turns exercise into a fun, social and rewarding experience
2012 Surgeon General’s Healthy Apps Challenge
What the media is saying: “Need some motivation to hit the gym? Perhaps some free merchandise will do the trick.”!
“It turns exercise into an arcade game, where instead of tickets, you can win points that lead to actual stuff…It was made for the express purpose of making exercising more fun, like a game.”
“Silver Spring entrepreneurs Benjamin Young and Gregory Coleman are developing a new wrinkle on the coupon craze” “Some of these apps leverage game mechanics to promote fitness, and those game mechanics are particularly powerful”
“Sounds cool, doesn't it?” “Welcome the Next Generation of Exercise—that’s Nexercise for short.”!
What some of our 35,000+ users are saying: “…thx Nexercise for helping me live longer.” “My Only Hope…” “I love, love, love this app! Seriously, love! :) I am truly enjoying using this app. The fact that I am earning points for coupons/stuff/things (and won, twice!) just for getting off my b*tt and running with my dogs, weightli(ing and boxing? Very cool! And…it’s free people!! :) Have fun with this because you will enjoy it.”
“…Any app that makes me want to work out even if I’m not really in the mood to is a winner in my book.” “…Two of my friends are already competing with me for points. Whatever works, right?!” “…The only way I am going to get back into (some) shape is by being forced or reminded to exercise. Yet nagging by the wife has not proved the answer. But Nexercise is easy, fun, and a helpful nudge all in one. I love it! “…I honestly was intimidated by other apps because I can't really run (not yet yet) and even riding a bike is difficult… Nexercise was amazing because I could walk, do some light aerobics and some yoga and feel great about myself and my progress.”
“Best app ever!! I would recommend it to everyone!”
Nexercise Description
Nexercise turns the journey to fitness into a fun, social, and rewarding experience! Nexercise is a free mobile application that rewards users with virtual medals, coupons and free merchandise for good health. Nexercise can also be used as a corporate / government wellness platform or gym engagement tool through customized campaigns. Unlike most competing options, Nexercise is the only solution that combines game mechanics, social media and interaction, validated tracking of workouts, and rewards to provide a comprehensive user experience. More importantly, it does this with a free application and does not require the consumer to purchase anything he or she does not already own. All the person needs is a smartphone to get started. Company Background
Two Wharton MBAs, Ben Young and Greg Coleman, conceived the product in 2009. They were both finding that life’s daily challenges were derailing their efforts to stay physically fit. They decided to create a tool that would motivate them and countless others to stay engaged in physical activity. They focused not on content or tracking, but on changing behavior. Products/Services
Nexercise’s iPhone App is currently in the Apple App store and has maintained an average of 4.5 stars. The Android version is in development with an expected release in January/February of 2012. The social game incorporates psychology in its game mechanics that are scientifically designed to motivate users to exercise more frequently and more consistently. Nexercise currently has over 35,000 registered users, and its user base is growing daily by triple+ digits. Technologies/Special Know-‐how
Nexercise uses proprietary, trade secret algorithms based on smartphone sensor data to validate the user’s physical motion and activity. This is what separates Nexercise from many of its competitors. Nexercise also incorporates patent pending game mechanics that leverage 10 key psychological drivers in an interconnected system designed to increase the user’s overall physical activity by rewarding positive fitness behavior.
Our Team Benjamin Young – Chief Executive Officer, Co-‐Founder Mr. Young is a proven leader with over 13 years of experience managing and delivering innovative business and information technology solutions. He possesses a unique blend of creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, combined with advanced qualitative and quantitative skills. He originally conceived the idea of Nexercise from the frustrations of trying to maintain a comprehensive and consistent workout regimen while simultaneously working, continuing his education, and raising two children. Mr. Young has worked in a variety of entrepreneurial and startup environments in a variety of capacities, from software development, to product management and executive management. Most recently he co-‐founded C.Y. Strategy, a boutique strategy and management consulting firm focused on providing advisory services to early and mid-‐stage ventures. At Angel.com (a subsidiary of MicroStrategy), he pioneered some of the most critical features of the voice application system, leading a 75% reduction of development costs and a revenue increase of more than 100%. At Precipia Systems, he served as the Director of Technology where he managed cutting-‐ edge research in unstructured data analytics. Mr. Young holds a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in Entrepreneurial Management. During the program, he earned the elite designation of Palmer Scholar, which is the school’s highest academic distinction and reserved for the top five percent of the graduating class. Mr. Young has a deep passion for both technology and business – he seeks to add value by converting new innovations into profitable business models. Mr. Young holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Virginia.
