Live from the ATN Innovation Summit: Where the Future of Fitness & Wellness Takes Center Stage
We’re on the ground at the 2025 ATN Innovation Summit, streaming live insights, product unveilings and conversations with the boldest minds shaping the future of fitness, wellness and technology
Welcome to Athletech News’ live coverage of the 2025 ATN Innovation Summit, where the biggest thinkers, disruptors and decision-makers in fitness, wellness and technology are in one location to help shape what’s next. From AI-fueled advancements and connected fitness breakthroughs to new business models and the future of consumer engagement, this is where innovation meets impact.
Our Athletech News editorial team is updating this live feed in real time, bringing you key takeaways from panels, product launches, founder insights, investor perspectives and everything in between. Whether you’re watching from your office, your gym, or on the go, consider this your all-access pass to the most important ideas driving the industry forward.
Scroll down for the latest—and check back often. We’re just getting started. Writers: Josh Liberatore (JL), Collin Helwig (CH), Elizabeth Ostertag (EO) and Courtney Rehfeldt (CR).
2:29 PM | EO – Anne Mahlum on culture:
“I wore a crop top to these meetings and was very honest and transparent about who I was.” The result? Solidcore and Jordanelle opened 50 new studios together in just two years.
2:28 PM | EO – Anne Mahlum on understanding private equity:
“One thing you need to know about private equity is that they are risk-averse. It all depends on creating a solid return.”
2:27 PM | EO – Anne Mahlum on securing capital with the right intent:
“I understood I wanted to win—but I wanted that $6 million for security, not because I was salivating for a payout or early exit.”
2:26 PM | EO – Matthew Day, Managing Partner of Jordanelle Capital, on what investors really want:
“What you’ll find is that investors are less focused on growth than on getting the nuts and bolts right. More like: we have our metrics really tight.”
2:23 PM | EO – Anne Mahlum, founder of Solidcore, on raising capital:
“I didn’t know anything about private equity. I got in touch with the founders of SoulCycle, and Julie Rice introduced me to her lawyer. Steve, an M&A lawyer, connected me to six PE shops. Just start asking people who’ve done it.”
1:55 PM | CR – Tonal CEO Darren MacDonald on GLP-1s: “GLP-1s represent a massive opportunity,” MacDonald said, referencing the need for GLP-1 users to preserve valuable muscle mass as they lose weight. He also added the rise in women’s strength training and the active aging group as other valuable opportunities.
1:53 PM | CR – On competition: “The biggest competitor that we have isn’t a traditional competitor,” Watterson said. “It’s really an activity — and it’s how [do] we keep them more active, whether they’re in the gym, or they’re outside?”
1:45 PM | CR – iFIT commercial CEO Mark Watterson on Connected Fitness’ future: “We live in a connected world, everything around us, our phones, our wearables, our watches – everything is connected. There’s no difference in fitness.”
12:29 PM | CR Alessandri on what the fitness and wellness industry can do to improve:
“We don’t need storytelling. We need storydoing.” — Nerio Alessandri, CEO, Technogym
12:20 PM | CR – On Technogym’s new U.S. headquarters in Jersey City:
“I think the market is ready… and the U.S. market is the biggest in the world,” said Alessandri.
“We are honored to support the U.S. market and to elevate the country in terms of health.”
12:15 PM | CR – Why Technogym is entering the Pilates market:
“Pilates is a good triangle,” said Alessandri. “It’s a very important trend—for expanding the market, supporting the customer’s success… It brings variety in exercise, in progress, and in the training experience.”
“Seventy million people today use Technogym in 120 countries,” Alessandri shared.
“We have the biggest portfolio of software, services, equipment, and branding in our industry. For this reason, customization and personalization are very, very important to us. AI and data are crucial.”
11:50 AM | JL – Iconic boutique fitness brand Barry’s is eyeing aggressive expansion following its recent acquisition by Princeton Equity Group.
“We are back in growth mode. … The vision is to open 15 to 20 studios per year, domestically,” said Barry’s global co-CEO JJ Gantt.
Gantt noted while Barry’s is best known for having studios in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, the brand has shown it can succeed in Tier 2 cities and suburban markets.
