GrillzandGranola

Our Mission:

GrillzandGranola was created for underrepresented women of color to have more access to inclusive and culturally-attuned fitness experiences.

We cater to the confident underdogs and women with curves that you don’t see in magazines or mainstream fitness studios.

We celebrate showing up, making effort, and feeling seen.

We champion physical and mental health.

Our mission is to reinvent what wellness looks and feels like for women of color via community, inclusivity and vibes.

The Problem We're Trying to Solve:

Women of color are severely underrepresented within the fitness space, meaning that when they enter mainstream fitness classes like Soulcycle, they rarely see instructors or participants who look like them, lack access to premium fitness experiences in their neighborhoods, and account for less 10% of studio ownership across the United States.

Less representation = less participation = health ailments. When you look at the statistics, the number one cause of death amongst women of color if in the U.S. is heart disease (23%) followed by cancer (21%). Additionally, more than 45% of Hispanic and Black women are overweight. And with less access to gyms and fresh produce in these neighborhoods and very few black-owned fitness studios in most cities, people of color will continue to be affected by diseases that can be prevented with exercise.

Our Impact:

Since Launching in 2016:

• Taught TrapAerobics to over 2,700 women

• Helped raise money for various community-based organizations (Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, The Girl Mob, Women Who Create, Smile on Me, etc.) via 15+  events including $1k for #WeAreImmigrants
• Offered monthly, in-person Pay-What-You-Can Community Classes
• Provided fitness instruction to 6 universities and 3 public schools
• Partnered with various wellness practitioners to introduce meditation, CBD oil benefits, body positivity and affirmation-based exercises via ZEN DAY Wellness Conference
• Provided 1 free entrepreneurship class to help one participant successfully launch her own business
• Launched ZEN DAY Wellness Conference and 1) gave away 40% of tickets for free via sponsorships from Under Armour and Athleta 2) donated 10% of the revenue to Weeksville Heritage Center, a historic museum preserving black history in the heart of Brooklyn

During COVID we have been:

• Hosting 5+  live, digital classes per week priced at $5 - $10 with real-time coaching and corrections to promote a  body-positive and inclusive environment
• Providing a series of free virtual group therapy sessions led by black women therapists in response to the racism and police brutality experienced by Black people

• Offering more mental-health-related programming such as group life coaching, yoga, stretching, journaling and more, all led by women of color practitioners
• Offering an affordable unlimited class offering with guest passes for friends

The Market Size/ Opportunity:

The Fitness & Mind-Body industry is a $595B industry, with a growth rate of 1.5% (pre-COVID). Additionally, the combined buying power of people of color (Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American) is worth $3.9T.   By the year 2045, the United States will become minority white, which means that spaces owed by people of color will be more prevalent than ever before. TrapAerobics is a huge opportunity to tap into the buying power of POC while leveraging culture, music and representation to create authentic fitness experiences and positively impact these communities.

Why are you seeking funding and how will you spend the funding?

We are seeking funding to scale our business, hire new instructors and work toward becoming the go-to online destination for underrepresented women of color to workout. With $25,000, we would invest in our marketing strategy and advertising spend, professionally film our workouts to launch our on-demand subscription offering and hire a permanent roster of 5 WOC instructors to teach live classes. From there, a portion of the proceeds we generate from our sales will be used to continue to provide free mental wellness programming that meets the needs of the community.

Who is on your team?

1. Chavonne Hodges, Founder, CEO

2. Genail McKinley, COO, CFO

3. Michaela Lawson, Digital Marketing intern

Thank you so much!