Spire startup promotes healthy habits among coworkers
A Tennessee startup is using the power of social networks to try to address what has long eluded insurers, health care providers and employers — how to encourage healthier lifestyles.
Spire, based in Nashville and Chattanooga, offers an app that capitalizes on the peer pressure and accountability fostered by social networks and creates a forum for individuals to share their health-related victories as they cheer on others in their communities.
“Behavior change really comes from having people support each other,” said Jonathan Yagel, Spire vice president.
The company, led by CEO Jay Kelley in Nashville, is working with insurers and hospitals to provide the Spire platform for employers and employees to use. Among them are Vanderbilt University Medical Center and CHI Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga.
The company came together in 2010 when its three founders — former soccer players at Covenant College and Clemson University — sought a way to maintain a sense of friendly competition when it came to staying in shape. They built the app for consumers, and its greatest appeal became the health support network it offered.
“The thing that really kept them coming back on a consistent basis was the positive community,” Yagel said. “People were having really substantial behavior change experiences through just the presence of people who were offering them consistent, positive support.”
The business has since shifted to target corporate clients that benefit from having a healthy workforce — both in cost reductions and productivity. Employee teams can compete against one another in fitness challenges and encourage each other to eat healthy or exercise. The idea is that by fostering company cultures that support healthy habits, Spire can have an impact on an individual’s well-being, Yagel said.
“If you go into the break room and everyone is eating doughnuts and you pull out your salad, it’s like, ‘What are you doing?’ ” he said. “It is our belief that to have sustained behavior change you have to have a cultural change.”
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The Spire app also allows participants to sync their data from their fitness devices — a Fitbit or Jawbone — providing them with a comprehensive view of their exercise feats.
Spire, which has raised capital from investors in Nashville and Chattanooga, includes 15 employees, half of whom are software developers. Co-founder Michael Brooks remains with the company as chief product officer and designer.
Kelley joined the company in 2012 after spending the previous decade building the Documentary Channel, a network bought by Participant Media.
Reach Jamie McGee at 615-259-8071 and on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.
Clarification: This story was updated to clarify Spire’s relationship with insurance providers.