Today I’m joined by Helaine Knapp, CEO of CITYROW.
In this episode, we discuss the company’s origin as a single boutique fitness studio, the decision to launch a connected rower and digital app, and Helaine’s plan to scale an omnichannel experience.
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More from Helaine
After spending years climbing the corporate ladder, Helaine Knapp left the world of
publishing for tech start-up life. Group fitness was her outlet while working hard and
taking on the hustle and bustle of New York City. Months of spin and boot camp
classes left her with a lower back injury, however, and she began searching for a
workout that was low impact, but super effective. After a friend suggested rowing,
Helaine initially rejected it as something “my dad did in college,” but following a few
workouts on a sexy machine, pairing it with total body sculpting moves off the
machine, changed her mind and the concept for CITYROW was born.
With a mission of delivering a smart, fun, effective workout to all fitness levels, under
Knapp’s leadership, CITYROW has grown from one studio in New York City to a
national omnichannel fitness brand a top-ranked on-demand global program
featuring at-home rowers and a fast-growing digital subscription business alongside
12 open studios and 65 franchises sold nationwide!
Knapp has yet to row on the water and has been featured as a business leader and a
wellness expert on TODAY, Women’s Health, ABC, Harper’s Bazaar, Shape, Well +
Good, Vogue, Yahoo! Finance, and PEOPLE, among many others.