Skip to main content

The Cheetah Coalition Project

The Cheetah Coalition Project gives our US military service members and veterans free membership at Red Cheetah Yoga to help fight PTSD.

$3,015
pledged of$250,000 goal
45
0Days Left

Project Description

 

  • The mission of the Cheetah Coalition Project is to take the 21 veteran suicides per day down to 0.  Red Cheetah Yoga is going to be a Baptiste affiliate within the first year of us opening our doors, and will connect us to an even greater worldwide community through Baptiste power yoga.  
  • The problem we are facing is simple: legitimate studies from institutions like Harvard have shown consistently that yoga and meditation heal your brain, and in many cases heal and eliminate the effects of PTSD.  As yoga teachers at Red Cheetah Yoga, we feel its up to us to help our veterans come back to the healthy, vibrant lives they deserve through yoga and meditation practice at our studio.  We will affiliate with Baptiste Yoga within the first year of being open, which will put us on a larger network worldwide for awareness of the Cheetah Coalition Project and what we are up to.
  • The market size and opportunity is great: we plan to put the yoga studio right next to the University of Miami, which also happens to be the alma mater of RCY owner and founder, Nikki McGowan. This studio will be located on a busy street in the Red Road Commons, an apartment complex which houses mostly college students, who are avid yoga practitioners. The advantage of this location: it’s very visible, and access from the university won’t take students across the busy highway: Red Road is a much calmer street with a crosswalk, and healthy places to eat on the same block. We will also attract loyal Baptiste yogis from around the world, and will have professionals from all walks of life stopping to take class between home and work. Nikki also works with many of the sports teams at the university, and we can use our studio space to teach their private classes, because scheduling in their athletic center isn’t always advantageous to every team’s schedule.  
  • Red Cheetah Yoga is about transformation. Transforming people’s lives through yoga classes, meditation classes, yoga teacher trainings, and retreats. Through both Baptiste yoga and RCY’s programs, thousands of people have discovered their life potential and purpose; from acceptance to dream schools, to creating new healthy lifestyles, to starting new businesses and careers that were once perceived unattainable, Red Cheetah Yoga is up to bigger work than just teaching yoga. Yoga is the vehicle we use to deliver our message and inspire people to take action on their goals and dreams. What we get to do now is revolutionary: we get to really practice what we preach, and give free membership to the men and women who have served our country who are having a hard time assimilating back to society due to the effects of PTSD.  To us, this is transformation on a larger scale than just individual people or even a yoga studio: we see this as an opportunity to transform the entire Miami community and help heal families.
  • We are seeking funding because the vision we have for our studio is powerful. Firstly, the desire to create a home for the Cheetah Coalition Project (CCP) is a necessity.  This will be the first location of many, and we want to offer the CCP at all of our locations. We want a visible location on a busy street that is near the University of Miami so people can find us easily.  We are a luxury studio that is bright, well lit, clean, and modern that students will want to visit again and again. The buildout for the space we have selected is a big project: it was a cafe before, and we get to transform it into a yoga studio space! We will spend the funds on marketing, branding, and having reserve capital for rent and employee pay roll so we can open our doors with impeccability. 
  • My team consists of yoga teachers who have done yoga teacher trainings at previous Baptiste affiliates in other parts of the country. Many of them worked with Nikki before at a previous yoga studio, and we have a vision of calling one space home, where students can come and practice and know that they will be getting the highest quality power yoga from inspired and empowered teachers. These teachers and many of the desk employees have committed to coming to work at RCY. Zoe Plasencia is one of those teachers and she made the video for this campaign, and is going to help teach many of the classes and set up and run the studio once the doors open. With the closing of the last Baptiste affiliate, we have many teachers who are teaching at various studios around the city who do not have a central studio to call home; RCY is that foundation that is coming to them.  We build our teachers and leaders at RCY, and have always had a reputation for having the most inspired and authentic teachers in all of Miami.  Many of those teachers are coming back to teach and work for us in the studio, as the Baptiste community is tight-knit and very close.
  • THANK YOU SO MUCH from the bottom of our hearts for helping us make this dream a reality! The integrity and inspiration that runs a Baptiste yoga studio is breathtakingly rewarding, and we hope to see you all in our classes, trainings, and retreats. The purpose of the Cheetah Coalition Project is to REALLY see what the power of yoga and meditation can create: and that’s increased mental health.  We want to take this to a level beyond just awareness: it’s time to take ACTION.  Our veterans are counting on us to be a stand for them, as they were for us just by serving.   
  •  

