YVO, which makes women’s weighted vests that come bundled with DEXA scans, has brought on marketing vet Chiara Moore as its co-founder and COO
It’s not often that active gear comes with a DEXA bone-density scan, but female-founded YVO (pronounced EE-voh) is taking a new direction in women’s wellness.
The brand, which is behind a premium weighted vest designed for the female frame, has added even more weight to its name with the addition of Chiara Moore as co-founder and chief operating officer, as it ramps up for national expansion.
Moore comes to YVO with vast marketing and operations experience as a co-founder of N/A Collective and as the lead behind campaigns for Nike, Twitter (now X), H&M and Netflix.
The 41-year-old joins a brand on a mission to go beyond the strength-training goals women now set, adding a preventive twist focused on bone health. YVO’s own founder and CEO, Marie Berry, knows the issue all too well, having been diagnosed with osteopenia.
The condition indicates weakened bones due to lower-than-normal bone mineral density and typically causes no symptoms until a fracture occurs, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It can also lead to osteoporosis.
“I’m building what I believe will become the defining bone health brand for women,” Berry said. After her diagnosis, she learned that bone density peaks in the mid-20s and 1 in 2 women over 50 will fracture a bone. Around 80% of people with osteoporosis are women, and to make matters worse, only roughly 1 in 4 eligible women get recommended bone density (DEXA) scans, she pointed out.
That’s why every vest purchase of an HSA/FSA-eligible Warrior Vest, $299, includes a DEXA bone density scan from BodySpec. The one-size-fits-most vest features a modular weight system with eight 2.5-lb iron-sand pouches, adjustable up to 20 pounds, breathable mesh lining, six pockets and achievement charms to celebrate milestones.
Moore joins the brand on the heels of a strong early run, during which YVO’s first production run of Warrior Vests sold out, website traffic climbed 75% month over month and the brand maintained a near-zero unsubscribe rate, according to YVO.
In her new role, Moore will lead YVO’s performance marketing and brand strategy as the brand prepares to fulfill thousands of orders this spring.
“YVO sits at the intersection of every trend I’ve spent my career watching converge: community-driven brand loyalty, women owning their health and product with genuine purpose behind it,” Moore, an admitted weighted vest fan, said. “I prioritize my bone density. I know firsthand how transformative it is when the right product meets the right movement at the right moment. Marie has built something real — a community that shows up, a product that sells and a mission that matters. I’m honored to help take it to the next level.”
YVO has hit the ground running on the experiential side, too, with the upcoming YVO Community Ruck: Austin Launch, a community event that kicks off April 4 and includes brand partners BodySpec, Ramp, Truemed, Mindbodygreen and Mush. Other activations are in the works, along with a New York City launch slated for spring.
“As we enter our next chapter, I couldn’t ask for a stronger partner to help us build what YVO is becoming: the defining bone-health brand for women,” Berry said of Moore.
Science is catching up to the weight-vest trend, and so are other brands, including some that target women specifically.
A Wake Forest University study published earlier this month found promising results for weighted vests and bone density in older adults, with one key caveat: the benefits only showed up with consistent movement.