“Yes, we’re successful in New York. But we’ve been tremendously successful in markets like Tampa, Dallas (and) Denver,” Gantt said. “We’re also very successful in more suburban markets like Raleigh and Scarsdale, here outside of New York. So we have proof points across different marketplaces.”
Jack Nagle, a principal at Princeton Equity Group, believes Barry’s can sustain as many as 400 studios in the U.S., although he notes that growth won’t come all at once.
Barry’s will also continue to pursue international expansion in markets around the world, Gantt noted.
11:25 AM | CH – Hotels, Fitness & Wellness: A Seamless Merge
The convergence of hospitality and wellness is stronger than ever — and it’s all about listening to what travelers truly want.
“The biggest change is that we, as the hotel industry, were always telling travelers what the luxury hotel experience is,” said Barak Hirschowitz, president, International Luxury Hotel Association. “Then all of a sudden, it flipped—and travelers told us, ‘This is what we want.’”
Wellness is no longer an add-on; it’s a core amenity and often a driver of investment.
Danny Dulkin, Shafi Syed, and Hirschowitz discussed how wellness offerings now guide hotel choices—and even travel destinations.
When Dulkin noted that travelers increasingly choose hotels before destinations, Hirschowitz confirmed:
“It’s probably the newest trend we’re seeing. Wellness is one of the biggest players in that space. There’s a huge demand now for hotels focused on wellness and longevity.”
Sleep is central. Syed explained how Equinox has brought in sleep scientists to improve guest recovery and rest.
“Travelers found that when they were leaving hotels, they were worse off,” Hirschowitz added. “Now, we want you to leave better.”
11:30 AM | EO
Sauna Is Just the Start
Brynn Scarborough (Founder and CEO, Alchemy Leadership Lab) moderated a forward-looking panel on wellness modalities and how operators are integrating them into their businesses.
“We have an incredible group that will give you an angular approach,” said Scarborough. “Because we have implementers on stage who are taking these modalities and putting them into their businesses.”
Nick Haines (Anytime Fitness + Purpose Brands) emphasized the importance of aligning offerings with customer demand and brand purpose: “We want to understand what the consumer is looking for—what they’re able to connect with in our brand. There’s a lot of science and efficacy we look at.”
Trends like cold plunges and red light therapy—once fringe—are now mainstream. But how can operators decide what’s sustainable?
“I ask if a particular trend fits their brand identity,” said Andy Dunn, Senior Sales Director, Wellness, JK Products & Services. “We help them understand what that brand identity is. If you’re a premium brand, does a trend align? If you’re budget-conscious, does it make sense for your model?”
The group stressed evaluating modalities over a 3–5 year horizon.
“You can’t offer everything to your members,” said Ann Harkins (Chuze Fitness). “You need to be very discerning. Does this work for our brand right now? From an investment perspective, does it make sense?”
She added: “We’ll be looking for real amenities that are low- to mid-cost, don’t require a ton of staffing, and support high member throughput.”
Scarborough asked Lisa Semerly, Chief Revenue Officer, Halotherapy, about staying power.
“Having been an owner myself, I wear a couple of hats,” said Semerly. “The trend is moving away from large buildouts toward primary modalities like red light or sauna. Nothing is revelatory anymore. If it’s not a profit center or helping with retention, what can I bring as a manufacturer? The value proposition has to be ongoing. Incentivize your staff. People want what you’re talking about.”
Scarborough closed with a reminder that execution is everything:
“Sometimes as leaders and business owners, we think in terms of complexities. But the success of these modalities comes down to the two sentences that the person at the front desk says—consistently.”
11:03 AM | CR
“Healthy paranoia is good,” said Marc Magliacano, Managing Partner at L Catterton Flagship Fund.
“Start thinking about your future now, because the notion of ‘I am better than the next guy’ for your own internal buzz is not going to work,” he emphasized during the panel Implications and Opportunities for Accelerated Consolidation in Fitness & Wellness.
10:55 AM | CH – Robbie Bent, Brian Mazza, Jay Galluzo, and Mark Rivers opened their discussion on elevating wellness through hospitality by declaring a new age in fitness and wellness — one centered around human connection, person-to-person relationships, and simply “feeling good.”
