Hello Fall, or errr Summer?
I can’t keep up with the change of seasons.
A few years ago I was at an industry dinner hosted by MikMak’s Rachel Tipograph. At the dinner she and some folks at my table were talking about this amazing workout and fitness studio, CONBODY, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
I had to try it.
It wasn’t your conventional boutique fitness studio with intervals which included weights and machines. This was a 50 minutes prison-style, no frills, intense, bodyweight exercise routine! I was sore for 3 days. It was no joke!
My class was taught by CONBODY founder and CEO Coss Marte. Coss had spent 7 years in prison for dealing drugs. Upon his incarceration doctors said his cholesterol levels were through the roof and there was a good chance he’d die in prison. Not to be a victim of his circumstance, Coss turned to fitness. He developed a workout regimen, in jail, which led him to lose 70 pounds in 6 months. Both the results and his passion spread throughout the prison where 20 inmates lost a collective 1,000 pounds from Coss’ workout plan.
He knew he was onto something.
It wasn’t until Coss was sent to solitary confinement, towards the end of his incarceration, where we he put pen to paper — creating a business plan around the workout plan he created.
Upon release from prison, and knowing his work opportunities were limited, Coss took advantage of programs through the City of New York that catered to recently released inmates. One of which was The Fortune Society, which serves 8,000 folks/year coming out of the prison system with helping them acquire marketable skills for jobs. He also linked up with Defy Ventures which believes illegal entrepreneurs can become legal ones by helping these same folks learn how to start a business.
Coss began to execute his vision for CONBODY by leading 2 classes/day in NYC parks, which over time created a community of loyal followers and eventually parlayed into his studio. Coss made a point to hire fellow formerly incarcerated folks to work at CONBODY, 50 in fact to date, whom 0 have returned to prison — that’s right, 0% recidivism (which he’s most proud). He’s a boss and leader and someone his employees can confide in. His compassion knows no bounds.
Coss also co-founded Second Chance Studios which provides the formerly incarcerated with new media skills training. A good number of the folks enrolled in the most recent cohort were hired by MTV. Second Chance Studios has also developed relationships with the local NYC startup community.
As I said to Coss during our conversation, CONBODY is a ‘lane’ in the 2nd Chance ‘highway’ he’s building based on all the good he’s putting into this world. He was quick to correct me that ‘it’s a 2nd and 1st’ chance for some. As an example, he’s making a concerted efforts to mentor kids who come from similar neighborhoods he grew up in as a way to help them create their path by being both a resource and an example.
Follow Coss and his adventures and ventures!
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