DAVID J. LONG
CEO, ORANGETHEORY FITNESS, BOCA RATON
Orangetheory was founded in 2010 by Florida physiologist Ellen Latham. Workouts focus on highly structured, one-hour training sessions alternating between short periods of intense exercise and long recovery periods designed to increase oxygen consumption and enhance endurance and cardio-vascular function.
Long has sold the fitness concept to a broad base of franchisees. At the start of 2020, Orangetheory included 1,200 franchised studios in 50 states and 23 countries, with more than 1 million members and gross revenue exceeding $1 billion, says Long.
A former executive at Massage Envy, Long has ambitious growth projections for Orangetheory, targeting more than $2 billion in gross sales by 2024. In addition, Long is working with health insurance companies and health care providers to devise plans that will subsidize Orangetheory workouts for people who cannot afford to pay the full price of a membership.