Accidental Entrepreneurs: Embracing Imperfection to Unlock Scale

Moderated by Tinx, Investor Mark Cuban and Bala Cofounders Natalie Holloway and Maximilian Kislevitz discuss an unexpected, borderline absurd approach to launching and scaling a fitness brand.   Natalie and Max started Bala on a napkin in 2018, when they sketched out ideas for what would eventually become Bala Bangles.  Though Bala started as a side project, Natalie and Max took note of the ultra-serious, exclusionary nature of the fitness industry – a sea of lookalike brands running the same playbook; one defined by unreasonable expectations and the heartache of falling short.    Since launching a successful Kickstarter campaign and appearing on ABC's Shark Tank, where they secured an investment from Mark Cuban and Maria Sharapova, Bala has grown tenfold. In contrast to the utility-led products that dominate the fitness space, Bala believes beautiful, functional fitness equipment will change the way people work out.