Updates

The Campaign FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Where will my funds go?
    • The funds for this project are going to a lot of things.  We have a really big vision for Red Cheetah Yoga with YOU in mind, and we won't hold anything back so you can have the experience you desire.
    • First and foremost, the funds will be spent on the buildout for the studio space.  The location we have selected is in a prime spot on a busy road near the University of Miami, so it will have a ton of exposure and we will have to have capital set aside for our rent when we open our doors.  We want to make sure we have the revenue set aside for teacher payroll, rent, and other important expenses as we work to build our membership base in the first year of the studio opening.
    • Marketing and branding.  We see RCY with it's own kick ass boutique, complete with logo'd products that you love. We will be expanding our marketing tremendously: we will need to build a team for social media marketing, and get professional photos done of our teachers and classes for both our website and our social media accounts, which all require some capital.  We also will have collateral made for our programs, including and not limited to fliers for the studio itself to pass out to local businesses, fliers for teacher training that contains all the relevant information, and fliers to hang around the studio for upcoming workshops and community events.  All of this requires capital for both printing these projects and hiring the creative minds to make them.
    • Outfitting the studio.  As professional yoga teachers, we know how important it is to have high quality props for our students to use in the studio space.  And, even with yoga wholesale companies, it can be expensive.  As a power yoga studio, we will need sturdy yoga blocks, and with the anticipated class sizes we will have, we will need a lot of them: at least 100.  We want to offer our students high quality, Manduka yoga mats for mat rentals (about 30 of them), high quality YogiToes towels (10 total towels), and have plenty of small towels available for rent, as well.  We will also need to purchase Pilates rings, stereo equipment (only the best for you guys, and we will need 3, one for each room), iPads, a printer, yoga bolsters and blankets, and a myriad other tools we will need to make our studio a success as soon as we open our doors.  The funds will also be spent on making the studio a beautiful space you will want to come back to again and again: the Red Cheetah logo will be placed strategically on a white wall for our members to take photos with it for their Instagram and other social media accounts, and the size we have envisioned for the logo on the wall will cost us a good amount of money, whether it's a vinyl sticker or we hire an artist to paint it.  
    • Other places the money will go.  We will also have to pay for necessities like insurance, paying our contractors, utilities, and the taxes that go along with opening a studio in South Miami, Florida.  Having the capital to open our studio so we can focus our energy on solving problems that may come up involving the studio is important to us; we don't want to have to focus on worrying about where our rent will come from next month.  With your contribution, you will help us create a stress free environment for everyone involved in the studio space!
  • Why such an expensive project?
    • As mentioned above, we have a lot to do to make this studio happen, and it all requires money.  We want our students to have an incredible experience at Red Cheetah Yoga, and we want the studio to be situated in an area that will attract a lot of new clients, which means placing it on a corner that's visible to the Miami public, and that costs money.  We are confident this studio will serve the community powerfully and will succeed beyond our wildest dreams.  A lot of passion and heart is behind this project, and we want to make sure we are surpassing your desires for what you want in a power yoga studio.
  • What are the details of the membership donation levels?
    • You may purchase as many of the lower-level choices as you wish, however you may only use one as your own.  All the extra, however, you may share with family and friends!  So, buy as many as you wish as gifts for others!
      • For example, if you want to purchase the Red is for PASSION package ($50) for yourself, and you realize you want to  buy another one, you can use the first purchase for yourself, and then gift the other one to someone you are close to!  Please remember: once you use one of the packages, you can't use another one.
      • If you buy more than one type of package, i.e. if you buy Red is for PASSION today, and tomorrow you choose to buy Hold Nothing Back! (the $1000 package) you can choose when you come into the studio which one you want to redeem for yourself, and then gift the other one to someone of your choosing.
    • The class package deals (and these are GREAT deals!!) are for the regularly scheduled classes only.  They don't apply to workshops or trainings, unless otherwise specified.  We wanted to give you great deals to come into our studio right away; we didn't want to charge normal prices, because we are so grateful for you making this contribution to help make this dream a reality.
    • For everyone who purchases the Let NOTHING Hold You Back! donation package, you will get a special treat: your name will be added to our special Benefactors wall as a thank you to being such a dedicated and committed part of our community, and helping make our studio a possibility.  There are only 10 possible spots for that available, and this VIP donation package is a great deal: at almost a $7,000 value, you are getting a year membership AND the 200 hour yoga teacher training for only $5,000.  And you get RCY gear, too!
      • Can I give my 200 hour yoga teacher training to someone else?
        • YES!  If you just want the year membership for yourself and you want to gift the training to someone you love, by all means please do that!
  • Where will the studio be located?
    • The studio will be located at 6620 Red Road in South Miami, FL.  It is literally across the street from the University of Miami.  It's on a busy street (but not too busy, like US1) so will have tons of exposure.  The studio is on the ground level, and we will have an eye-catching sign with our beautiful logo on the building.
    • The unit we are getting is a corner unit, so we will have tons of windows in our studio.  This is important for our growth, because we want potential customers walking by to see the size yoga classes we have in our space, and attract new clients just by them seeing what we are doing in our studio. We also love the feeling of having a lot of windows in our studio creates: it creates spaciousness and openness, which is attractive to our clientele. And, of course, we have thought of everything, because the Miami sun can be harsh at certain times of the day!  We will have blinds installed so that our students won't get too hot during the times of the day the sun is shining through those awesome windows.  
  • When will the studio open?
    • Our projected date for opening is September 2019.  We know a lot of things need to happen to hit this goal, so we know that this date can change, either earlier or later.  We want our doors to open as close as possible to the start of the school year this year, and we definitely want our doors open before January 1, 2020.
  • What is Baptiste Power Yoga?