“We’re in a new chapter—a second post-COVID chapter,” said Rivers. “We’re back into the human connection chapter.”
The panelists shared how wellness has evolved into a space where people not only care for their health but also build community and friendships. Hospitality, they argued, should extend beyond the member experience to include how staff are treated and how operations are run—“selling a feeling,” as Mazza put it.
“We’re all human, right? We all want to be loved, we all want to be liked,” said Mazza. “It costs nothing to be kind. That’s what hospitality is.”
And they’re walking the talk:
Bent and Rivers shared their excitement about upcoming locations in Austin, TX, and Williamsburg, NY.
Mazza announced he’s opening a private member wellness sanctuary in Midtown Manhattan.
10:30 AM | CR – “Muscle is the organ of longevity,” said Dr. Jessica Shepherd, Chief Medical Officer at hims & hers and Pvolve, during the panel A Science-Backed Approach to Women’s Wellness.
The session was moderated by Brynn Scarborough, Founder and CEO of Alchemy Leadership Lab, and featured panelists Dr. Tania Elliott, Founder and CEO of Modern Medical, and Dr. Gloria Winters, Chief Health Officer and VP of Health Partnerships & Business Development at the YMCA of the USA.
Three Key Takeaways:
Data and community drive innovation. Tracking real outcomes allows for more personalized, effective wellness solutions tailored to women’s health needs.
Strength training is essential for women’s longevity. It’s not just about aesthetics — it’s about preserving functional fitness and quality of life through every life stage.
Wellness must be preventative, not reactive. The panel emphasized shifting focus from treating symptoms to using fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness as proactive healthcare tools.
10:07 AM | JL: During a panel discussion on the “Fitness Industry’s Role in America’s Healthcare Crisis,”
The “fitness as healthcare” movement might be real, but a lot of work remains to be done.
Anthony Geisler, the CEO of Sequel Brands, and Calley Means, a special adviser to the White House, called on fitness industry leaders to do a better job at prioritizing advocacy efforts and making their voices heard in Washington, D.C. This is especially important amid the “Make America Healthy Again Movement,” regardless of your personal political views, they added.
“The fitness industry needs to actually step up and defiantly and aggressively state that ‘we are frontline healthcare workers,” Means said, pointing to the fact that bars and drug stores were often open during the COVID-19 pandemic while gyms were forced to shut down.
Geisler, who recently attended a MAHA report release event held by the White House, called on his industry peers to join him in future visits to DC.
“When we were there at the White House a couple weeks ago, there (weren’t) a lot of people from the fitness industry,” Geisler said, noting that other industries, like nutrition, were better represented.
Means, who was a lobbyist before he co-founded telehealth platform Truemed, noted that other industries are highly active on Capitol Hill while the fitness industry essentially sits on the sideline.
“The industries that profit from people being sick are flooding donations, they are in DC all the time,” Means said. “The CEOs of pharmaceutical and insurance companies essentially live in DC these days, and they are letting their voice be heard.”
9:55 AM | JL: Fitness and wellness brands looking to thrive in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) must invest in data and consumer insights, says Josh Walker, the co-founder and CEO of the Sports Innovation Lab, a data analytics firm that works with the world’s top sports leagues and media properties.
“If you get any heebie-jeebies about AI and what’s coming next, you should, because AI is going to change everything,” Walker said.
“What I tell the NFL, what I tell ESPN and what I tell everybody in the sports media and entertainment world, is if you don’t know your customer you can’t talk to them. … And AI is all about having a conversation. … You have to be collecting this data; you have to be studying what your customers are doing, and that will prepare you for the future,” Walker added.
9:15 AM | JL: To kick off the ATN Innovation Summit 2025, Athletech News founder and CEO Edward Hertzman called on the industry to come together – but also to think bigger about what it means to be a fitness and wellness company in a rapidly changing, more highly connected world.
“This Summit marks something bigger – a new kind of industry gathering,” Hertzman said.
“When I look out right now, I don’t just see fitness brands. I see doctors, I see wellness operators, I see tech founders, real estate executives, med spas, apparel execs, data scientists, hotel groups, and consulting firms. And I think: what do we even call ourselves anymore?”