Gregory B. Coleman – President, Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Coleman brings more than 16 years of management expertise to the Nexercise team. He has extensive experience leading teams through complex and rapidly changing situations and has advised early-‐stage, mid-‐ stage, and Fortune 100 companies in a number of critical areas, including strategy, management, operations, business development and marketing. Prior to co-‐founding Nexercise, Mr. Coleman and Mr. Young co-‐founded the boutique strategy consulting firm, C.Y. Strategy. Together they have provided advisory services to early-‐stage, mid-‐stage, and not for profit organizations. Previously, Mr. Coleman was the deputy commander of a multi-‐department operations organization, an operations program manager, and flight instructor in the U.S. Air Force where he managed over $233M in aircraft inventory, 80 flight crew members, and the daily actions of six departments. He managed the safe transportation of government and military VIPs, including the U.S. Speaker of the House and foreign Heads of State. He has extensive operations experience at the project and program levels leading teams of all sizes. A leader with formal training and real-‐world experience, Mr. Coleman has received numerous leadership and performance awards including the 2007 Major General Calvin G. Franklin Award which is presented to the top mid-‐level officer in the District of Columbia Air National Guard. A former Air Force Academy basic training instructor, Mr. Coleman is an avid fitness buff. Mr. Coleman received a Masters of Business Administration from The Wharton School with a dual major in finance & entrepreneurial management. He focused on understanding the critical nuances of financing and running internet startup ventures. Mr. Coleman also has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy.
Russell Thomas – Vice President of Public Relations Russell Thomas, Jr. is a Washington, D.C. area communications executive, who has hit the trifecta in national awards recognition having been honored for his work in public relations, advertising, and marketing. Most recently, he was named PR News’ 2009 In-‐house Public Relations professional of the year. Russell has provided communications counsel for clients at the highest levels of government, athletics, and entertainment. He was an Executive Director of Communications for the State of Maryland’s first Republican Governor Robert L. Erhlich, Jr. and has created public service messaging for presidential cabinet-‐level federal agencies. With more than 19 years working in and around broadcast media and corporate communications, Russell has been interviewed on numerous broadcast television and radio programs, most notably The Oprah Winfrey Show. His personal interviews and professional representations have helped him to develop entrenched relationships with many editors, producers, and booking agents from media outlets across the nation. His corporate communications and business development work have led him to business stops in Italy, West Africa, and the Caribbean. His work has spanned industries such as fashion, economic development, and education to name a few. He often counsels companies on issues related to applying social media intelligence and Web 2.0 branding. He has ghost-‐written published articles for PR clients and is a self-‐published author. Russell currently publishes the widely read PR and social media focused blog EarnedRelevance.com.
Olubunmi Odumade – Vice President of Products Olubunmi “Boomie” Odumade is Nexercise's VP of Product Management. Ms. Odumade is a proven leader with over 16 years of industry experience delivering highly visible, large scale technology solutions. She has worked on a variety of large-‐scale applications, usually in the government sector, and she has been instrumental in ensuring the quality and timely delivery of the applications. With passions in both technology and education, she has also delivered courses as an adjunct professor at various colleges. Whatever she does, she constantly seeks ways to improve quality, decrease time, or decrease cost. She keeps an eye on relevant technical news in the industry to ensure customer segmentation and competitive analyses are current. Ms. Odumade holds a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. She also earned her Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin.
Dana Nuon, Mobile Developer – 11+ years of software development experience, including iPhone developer since initial platform release.
