Startup Spotlight #110: Chorus
Chorus provides online group meditation classes led by live instructors.
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I got the chance to speak with Ali Abramovitz, co-founder and CEO of Chorus, about what she’s working on at her startup, and any advice she has for emerging entrepreneurs.
Chorus provides online group meditation classes led by live instructors. Members pay $40-a-month to access live and pre-recorded classes set to the beat of awesome music, that helps them start their day with a positive mindset or unwind at night before bed.
Unlike traditional meditation, which is typically done alone, is often tedious for beginners, and takes many months to feel a difference, Chorus is:
👯♀️ SOCIAL, with warm, personable teachers and amazing fellow class-goers
🎵 FUN, with new and popular music
✨ And gives you a physical TINGLING sensation created by the breathing pattern, leaving you physically and mentally calmer after your VERY FIRST SESSION.
If you want to give it a try, we just launched a new class specifically designed to help you sleep — https://chorusmeditation.com.
Prior to Chorus, Abramovitz did a mix of business and product at Twilio and was an investor at a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund. Her co-founder, Mary Kate “MK” Hurlbutt (Chief of Experience & Community), was a top SoulCycle instructor in the world before Chorus. She and Abramovitz were introduced through mutual friends in San Francisco after both experiencing the benefits and challenges of traditional meditation practice. Chorus’s other two co-founders are: Warren Runk (CTO), who is also a long-time meditator, having over 20 years of programming experience, and was director of engineering at Evite and Clique Brands, both consumer, community-focused companies; and Alex Knecht, who leads Operations and is also a long-time mindfulness practitioner who was the former manager of Apple’s Wellness division at their headquarters in Cupertino for 6 years.
MK and Abramovitz met after they both had found the benefits of traditional meditation practice, but only after much difficulty getting started because it took over 30 days to feel the benefits and it can often feel isolating and like nothing is “working.” At the time, MK was a top SoulCycle instructor. She is a true master at creating community and motivating people to be their best through a perfect balance of humor, approachability, and deep vulnerability and acceptance. Abramovitz was an avid SoulCycle rider and the two bonded over their shared love for meditation and separately, their love for the instantly gratifying and social experience that SoulCycle had created. The two decided that if they could create an experience for the mind that mirrored what SoulCycle had done for the body, they could help millions of people just like them.
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Startup Spotlight: Chorus
Problem: To put it simply, the problem we are solving is stress.
Our collective mental health has been suffering for some time, and the shift to a digital-first way of life has led to increasingly blurred lines between work and life balance -- add the isolation from being in a pandemic and we get mental health in need of a new solution!
Market: There are 72 million millennials in the US. We estimate that 94% of them are not already using Headspace or Calm. And this is just our most narrow audience.
Solution: Chorus is a new meditation solution for anyone who has struggled with traditional meditation. Unlike traditional meditation, which is typically done alone, is often tedious for beginners, and takes many months to feel a difference, Chorus is social, fun, and leaves you feeling physically and mentally calmer after your very first session.
Team: Ali (CEO), former business leader at Twilo and investor at a multi-billion hedge fund; MK (Chief of Experience & Community), former top SoulCycle instructor in the world; Warren (CTO), former director of engineering at Evite and Clique Brands, both consumer, community-focused companies; and Alex (Operations) former Apple Wellness.
Recent Success:
Abramovitz: Building an experience that people love! We hear from our customers every week that Chorus is the only meditation solution that has ever clicked for them. For people who struggled with traditional meditation, they now attend Chorus EVERY OTHER DAY.
We have been focused on a strong product foundation and are proud of the valuable experience we have built that brings our members back month after month after month.
Recent Struggle:
Abramovitz: We have struggled to describe Chorus in a way that really captures the experience. Since it’s so new and different, it’s hard to convey the feeling you get after class without experiencing it yourself. In particular, people feel really connected to one another after class and stick around to talk to each other about their shared experiences. This social connection is a very special part of Chorus.
So if any of this sounded intriguing, but you’re not totally sure what to expect - just come check out a class for free :) https://chorusmeditation.com
Founder Advice:
Abramovitz: “The moment when everyone else wants to give up -- that’s precisely the moment you step on the gas.”
I believe this came from Guy Raz, the host of the podcast “How I Built This” - I’m not sure if he coined it or if he got it from someone else. But what I like about this is it shows that being an entrepreneur takes both hard work AND mental toughness. When you’ve been grinding and feel like giving up - that’s precisely when you need to stay clear-headed, balanced, and keep moving forward. On my hardest days, I meditate for an extra session or take very deliberate deep breaths and think to myself - just keep putting one foot in front of the other. And with time, calm thinking, and perseverance - you make it through even the hardest days.
Obviously easier said than done - and we all have our moments - but often the time when you feel like you have the least time to take care of yourself, is when you need it most, so taking care of your mental health and being in the right mindset is the biggest piece of advice I have.
Three Cool Founders You Should Know About:
Abramovitz: Here are three founders you should check out next!
Austin Bishop, Founder of Atomic Industries: ???
Hayley Leibson & Vera Kutsenko, Founders of Neverland: Neverland is the world's first plant, garden, and lawn marketplace connecting folks with thousands of SMBs across the USA.
Kyriakos Eleftheriou, Founder of Terra: Terra is the easiest way for users to connect their fitness data to apps.
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