Innovation Summit Series: WillowWorx

Exercise equipment is a huge, international market with many well-established players, but it is also one of the markets most prone to disruption by clever startups.

For the third entry in our Innovation Summit Series, we spoke with Dr. Marien Zanyk about her unique exercise device, the WillowWorx. Inspired by her favorite tree, which Dr. Zanyk frequently used for stretching, the fiberglass tree that “enables freeform workouts that improve overall fitness, flexibility and balance”

It’s a step away from “intimidating” metal machines and crowded gyms, it takes up comparatively little space, and it’s both durable and maintenance free. We spoke with Dr. Zanyk to see where she got her inspiration, and the challenges of building an exercise startup from scratch.