Formal Advisory Board Dr. Derek Hansen Derek L. Hansen, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor, College of Information Studies, at Brigham Young University. Dr. Hansen is an expert in human-‐computer interfaces who teaches courses at the university on technology-‐ mediated communities and user experience research. He has extensive experience studying communities and technologies like the ones proposed in the Nexercise venture. In addition to his faculty role, Dr. Hansen was formerly the Director of the Center for Advanced Study of Communities and Information at the University of Maryland, College Park. This research center focuses on harnessing the power of novel technologies to improve local and virtual community interaction. As a result of his experience, Dr. Hansen advises the Nexercise team by providing expert advice on the development and evaluation of the mobile user interface and game elements. He also assists in product development and improvement through analysis of user interaction with the application’s mechanics and social network analysis. Dr. Hansen’s current research projects include analyzing social media, mobile-‐based games, social network analysis of technology-‐mediated experiences, and consumer health informatics. Additionally, he released a book in 2010 about social media systems and how to better understand the social connections that form within them using social network analysis. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Hansen was a Senior Healthcare Analyst and Independent Healthcare Consultant. He received his B.A. in Economics from Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. in Information from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He has served as the primary investigator (PI) on numerous research studies including ones for The National Science Foundation and Microsoft.
Dr. Seppo E. Iso-‐Ahola Seppo E. Iso-‐Ahola, Ph.D., is Professor, School of Public Health, at the University of Maryland. Dr. Iso-‐Ahola is an expert in exercise motivation and has developed theoretical models to explain why people do or do not exercise. Dr. Iso-‐Ahola’s research interests and activities are two-‐fold: (1) Social psychological factors in athletic performance (e.g. mental training), and (2) social psychology of exercise and health (e.g. motivation for exercise). He has published four books and over 70 research articles in refereed journals and chapters in edited books. He has received three prestigious research awards and had been invited to serve as distinguished visiting professor in Australia, Canada, Finland, Holland, and New Zealand. As an advisor to Nexercise, Dr. Iso-‐Ahola advises the team in the proper use of psychological drivers to influence exercise behavior among individuals and how to properly drive increased exercise and resulting use of the application. He also assists in product development and improvement through the optimal use of psychological motivators within the game. A winner of several research awards, Dr. Iso-‐Ahola is a leader in his field. He currently teaches graduate level courses in the social psychology of sports and leisure, the psychology of exercise and health, and proper research methods. His current research projects include the study of exercise motivation, positive illusions and athletic success, and the effects of walking vs. riding on performance in the PGA Tour. Dr. Iso-‐Ahola’s has dedicated over 35 years of education and training to the research and understanding of exercise motivation and sports psychology. He holds a B.S. in Sport Psychology from the University of Illinois, Champaign-‐Urbana, a M.S. in Sport Psychology from the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Illinois, Champaign-‐Urbana
Nexercise Milestones • • • • • • • • • • • • •
December 2009 – Final Nexercise concept completed May 2010 – First line of code written October 2010 – Nexercise partners with USDA February 2011 – Nexercise® awarded official registered trademark March 2011 – Nexercise app approved and available in the Apple App Store April 2011 – “Motivated to Move” alpha launch with University of Maryland August 2011 – Nexercise enters into partnership with Kiip (www.kiip.com) to offer/distribute free items/prizes to Nexercise users August 2011 – Nexercise releases substantially updated Beta version of the app August 2011 – Nexercise passes 10,000 downloads September 2011 – Nexercise passes 20,000 downloads September 2011 – Strategic marketing partnership Signed with NBA Legend Dominique Wilkins to bring “Big Box” national vendors to the Nexercise platform September 2011 – Nexercise passes 30,000 Downloads November 2011 – State of Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) invests $75,000 of development capital into Nexercise after completing six months of due diligence.
Nexercise Awards & Recognition • • • • • • • • •
Honorable Mention – Health 2.0 Developer Challenge Company of the Year – Capital Access Network People’s Choice Award – BB&T Regional Company at U Maryland’s Cupid’s Cup Finalist – Disruptathon Hottest Mobile App Contest First Place – DC Hack-‐a-‐thon Applications for Good Nominee – Northern Virginia Technology Council Hottest Ticket Awards Official Runner-‐up – The Funded Founder’s Showcase First Place & People’s Choice Winner – NBMBAA Annual Whiteboard Challenge Finalist (1 of 3) – Montgomery County, MD Chamber of Commerce, Emerging Business of the Year
www.nexercise.com