I’m ClassPass founder Payal Kadakia. Ask me anything!

NOTE: This AMA has ended. Find the Q&A with Payal in the comments.

Hi TIA Community!

I’m Payal Kadakia, founder and executive chairman of ClassPass. ClassPass is the leading membership to the world’s largest fitness network with an expanding roster of over 10,000 studio, gym and wellness partners worldwide. Founded in 2013, ClassPass is recognized as one of Forbes’ Next Billion Dollar Startups and has raised US$255 million to date. We’ve just expanded our global footprint with our first Asia launch in Singapore.

I started ClassPass out of my love for dance, which I have been doing since the age of three. ​Prior to ClassPass, I worked at ​Bain & Company and Warner Music Group, and founded an Indian-American dance troupe called the Sa Dance Company. I also have a degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in operations research and economics.

Today, seven years after I founded my company, ClassPass has a staff of over 300 employees and has expanded to 50 cities, where more than 55 million reservations have been booked.

Feel free to ask me anything, including questions about:

• Our global expansion plans and why we’re focusing on Asia
• How being the pioneer of the fitness subscription model makes us different
• The challenges of growing a startup across multiple geographies
• Learning lessons from my entrepreneurial journey
• Or something personal: my favorite fitness classes, guilty pleasures, and inspirations

Note from Putra, TIA’s head of community content: The host may choose at her preference to not answer particular questions. The AMA is moderated by the community managers, so let’s keep the questions friendly. 🙂