INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
There no secret the tech industry suffers a reputation for harmfully disrupting a community
But not everyone in tech is to blame for the negative effects
In 2015 Ben Kovacs and Joel Lunenfeld founded the non-profit Guardian Gym, a buy-one give-one mixed martial arts gym/after-school program
that now boasts over 300 adult members and youth mentees
Kovacs attributes the success of the gyms growth partly to Dick Costolo example at Twitter.
He talked to the people, he made everyone feel
important, everyone thought he was their friend,& Kovacs said
&And I realized that we needed to build a similar type culture if we wanted to be here for the next couple of decades.
The first of its kind
gym is outgrowing its current space and is in the process of securing a second location to meet the community needs
Kovacs plans on having a proper classroom space, nap pods, indoor/outdoor BBQ and lounge area, as well as an all-youth jiujitsu and boxing
that runs concurrently with the adults.
Imagine a place a kid could go every day and essentially have everything they need to be healthy, to
get their exercise out, eat nutritious meals, and of course do their homework,& said Kovacs.
You candonate to the new site on their Gofundme