    • Baptiste Power Yoga is a worldwide community and network.  As one of the leading yoga companies on the planet for teaching inspiring and empowering yoga, and created powerful leaders in this industry, Baptiste Power Yoga affiliate studios always succeed in a big way.  As soon as we affiliate, which will be after we have been open for one year, we will be placed on a list on their website and social media accounts for dedicated Baptiste yogis to find us when they visit Miami.  The power of the affiliate program is great: Baptiste yoga studios all support one another with guest teacher appearances, hosting special Baptiste events in the studio space, and we all seek out each others' studios when we travel.  So the possibility of generating extra revenue is great, as we will attract others in the community just by being an affiliate.  Miami sees a lot of travelers who come here for both work and pleasure, so becoming an affiliate is a big part of the success of this studio.  There are only a couple other Baptiste affiliates in Florida, and there is a big demand for one to open in the area of town we are planning on putting the studio.  Baptiste Power Yoga is life-changing, as the founder, Baron Baptiste, created a network and a foundation that takes yoga to a new, modern level that attracts thousands of practitioners every day.
  • What is yoga for athletes?
    • Yoga for Athletes is a sequence the owner, Nikki McGowan, created over 10 years ago.  Some background on Nikki: she began doing yoga as a teenager when she quit dance to commit to doing sports.  Her sport for two decades was track and field, and her events were the 200 and 400 meter dashes, which was the inspiration for the logo being a cheetah.  For Nikki, yoga was always for recovery and healing her body.  After doing thousands of hours of practice with all kinds of different styles, Nikki created her own sequence for athletes, The Elemental Sequence, that combines everything she felt was the most important for helping athletes heal everything from aches and pains to major injuries, in a 60 minute class.  Nikki realized that power yoga may not always be a good fit for the hard-working athlete, and yet yoga has a place in the realm of athletics.  This sequence is dynamic, and is a special type of restorative yoga that flows, has deep hip, spine, and shoulder-opening poses, uses a lot of props to help students reach their goals, and is a combination of stretches, sequences, long holds, and strength-building poses.  Many, many athletes have come to Nikki and Red Cheetah Yoga just for it's healing properties, and those athletes have all come back with the same feedback: the days following their practice they have hit new personal records in all areas of their fitness: from repping out old one-rep max back squats to hitting new personal-record times in 5k runs to CrossFit workouts, this sequence works.  Nikki credits her success in track and field to yoga: she backquatted 315 pounds in college and had no lower back pain or spinal injury, unlike many of her peers who didn't do yoga.  She also teachers a weekend training for other teachers to learn and teach this sequence to athletes of all disciplines and backgrounds and it qualifies for continuing education credits.  Sports is what led Nikki to yoga, and what is the driving force behind creating the Red Cheetah Yoga studio.  And, no, you don't have to be an athlete to participate in a yoga for athletes class!  This class has magical abilities to heal all kinds of injuries, and we find a lot of students take this class to try something new, and be inspired by an entirely new, unique practice whose focus is healing joints and muscles.
  • What does RCY do for the community?
    • Red Cheetah Yoga is a community in and of itself.  Red Cheetah has already been around for nearly ten years.  Until now, it has existed as a service company, delivering mobility-driven and inspired yoga for athletes in the CrossFit and athletic community (including many teams at UM) since 2010. RCY has a big following already, and Nikki has a following and reputation as being a challenging and inspiring power yoga teacher.  
    • Red Cheetah has always gotten involved in community projects and has done a lot of charity work.  In fact, one of our passions is giving back to the community of Miami at large.  We have partnered with groups in the past like Donation Bootcamps and raised funds to help with Coral Reef Restoration here in Florida to rebuild the precious coral reefs around the state.  We partner with John  Ferguson High School a couple times per year for goat yoga, which is a fundraiser for the school's veterinarian program.  It raises funds for the kids to do their 4H competitions, get the farm animals vet care and pay for their food, and, recently, the funds have gone to building them a new barn!  We want to expand and do more work like this, and even go beyond the borders of just Florida.  Some of the things we want to get more involved in is helping the homeless here in Miami; donating to Panther Ridge Restoration, an organization that rescues big cats from places where they are either abused or are illegal pets, they constantly need revenue for vet care and building more cages to rescue more animals; and we ultimately want to sponsor cheetahs in cheetah reservations in Kenya.  Animal conservation is a big thing for us as a company, and helping the endangered animals of the planet is part of what we are up to as a yoga company.  We believe in the power of giving back to our immediate community, Miami, and in the global community as well.
    • Red Cheetah is an organization that is up to so much more than yoga: so many of the students we have had go through our trainings and taking power yoga classes and teacher trainings with Nikki have gone on to pursue dreams that they normally would never have had the courage to do.  Through our programs we instill a sense of inquiry in our students hearts, minds, and bodies, and really challenge them to see what is in their way between them and everything they see as their inspired, fully-expressed life. Some of the breakthroughs our students have had is this:
      • One student finally purchased the horse she has always wanted and has started competing in equestrian and winning!
      • Another student got the courage to apply to Julliard and got in
      • Another teacher training graduate has always wanted to take classes in floral arrangements and kept putting it off, thinking it was unimportant.  She finally booked her spot and flew to Boston for her dream career to begin!
      • Countless students have healed relationships with loved ones, from parents, to friends, spouses, siblings, and even bosses and coworkers.  At Red Cheetah Yoga, we recognize the power of healthy inter-personal relationships and how they help us propel not only ourselves forward, but the entire planet forward.  Our work is challenging, rigorous, and powerful, and this is the work we are so excited to share with Miami and the world: complete transformation at all levels of being, thinking, and acting!
    • We see Red Cheetah Yoga being a healing force for the city of Miami as a whole.  The white walls of our studio will be a healing home for our students to come and let everything go that is holding them back.  To instill a sense of courage in their bones that they CAN create their greatest lives ever, and they get access to that by laying their mats down in our classrooms and giving their practice everything they have, and leaving everything behind.  We are a stand for clear space for everyone who walks through our doors: whether they are taking power yoga classes, restorative, yin, acroyoga, mat Pilates, yoga for athletes, or a meditation class.  Our greatest achievement as a studio is seeing our students succeed, both on and off their mats.

