Natalie Holloway: Co-Founder of Bala and Balacize

Natalie Holloway and her husband, Max, had their aha moment during a yoga class in Indonesia. As the class was more meditative than sweat-inducing, they wondered, Why isn’t anyone making chic wrist or ankle weights that could turn up the resistance on everyday exercises? They immediately began brainstorming their idea on a napkin, and after returning to the United States, the two created prototypes of what would eventually become the best-selling Bala Bangle. With the help of a Kickstarter campaign and a successful Shark Tank debut, Bala has grown to include a range of fitness equipment sold in retailers including Goop, Saks, and Target, as well as a digital fitness instruction platform called Balacize. But what led Natalie and Max to Indonesia in the first place? The two met while working at global advertising agency 72 and Sunny, where they thrived but ultimately felt burnt out. They decided to take a sabbatical to travel, and a year later, returned ready to use their branding expertise to give the ’80s-era fitness equipment a fashion-forward makeover.