Jackie Joyner-Kersee, an Olympian and three-time gold medal winner for track and field, has joined digital health startup Fitly, as an investor, co-founder and the head of wellness.
Its flagship product is the SmartPlate, which uses sensors, a camera and machine learning to help users get a detailed breakdown of the food they’re eating.
Joyner-Kersee’s role combines wellness with business development duties. It’s an interesting move when one would expect most companies to target celebrity endorsements. But it’s a smart move on Fitly’s part who sees the potential for Joyner-Kersee’s profile and story to open a lot of doors for the early stage business, particularly with corporate wellness programs.
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“We didn’t just want an endorser,” said co-founder and CEO Anthony Ortiz. “This worked out perfectly for us because the incentives are so well aligned. Jackie can open up doors for us. If we were to knock on some doors, they may open the door it wouldn’t be the same greeting as when Jackie knocks on the door.”
Joyner-Kersee is an investor in the business and has opted against taking a salary.
Many of the 1,000 people who have embraced the SmartPlate, ordering it one year ahead of schedule, fit into the quantified self movement. But for employer wellness programs, Fitly’s emphasis has been on the SmartPlate’s support for nutrition applications. The company is also interested in its applications for people with diabetes and allergies which can exacerbate conditions like asthma.
Joyner-Kersee mentioned that the company approached her agent to gauge her interest. She said she has previously resisted overtures by fitness tracking companies without naming names.
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“After learning about the technology, I thought, ‘Wow, this is really is a game changer. I look forward to being involved.'”