 

04/27/2020
Monetary Contribution
$50
Hamad Shirazi
02/11/2020
Let's Go!
$25
Hansel Barreto
01/17/2020
Cheetah is for FOCUS
$100
12/24/2019
Let's Go!
$25
Monik Lopez
09/11/2019
Cheetah is for FOCUS
$100
Tawanya
08/28/2019
Red is for PASSION
$50
Adam
08/25/2019
Cheetah is for FOCUS
$100
08/07/2019
Let's Go!
$25
Ainara
07/29/2019
Let's Go!
$25
07/16/2019
Let's Go!
$25
25.00 USD
Let's Go!

This option gets you 3 classes when the studio opens it's doors!  

 

Our drop-in rate is $28, so this is a great deal to not only get started at Red Cheetah Yoga when we open our doors, but is also a great way to contribute to the opening of YOUR studio!

You can get more than one of these and share them with friends and family!

This will apply to all normal classes!  Only specialty classes (such as workshops) are excluded from this deal.

We are looking forward to seeing you on your mat!

Send an email to [email protected] so you can redeem these classes and be put on our list!

 

21 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Red is for PASSION

We are PASSIONATE about yoga at Red Cheetah Yoga!

This option gets you 8 classes!

You can get more than one of these and share them with friends and family!

This applies to all regular classes on our schedule and doesn't include workshops or other specialty classes.

Please send and email to [email protected] so we can get your information to put it on our list when the studio opens!

8 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
Cheetah is for FOCUS

The Focus packages gets you 8 classes and an RCY logo'd product!

Our focus is on making our students' experience the greatest ever!

11 Supporters
Select this reward
250.00 USD
Choose to Evolve

Get 15 classes and an RCY logo'd boutique item with the Choose to Evolve package!

You can get more than one and share it with friends and family!

Classes only for regularly scheduled classes.  Workshops and specialty events/classes are not included.  

