Meet Colette Dong & Aly Giampolo: The Co-Founders Behind Fitness Empire The Ness

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.

A few years ago, a new workout studio entered the New York fitness scene, amassing attention through its unique method of a high-intensity trampoline-based workout with low impact on the body. The Ness, founded by Colette Dong and Aly Giampolo, quickly became New Yorkers’ new go-to workout nestled in the incredibly chic SoHo neighborhood—and there were no signs of slowing down. In fact, during the pandemic, The Ness’s international digital fitness platform business grew by 75%, further proving that the method had become a leading method in the fitness industry. The Ness has also captured the hearts of notable celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kelly Ripa, and Sophia Bush. 

Today, Dong and Giampolo remain committed to evolving the company through new programming, challenges, and innovative ways to use the trampoline to keep their community engaged and forging synergistic partnerships and pop-ups, like their residency at Topping Rose House in the Hamptons. Dong and Giampolo undoubtedly created a one-of-a-kind studio, ultimately building a community that shares the same passion for wellness. Thus, it is no real surprise that their former careers were actually in the wellness world yet completely different than The Ness.

The two first met when they were working as professional dancers, where they bonded over their passion and drive for movement. But for Dong and Giampolo’s business adventure, it was all about timing. They met at the perfect time, as they both had the itch to move on to the next chapters of their careers, and therefore, The Ness was born.

Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to hear how their past lives in dancing and rigorous training influenced them while building a burgeoning fitness empire. And keep scrolling to discover and shop the iconic The Ness trampoline.