster. Nate is the CEO of NEOU, a platform for streaming and on-demand fitness. In this episode, we talked about how NEOU plans to become the Amazon of fitness, including its digital platform, a 20,000 square-foot production hub in New York City, and content partnerships with a growing number of fitness instructors and brands. Let's get into it. More from Nate >> Nate Forster is a former professional tennis player turned entrepreneur. Nate started his career in hospitality and transitioned into the health and wellness industry in 2010. At the start of his entrepreneurial career, he was an operating partner at dek23 and b.e.d. nightclubs in Miami, in which he brokered the sale of both businesses. In 2010, he became the owner and operator of the first Reebok-partnered CrossFit gym and by 2014, he was the largest CrossFit affiliate owner globally with 15 locations. Nate is now the co-founder and CEO of NEOU, a digital fitness platform that helps fitness influencer and workout brands scale to a larger audience. The mission of NEOU is to bring consumers the best of all types of fitness, health + wellness concepts and trainers to anyone in the world at anytime.

Today I'm joined by PJ Nestler. PJ is the Director of Performance at XPT Life — a performance lifestyle system developed by Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reece. In this episode, we discussed the breath, movement, and recovery methods used at XPT. The rise of the high-performance lifestyle. And how XPT has used retreats, coaching certifications, and its consumer app to grow the brand. More from PJ >> PJ is a human performance specialist with over 13 years of experience preparing top athletes from the UFC, NFL, and NHL for competition. Outside of training top athletes, Coach PJ is devoted to education, sharing his knowledge and experience with the purpose of elevating the fitness profession. He is currently the Director of Performance for XPT Life where his role entails researching & developing educational curriculums around XPT's Breathe-Move-Recover pillars and teaching certification programs for health & fitness professionals around the world. https://www.xptlife.com/ https://www.instagram.com/coachpjnestler More from Fitt Insider >> Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Mark Gainey. Mark is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Strava, a global community of athletes with more than 50M members. In this episode, we discussed Strava's business model, including freemium access and paid subscriptions, the company's focus on putting the athlete first, and Mark's plan to make Strava a multi-generational company. More from Mark >> Mark has been building successful companies for 20+ years. He currently serves as the co-founder and executive chairman of Strava, a global community of athletes. Founded in 2009, millions of athletes have joined Strava for the competition and camaraderie found in tracking and sharing their fitness activities. Mark also co-founded Kana Communications, an enterprise CRM firm, in 1996 and served in various capacities, including CEO, president, and chairman. He has offered his expertise to a wide array of companies over the years, joining the boards of Alter-G, BoardVantage, Daum, Clari, and Coaching Corps. Mark holds an AB from Harvard University.

Today I'm joined by Fritz Lanman the CEO of ClassPass. In this episode, we talk about why the company changed its business model and pricing over the years. The opportunity for growth in areas like corporate benefits, wellness experiences, and streaming workouts. What makes ClassPass worth $1B. And Fritz's plan to take the company public. Let's get into it. More from Fritz >> Fritz Lanman is the CEO of ClassPass and previously served as Executive Chairman. He has been involved with the company since 2013 when he led both the Seed and Series A financing. In addition to his role at ClassPass, he is an active angel investor who backed Square, Pinterest, Wish and several other companies. Before ClassPass, Fritz founded Livestar, Verst and Doppler Labs and worked in Product Management and Corporate Strategy at Microsoft. Website: https://classpass.com/ More from Fitt Insider >> Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Carl Daikeler, the co-founder and CEO of Beachbody, In today's episode, we discussed the evolution of at-home fitness, transitioning from VHS tapes to streaming content, the role and criticism of multi-level marketing, and building a billion-dollar-a-year business. More from Carl >> Carl Daikeler is co-founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Beachbody, LLC. In his pursuit to maintain his own health and fitness, and find a solution for the growing obesity epidemic, Daikeler and his co-founder Jon Congdon created Beachbody in 1998. Since then, the California-based company has redefined in-home fitness with top fitness and weight-loss solutions such as Beachbody® On-Demand, P90X®, 21 Day Fix®, Body Beast®, and INSANITY®, as well as the breakthrough health shake, Shakeology®. Daikeler's focus is to help people achieve their goals and lead healthy, fulfilling lives. Through the Team Beachbody® Coach Network, his aspiration is to create the largest community of health and fitness-related peer support in the world. So, in 2007, Beachbody became the first networking marketing business focused on a holistic approach to fitness and weight loss, turning customers into brand ambassadors. Offering the most innovative, results-oriented programs and skilled, motivational trainers, Beachbody's approach to fitness has not only gained the attention of millions of satisfied customers but also crossed $1 billion in annual sales in 2014. Daikeler has over 30 years of extensive product marketing experience, including every aspect of the direct response business, from creating products to advertising, media buying, operations, international distribution, and general management. More from Fitt Insider >> Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Marc Zionts. Marc is the Executive Chairman of Precision Nutrition — a leader in nutrition coaching and education. In today's episode, we talk about the company's focus on behavior change, the decision to develop software tools to help nutrition and health coaches automate their business, and the importance of deep health to overall well-being. Let's get into it. More from Marc >> Marc Zionts, an executive, athlete, and environmentalist and has been successfully leading companies since 1987. Zionts is currently the Executive Chairman and Board Member of Precision Nutrition, a BV Investment Partners portfolio company. Zionts earned his Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Zionts is also an Independent Board Director for TEOCO and Friends of the Earth, a Washington D.C. based environmental group. Zionts is happily married for 30 years and has 4 nice and kind adult children. Besides enjoying spending time with his family, Zionts is an environmentalist and avid outdoorsman and an accomplished criterium, cyclocross, and velodrome bicycle racer. Precision Nutrition: https://www.precisionnutrition.com/ More from Fitt Insider >> Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness. From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing. Website: http://insider.fitt.co