In the premiere episode of Breakthrough Labs Season 2, General Atlantic Managing Director and Head of Consumer for EMEA Melis Kahya Akar sits down with Ben Francis, Founder and CEO of Gymshark, a leading online, direct-to-consumer, community-based fitness apparel brand. They discuss Ben’s entrepreneurial journey and the importance of taking risks; how he paired his love for building websites and apps with fitness to create Gymshark; why he dropped out of university to focus on Gymshark full time; how stepping down as CEO for four years allowed him to focus on learning more about business fundamentals and building Gymshark’s community-driven brand; the benefits of an offline strategy in building brand authenticity and community; Gymshark’s early mover position in influencer marketing and the importance of having a great product; the decision to open Gymshark’s first brick-and-mortar retail location and expanding the product’s customer base beyond men’s wear; Ben’s evolution as a leader and the importance of leveraging your network; how Ben’s UK heritage and admiration for UK brands has influenced Gymshark; and, how his job at Pizza Hut taught him about customer service.