How Variis Is Committing To Diversity and Black Representation

2020 was quite the awakening in terms of social inequities, injustices, and brands wanting to make diversity changes with Black representation, and it reminded me who I collaborate with is a reflection of my own values. But as the year came to a close, the veneer of performative activism from brands faded with it. Thankfully, some have truly stuck to their word with restructuring their company, mindset, and approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Enter Variis.

Variis is a live and on-demand fitness app featuring workout and wellness classes including SoulCycle (you can order their at-home bike, powered by Variis, here), Rumble, HIIT, PURE Yoga, and more. They’ve been a blessing to partner with and incredibly beneficial to my journey in improving my overall health and well-being. The SoulCycle classes on my at-home bike are a blast to workout to, and the instructors are wildly talented and motivating.

They’re constantly updating the app with new features: Both freeride mode and app streaming (Netflix or Spotify) are now available while you ride! It is now available to the public too (it was for Equinox members only previously).

I had the pleasure of speaking with the VP of marketing again to get an update on their progress with improving Black representation in their company and within the last few months, they've successfully exceeded some of those goals (with even more initiatives to come this year). Ahead, a few ways Variis is taking action to increase Black representation within their company.

Variis is Committed to Restructuring Internally

Variis is young (about a year and a half to be exact), and the benefit of that is the can make changes while they’re still growing. When we first spoke in the fall, their goal was to significantly increase representation by hiring in line with NYC demographics — a goal they were able to exceed. And the team still aiming to increase that!

Variis is already ahead of the pack with a diverse team of instructors, but they noticed they could do more in bringing more Black representation to the class cast riders. In just four months, they implemented tracking data to ensure that diversity is met — I've definitely seen a difference while working out!

Variis Is Committed to Giving Back To The Black Community

Variis plans to take it even further with its initiatives to set up teams that will focus on volunteering, training, and mentorship. Additionally, there are proposals for donating and fundraising with nonprofit organizations lined up in the near future. Lastly, they have an ongoing ally ship counsel that holds meetings with the company and the board to stay informed on such issues and initiatives.

There is so much more they are hoping to achieve and are continuing to work on, and I can really feel Variis team’s passion for seeing this through, which gives me hope that there are brands out there who are ready to make an impact with Black representation. I’m excited to see how their diversity initiatives and our partnership continues to evolve!