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Behind every yoga business is a founder with a vision. Explore their journeys, lessons, and strategies to build, grow, and make an impact.
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Movement helped Juri Ko navigate grief, personal transitions, and the process of reconnecting with herself. After discovering a deeper side of yoga in Hawaiʻi, she completed her teacher training and began building communities around movement
Yoga TechStacie Dahlbeck first rolled out a yoga mat at age 12, tagging along to class with her mom. What started as something fun quickly turned into something sacred — a space where she felt supported, safe, and at ease in her own body. Not long after, her mom got certified as a yoga teacher, and Stacie knew in her heart she’d follow that path someday too. But like many, she took a more “practical” route after college. She entered grad school to become an audiologist — a steady, respectable profession. One year in, she realized she was living someone else’s dream. So she walked away. She had just moved from Lubbock to Fort Worth, a leap that felt big and brave — and it became the backdrop for her next chapter: teaching yoga full time...
Yoga TechLinda Rubesch never imagined yoga would become her life’s work. A native of Budapest, Hungary, she once dismissed yoga entirely, calling it boring. Her passions were theatre, literature, and sports — until a devastating roller skating accident shattered her knee and her sense of normal. Doctors warned she might never walk properly again. Determined to reclaim her active lifestyle, she started training on her own, despite having no knowledge of recovery. A chance encounter with a fellow gym-goer led her to a pilates class, which felt too gentle. But that same instructor pointed her toward something else: Ashtanga yoga. One class later, her pain disappeared — for 90 minutes. That was enough. She kept returning, again and again...
Yoga TechBorn in Buenos Aires, Satvika was raised in a high-pressure environment where success followed a fixed path: long work hours, marriage, and two weeks off each year. At just 22, with a degree in International Business Trade in hand, she realized she wanted more. She left Argentina and landed in California, where her journey of self-exploration began. Life, to her, became a canvas — one she would paint with intention, care, and creativity. A chance encounter with a spiritual teacher in San Diego sparked a fascination with ancient teachings. Her yoga practice began with a book she discovered years later, practicing daily in her living room. That humble start led her toward a life rooted in clarity, purpose, and deep transformation...
Yoga TechWhile yoga has been a lifelong companion since my early 20s, becoming a yoga teacher or studio owner wasn’t part of my original, well-thought-out path—or so I thought. In a previous life, I had a career as a marine biologist and commercial diver for the best part of 15 years. It brought me immense joy and a deep connection to nature and the animals within it. Working with various species of marine life, both large and small, gave me fascinating insight into how we are all interconnected. I started with a local yoga class in a community hall in 2005. I had always felt drawn to yoga, but wasn’t sure where to begin. The flyer said it was Hatha yoga and suitable for all levels, so I went along. A few years later, a friend introduced me to Hot Yoga, and that completely changed the direction of my practice...
Yoga TechMy name is Lauren Elassad, originally from Sydney and now living on the sunny Gold Coast. For a long time, I felt like I was living a life that wasn’t truly mine. I was in a long-term relationship, on track to buy a home in my hometown, and working full-time as a personal assistant. But everything felt like a struggle—as if I were just going through the motions. Though I dabbled in yoga, it was more for how my body felt than any deeper understanding. It wasn’t until I moved to London for a year on a working holiday visa, partly to escape the life I had built, that things shifted. As they say, you can run from your life, but you can’t run from yourself. Eventually, everything caught up with me...
Yoga TechLeslie Herr’s introduction to yoga didn’t come from a desire to become more flexible or to find a new hobby. It came from necessity. At the time, she was deep in the world of emergency services—a career filled with high-stakes medical calls, disasters, and the constant weight of unpredictability. That life demanded clarity, resilience, and recovery. Yoga became the place where she could catch her breath, center her emotions, and find relief from the intensity of her work...
Yoga TechCarly Isleib’s path into the yoga world was paved by a deep desire for growth, creativity, and connection. Born in the fall of 1988, Carly’s early career was rooted in the food industry—a space that shaped her work ethic, resilience, and also introduced her to the burnout that would eventually guide her toward healing...
Yoga TechBefore yoga became a calling, Joy Nagle lived a life shaped by both hardship and a profound connection to nature. As a child, she found comfort in the wilderness and tuned in to an unseen world long before she had the language to describe it. A dreamer, a seeker, and a believer in magic, Joy’s journey into yoga began not in a studio—but on a towel on the floor beside her sleeping baby in 1991, guided only by a worn copy of Richard Hittleman’s 28-Day Yoga Exercise Plan...
Yoga Tech"I have always been a teacher, but my classroom has shifted over the years."...
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