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PRESS RELEASE
Peloton Honored By Goldman Sachs For Entrepreneurship
Published: Oct 25, 2016 5:15 p.m. ET
John Foley, Co-founder & CEO, Among 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs at 2016 Builders + Innovators Summit
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ – Goldman Sachs GS, -1.38% has recognized Peloton Co-founder and CEO John Foley as one of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs of 2016 at its Builders + Innovators Summit in Santa Barbara, California. Goldman Sachs selected Foley as one of 100 entrepreneurs from multiple industries that were honored at the two-day event.
The inspiration for Peloton struck in 2012 when Foley and his wife Jill were both working and had two young children. Like most parents, they had a lot of demands on their time—but also loved trying to work instructor-led group fitness classes into their everyday lives. The light bulb moment came from a simple thought: "There has to be a better way!" And there was a better way. The Peloton bike was born, allowing people to take high-energy, instructor-led indoor cycling classes from the convenience of their own home, anytime they want.
Since its launch, Peloton's sales have grown 5 times in the past year with over 300 employees, more than $100M in funding and 185,000 members worldwide, all under John's leadership.
"I'm honored to be selected by Goldman Sachs as one of the top 100 most intriguing entrepreneurs of 2016," said John Foley, co-founder and chief executive officer, Peloton. "This acknowledgment further solidifies Peloton's leadership in at-home fitness innovation."
"We are honored to recognize John Foley as one of the most intriguing entrepreneurs of 2016," said David Solomon, co-head of investment banking at Goldman Sachs. "This is the fifth year that we've hosted the Builders + Innovators Summit where emerging business leaders gather to discuss their common interests in building thriving organizations."
For more than 145 years, Goldman Sachs has been advising and financing entrepreneurs as they launch and grow their businesses. In addition to honoring 100 entrepreneurs, the summit consists of general sessions and clinics led by Goldman Sachs experts, seasoned entrepreneurs, academics and business leaders as well as resident scholars.
Starting as an engineer in 1990 for Mars Inc., Foley cut his teeth in manufacturing and later transitioned into technology leadership. He then held senior leadership roles at Barnes & Noble, Evite and Ticketmaster.
For more information, please visit www.pelotoncycle.com.
About Peloton
Peloton represents the evolution of the at-home fitness market by merging innovative design with modern technology to provide access to live and on-demand fitness group classes by the best instructors in the world. Peloton offers a completely immersive fitness experience, with the technology, performance metrics and social connectivity to make every workout both effective and addicting. Equipped with a 22-inch high-definition, sweat-proof touchscreen, this is the first and only fitness bike to fully integrate a home workout machine with live group cycling classes, allowing for interaction and competition with fellow riders across the country and real-time instructor feedback, while monitoring an array of output metrics. Peloton is sold online and in their growing number of showrooms. For more information, visit: www.pelotoncycle.com
>John Foley
#GladToBeHere with Project Air: Supporting Trauma Survivors in Rwanda
14
Jun
John Foley and his wife, Carol Rees, have a huge vision to which they’ve committed themselves: help a billion people reach their full potential through a focus on purpose larger than self. What that means to them is spreading the #GladToBeHere message and supporting the needs of people worldwide through charitable giving. It’s well documented in studies of happiness levels that when people feel deeply connected to their communities and to others, they lead more fulfilling lives; that when a person is able to feel and express gratitude for the positives in their lives, it enhances joy. John and Carol believe that seeking a purpose larger than self creates a ripple effect that spreads outward and impacts the world in a positive way. John Foley travels worldwide speaking to business audiences about #GladToBeHere, increasing team performance, and the power of gratitude to change our daily lives.
Seven years ago, seeking to connect more deeply to a purpose larger than self, John and Carol started the Glad To Be Here Foundation, through which they have supported more than 335 charitable causes worldwide to the tune of $1.6 million and counting. In order to enhance the impact of the Foundation, John partners with his business clients to identify charitable causes important to them, to which he donates up to $1,000 of his net speaking fees. Engaging in philanthropic giving together with clients allows John to increase the scope of giving, by discovering non-profits that have special meaning to his clients and their teams.
In the first quarter of 2018, John and Carol have chosen to spotlight a non-profit organization called Project Air in Kigali, Rwanda. Project Air provides critical programs, specifically therapeutic yoga and meals for girls and women who have experienced intense physical and psychological trauma. Referred to Project Air five years ago by a close friend, John and Carol have been donors since that time to this grassroots effort to help girls and women affected by regional violence heal their trauma through yoga and meditation.
“We in the U.S. can’t wrap our minds around surviving something like what they experienced. The emotional and physical scars are intense. These are people that need help to return to a fully productive life, and the Project Air founder is a woman who is giving her life to do just that,” Carol said. When asked what about the organization touched her most, Carol explained, “the wounds and trauma of genocidal violence are deep and difficult to heal and they will affect the following generations if left unaddressed. We need to help the healing of this generation to ensure all the generations that will follow will not be affected, too.”
When a person experiences trauma, Carol explained, “they shut down, these women haven’t been able to relate to their bodies, they haven’t felt safe in a very extreme sense, since the genocide. At Project Air, women have a private place where they can be comfortable with the group and it’s the first time they’ve laughed and smiled. They have the opportunity to re-learn to relate to themselves physically in a safe environment.”
A key component offered by Project Air is anti-violence education for boys. “Rape as a weapon of terror has escalated and the educational piece is important to help challenge the current culture and provide momentum to the prevention effort, “ Carol said.
Recently, Project Air’s landlord raised rent on the studio space where the programs are held, risking a loss of the safe space where women and girls are learning to heal. The founder, Deirdre Summerbell, made a video where women tell their stories through song and dance, their traditional way of showing respect to honored people, while preserving their privacy by not speaking directly about what they have experienced. It was challenging to get them to appear on camera, but to preserve their beloved space, they worked together to create this video requesting support.
Carol and John saw video and learned about stories of individuals served by the program, and were moved to increase support. “A dollar spent on a woman has profound impacts on her family and her community,” Carol said. She and John chose to support Project Air exclusively in the first quarter of 2018 to help them advance the healing of a traumatized, underserved population with wonderful potential. Carol described her connection and commitment to Project Air, “all of these causes grab you. It’s emotional. But this one…”
You can learn more about Project Air’s work to support women and girls in Rwanda here. For more details on the impact of the Glad To Be Here Foundation, see here.