Send an email to [email protected] when you purchase this and we can put you on our list!

 

1 Supporter
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Inspire and Be Inspired

Get a 6 month package of UNLIMITED yoga when you get this package!  This averages out to only $83.33 per month of yoga for your first five months!  This deal is literally unheard of!

This applies to only regular classes, however, as an Unlimited membership yogi, you get all the perks!  Free mat rental, towel rental, and 10% off workshops and selected boutique items!

If you choose this package, be sure to send an email to [email protected] so we can get you on our list!

 

*This option just includes regular classes on the schedule (of which there will be tons to choose from when we open!) and does not include workshops, special events, and trainings.

1 Supporter
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Hold Nothing Back!

This option gets you one year of membership plus an RCY logo'd item!

Our regular year membership is $1,980 so you're getting this at almost half-price, before we even open our doors!

You are also eligible for all the things that come with being an Unlimited member: free towel and mat rental, and 10% off selected boutique items and workshops!  You also get to take as many regularly scheduled classes as you like!

Please send an email to [email protected] when you purchase this option so we can put you on our list!

25 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward
5,000.00 USD
Let NOTHING Hold You Back!

This is our VIP option, and our best deal!

Get one year of membership, 2 RCY logo'd products, and your spot in our next 200 hour yoga teacher training!

That's an almost $7,000 value for only $5,000!

You will also get all the perks that come with being an Unlimited member at Red Cheetah Yoga: free mat and towel rental, and 10% off workshops and selected boutique items!

Send an email to [email protected] when you purchase this option!

*This option does NOT include tuition for the 300 hour yoga teacher training certification course.

15 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward

About the Entrepreneur

South miami, FL
Created 1 Campaign
Health + Science

Rewards

25.00 USD
Let's Go!

This option gets you 3 classes when the studio opens it's doors!  

 

Our drop-in rate is $28, so this is a great deal to not only get started at Red Cheetah Yoga when we open our doors, but is also a great way to contribute to the opening of YOUR studio!

You can get more than one of these and share them with friends and family!

This will apply to all normal classes!  Only specialty classes (such as workshops) are excluded from this deal.

We are looking forward to seeing you on your mat!

Send an email to [email protected] so you can redeem these classes and be put on our list!

 

21 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Red is for PASSION

We are PASSIONATE about yoga at Red Cheetah Yoga!

This option gets you 8 classes!

You can get more than one of these and share them with friends and family!

This applies to all regular classes on our schedule and doesn't include workshops or other specialty classes.

Please send and email to [email protected] so we can get your information to put it on our list when the studio opens!

8 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
Cheetah is for FOCUS

The Focus packages gets you 8 classes and an RCY logo'd product!

Our focus is on making our students' experience the greatest ever!

11 Supporters
Select this reward
250.00 USD
Choose to Evolve

Get 15 classes and an RCY logo'd boutique item with the Choose to Evolve package!

You can get more than one and share it with friends and family!

Classes only for regularly scheduled classes.  Workshops and specialty events/classes are not included.  

Send an email to [email protected] when you purchase this and we can put you on our list!

 

1 Supporter
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Inspire and Be Inspired

Get a 6 month package of UNLIMITED yoga when you get this package!  This averages out to only $83.33 per month of yoga for your first five months!  This deal is literally unheard of!

This applies to only regular classes, however, as an Unlimited membership yogi, you get all the perks!  Free mat rental, towel rental, and 10% off workshops and selected boutique items!

If you choose this package, be sure to send an email to [email protected] so we can get you on our list!

 

*This option just includes regular classes on the schedule (of which there will be tons to choose from when we open!) and does not include workshops, special events, and trainings.

1 Supporter
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Hold Nothing Back!

This option gets you one year of membership plus an RCY logo'd item!

Our regular year membership is $1,980 so you're getting this at almost half-price, before we even open our doors!

You are also eligible for all the things that come with being an Unlimited member: free towel and mat rental, and 10% off selected boutique items and workshops!  You also get to take as many regularly scheduled classes as you like!

Please send an email to [email protected] when you purchase this option so we can put you on our list!

25 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward
5,000.00 USD
Let NOTHING Hold You Back!

This is our VIP option, and our best deal!

Get one year of membership, 2 RCY logo'd products, and your spot in our next 200 hour yoga teacher training!

That's an almost $7,000 value for only $5,000!

You will also get all the perks that come with being an Unlimited member at Red Cheetah Yoga: free mat and towel rental, and 10% off workshops and selected boutique items!

Send an email to [email protected] when you purchase this option!

*This option does NOT include tuition for the 300 hour yoga teacher training certification course.

15 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward