Fitt Insider

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