PULSE CHECK ISSUE NO. 05
Willpower World: Two Day Takeover in Austin
October 14–15 • Austin, TX • F1 Grand Prix week
Day 1 — Catalyst Series: Winning Cultural Tentpoles (Oct 14)
How brands win the biggest stages like SXSW, ACL, and the Grand Prix. Ideas, case studies, and connections that turn moments into momentum.
Day 2 — World of Sports & Human Performance (Oct 15)
An immersive day of workouts, panels, and live activations with leaders across wellness, defense, and F1 team voices. Train, learn, and plug into the future of performance.
Vendors & Brand Activations
Want in on on-site experiences and sampling? Apply here
Speakers, Sponsors, Partners
Interested in collaborating? Email Bill: bill@drinkwillpower.com
Spots are limited. If Austin is on your calendar, lock it in now.
Opening Note
This Monday, we hosted our first-ever Human Performance Roundtable in New York City. Musaafer, a Michelin-starred restaurant with a reputation for bold flavors and striking atmosphere, provided the perfect backdrop for the caliber of dialogue in the room.
Around the table sat leaders from Peloton, Tonal, Othership, Rythm Health, Neurable, and Rally. It wasn’t surface-level chatter. It was the kind of conversation that lays the groundwork for solving problems and sparking collaboration.
We heard stories like Rythm Health bringing a 110-foot Ferris wheel to Runningman, and even watched Bill get a live Neurable brain scan right at the table.
Bill's brain scan via Neurable
The Neurable team also shared that they’ll be co-hosting an invite-only Brain Health Summit with IDEO this November, opening the door for even more exciting conversations in the months ahead.
And that’s the point. Dinners like this aren’t about one-off ideas; they’re about building the foundation. Monday night set the tone for what’s coming next month: the Willpower World of Sports & Human Performance in Austin.
The Rise of Women in Performance
Nike and Skims have teamed up on one of the most high-profile crossovers between performance and lifestyle in recent years. By bringing in Sha’Carri Richardson and Serena Williams, the campaign connects two generations of women who represent peak athleticism in very different ways.
Sha’Carri embodies what’s coming next in sprinting, while Serena shows what durability and greatness look like over time. Together, they highlight that performance isn’t just about what you wear or how fast you go, it’s about who is seen and supported. Historically, women have been underserved in performance apparel, with brands investing less in product innovation and visibility compared to men.
Now the visibility is starting to match the talent. In 2024, the WNBA regular season was up an unprecedented 170% from 2023. In 2025, viewership climbed again, averaging 1.3 million viewers per game across ABC and ESPN, with marquee matchups like Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky drawing more than 2.7 million viewers. These are the highest numbers the league has seen in decades. Pair that momentum with campaigns like Nike x Skims, and the story is clear: women are not just participating in sport, they’re shaping the future of performance itself.
WHOOP Goes Clinical
WHOOP is stepping further into the clinical space. Beginning this fall, members will be able to order Quest Diagnostics lab tests directly through the WHOOP app. That includes biomarkers like hormones, inflammation, cardiovascular health, and nutrient status, with results reviewed by a third-party provider and integrated back into the app, alongside optional phone consults.
For performance-minded users, this unlocks a new layer of context. Training load can now be paired with inflammation markers, recovery scores aligned with hormone levels, nutrition decisions guided by actual deficiencies. It’s a step toward building a daily loop where personal performance data and clinical metrics inform each other.
We saw this direction coming into focus earlier this summer at our NYC Catalyst Series, where Tatiana Kuzmowycz, VP of Brand at WHOOP, spoke about the need to bridge consumer tools with deeper insights. This partnership with Quest shows exactly how that vision is starting to take shape, and hints at a future where performance tracking and healthcare are no longer separate conversations.
Tatiana Kuzmowycz | VP of Brand at WHOOP on the Willpower Catalyst Series: Cutting Through Noise panel
Performance Capital
From Kudos to Cash Flow
Strava is preparing for a U.S. IPO, reportedly targeting 2026. With 150 million users in 185 countries and a $2.2B valuation in its last raise, the platform has scale most fitness apps only dream of. The challenge now is proving it can convert that massive community into sustained, predictable revenue streams that public investors trust.
Ōura Nears $11B Valuation
Ōura is close to finalizing a Series E that would value the company at $11 billion. More than 5.5 million rings have been sold, including 2.5 million in just the past year. Evolving from a biohacker favorite into a mainstream wellness staple, now expanding in retail and layering on new health features. If the valuation holds, Ōura cements itself as one of the most valuable companies in the performance wearables space.
