
PAUL FRANCIS
FOUNDER / CEO
Listen to Paul Francis on the Space Foundation’s Space4U Podcast discussing his journey as an inventor and how he came to work with NASA on the technology that would be used by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Paul Francis invented SpiraFlex resistance technology for NASA‘s Mission Critical program to counteract astronaut bone and muscle loss caused by zero gravity. A NASA 16 week study proved SpiraFlex provided the same benefits as the gold standard of free-weights. Over 50 International Space Station crew members have kept in shape over 10 years using the SpiraFlex powered iRED invented by Francis.
Next, he licensed SpiraFlex technology to Nautilus Inc. and helped developed the Bowflex Revolution home gym, which has achieved sales of over $260 million.
Francis has founded OYO Fitness to incorporate SpiraFlex technology into fitness equipment that can used where you are right now – providing the same benefits as weights, without the weight. The company’s first product was the second most funded fitness product in Kickstarter history.
The company’s pipeline of personal health and fitness equipment will continue to enable people get strong and lean. Group exercise classes use the OYO Gym in HIIT, Yoga, Pilates and Indoor Cycling programs. Companies are providing OYO Gyms to employees for fitness breaks at their desk that can be tracked and rewarded.
OYO is one of the fastest growing brands in the fitness industry, now expanding international distribution in Europe, Asia and South America.

GRAHAM RIPPLE
COO
“I work alongside Paul and the OYO team to take the vision of On Your Own fitness and create a deployable strategy. I then help manage the team and resources so the strategy comes to life. I am an engineer turned entrepreneur having successfully launched two companies serving in the nutraceutical and healthy, prepared meals spaces.”

NICK BOLTON
Fitness Director
“I am a personal trainer in Overland Park, body builder and former firefighter. I developed the workout and nutrition programs for the OYO Personal Gym and work with OYO Fitness as a virtual personal trainer for our workout videos. I also developed and ran the 10 Week Challenge program where participants lost an average of 17lbs and 19 inches.”

SONYA ANDREWS
Brand & Web Director
“I help OYO Fitness convey a brand that reflects its sleek, sophisticated, yet easy to use technology. I come from a background in ecommerce, identity branding and literary publishing, but fitness has always been very important to me. I love the outdoors and enjoy hiking, canoeing, trail running and scuba diving.”

MARCUS SY
Director, Taiwan Office
“My extensive background in manufacturing and project management ensures that we are delivering products of the highest quality to our customers and distributors.”

Kurt Van Keppel
Vice President, International Sales & Marketing
Kurt Van Keppel, co-Founder and former President / CEO of XIKAR, a world-wide leading brand of cigar accessories, now works to help other entrepreneurs grow their companies and build their brands.

Joseph Kessinger, CPA
OYO Fitness Advisor
Joe is a business advisor/financer with more than 30 years of experience in business development, corporate value enhancement, family business transitions, corporate finance and merger/acquisition advisory services. He has been employed by two Big 4 accounting firms (KPMG and Ernst & Young), managed venture capital/private equity portfolios, consulted with family offices and has started, owned, operated and sold several different businesses, including an electronics manufacturing company and a medical device manufacturer. He also currently serves on the Advisory Board of 6 privately-held businesses and acts as CFO for 4 businesses.

LEROY CHIAO, Ph.D.
OYO Fitness Advisor, Former NASA Astronaut
Leroy Chiao has vast experience in both the public and private sector. In addition to his human spaceflight experience at NASA, he has also worked extensively in academia, government laboratories and in commercial ventures and technology startups. Leroy exercised with SpiraFlex technology for 6 months on the International Space Station and returned stronger than when he left.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Teddy Roosevelt