Updated: Feb 10, 2022
Originally published in the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF) blog.
22 October 2020
Spark received a WACIF grant in 2020.
"Sometimes all you need is a spark to jump-start your business.
For wellness professional and former educator Gabby Lubin, the loss of her full-time job as a fitness instructor brought on by the COVID-19 landscape became the spark igniting her business. spark by gabby is an online (for now) fitness business formed on four pillars: strength, peace, community, and social justice. The instructors at spark by gabby teach a unique approach by having their students bring the mind and body together to alleviate stress. Students and instructors also engage in social justice dialogues via online platforms such as the Humans Not Hashtags Instagram page, where Gabby and three fitness instructors share holistic stories surrounding race and advocacy.
As a young business that started at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, spark by gabby faces unique advantages and challenges compared to its competitors, including the ability to be more adaptable as a new business. Wacif awarded Gabby the D.C. Small Business Recovery Microgrant, on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and the Executive Office of Mayor Bowser, and she used the funds to help run her business online. For now, Gabby and her team of four instructors (who knew each other prior to the pandemic) teach live classes via Zoom. Classes are recorded and uploaded to the website for students to rent. This digital platform makes it feasible for a larger audience to attend the workout sessions. “I do think in-person sessions are superior to virtual,” said Gabby, “but I like being able to reach everyone on their own time. That doesn’t mean that I’ll give up on virtual.”
The instructors at spark by gabby teach a unique approach by having their students bring the mind and body together to alleviate stress.
Are you ready to spark? Healthcare providers, teachers, gig workers, people on unemployment, students, and fitness instructors are all eligible for a 40% discount on spark by gabby classes. Learn more about Gabby’s services here and follow their work on Instagram."