Ketone-IQ Attracts Big Names
Ketone-IQ secured a seven-figure investment round led by Jake Paul, Jon Jones, Steven Bartlett, and Seaside Ventures. The product is already the fastest-growing energy shot in premium retail, with sales up triple digits year-over-year and distribution expanding into Target, Circle K, and Chevron ExtraMile. Fueled by big-name backers and growing demand, Ketone-IQ is working to move ketones out of the margins and into everyday performance.
From Monza to Baku
In Monza, McLaren found itself in the middle of one of the season’s most controversial moments. A slow pit stop put Lando Norris behind teammate Oscar Piastri, and with just laps to go, the team ordered Piastri to hand the position back. McLaren defended it as “restoring balance,” but the optics were messy: team politics over pure racing. Even rival team bosses weighed in, warning that moments like this could set tricky precedents.
Fast forward to Azerbaijan last Sunday, and the fallout was clear. Piastri, who came into the weekend leading the championship, jumped the start, dropped through the field, and crashed out within the first few corners. Norris, meanwhile, couldn’t capitalize and crossed the line in seventh place. The result opened the door for others: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) delivered a wire-to-wire win, George Russell (Mercedes) held steady for P2, and Carlos Sainz (Williams) gave his team one of their strongest podiums in years with a third-place finish.
Together, these two races show the dual sides of performance: the strategy calls and team politics that shape outcomes off the track, and the razor-thin execution on the track where one false start can decide everything. It also raises a bigger question; how do fans experience these moments, and how does the crowd’s energy shape the sport itself? We’ll dig into that perspective in October with Divya Goel, VP of Fan Engagement at Williams Racing, speaking on Day 2 of the Willpower World of Sports & Human Performance.
Celebrity Power Plays in Performance
Dua’s Next Single: Chief Creative Officer
Global pop star Dua Lipa has taken on the role of Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Frame Fitness, a company making compact at-home reformers with a $4,999 price tag. The announcement comes as Frame prepares to launch standalone reformer studios and expand into leading hotels worldwide. Her move follows a broader trend of celebrities stepping into co-founder roles, not just as faces of a brand, but as part of its growth story. With Pilates surging in popularity, it’s worth asking how much influence star power can have in shaping the next chapter of performance.
Seven Rings, One More Title: Chief Innovation Officer
If you caught last month’s Pulse Check, we covered Logan Paul joining Aescape as an investor and partner, highlighting how advanced recovery tech is becoming a core part of luxury wellness experiences, where guests now expect more than just cold towels or an old massage chair. Now, Aescape is adding another heavyweight: Tom Brady has signed on as Chief Innovation Officer. Aescape builds robotic recovery systems designed to bring consistent, customizable therapy into gyms, hotels, and wellness spaces. With Paul bringing cultural reach and Brady bringing decades of performance credibility, Aescape is positioning itself at the front of the recovery tech race, where access to pro-level recovery is becoming part of everyday performance.
The Bigger Question
Back in the early 2000s, celebrities were quick to lend their names to protein shakes, workout DVDs, and infomercial gear, often with little connection beyond a paycheck. Today, titles like Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder suggest a different play: equity, ownership, and influence on product direction. The question is whether this wave of celebrity partnerships motions to true leadership in performance, or if it risks becoming another cycle of the halo effect slapped onto wellness.
Lessons from Runningman 2025
Runningman returned this year at Kingston Downs, GA, drawing 1,500+ people into a three-day blend of endurance, recovery, and community. The format was simple but powerful: a one-mile loop where runners could choose their own distance, from 5K to ultra. Activations brought the event to life, Rythm Health rolled in a 110-foot Ferris wheel, Othership built the world’s largest sauna, and Promix set up a jousting arena. Around the track, recovery zones offered cold plunges and saunas, while workshops covered everything from breathwork to mobility. It felt part wellness festival, part performance lab. Athletech News captured the takeaways well, and a few lessons stand out:
Choose Your Distance – Letting runners set their own mileage lowered barriers and made the challenge theirs.
Recovery Front and Center – Cold plunges, saunas, and breathwork weren’t side perks, they were core to the weekend.
Experiences Beat Logos – Everyday Dose ran a morning café, Hyperice unveiled its Nike collab, HYROX brought competition disciplines to life, and Promix staged a full juice bar and obstacle course. Brands weren’t just present, they created experiences people actually lived.
Community Is the Engine – Fireside hangs, mid-race encouragement, and post-run resets created the real momentum.
Growth Through Challenge – Extra laps or new recovery practices pushed people past comfort zones and left lasting impact.
We’re Growing 🚀
Willpower is expanding, and we’re looking for the right people to join the team.
We’re currently hiring for an Events & Partnerships Manager, a role focused on bringing our community to life across events, brand activations, and strategic partnerships.
If you know someone who’d be a great fit, please pass this along. The best additions to our team always come through our community.
