Key Takeaways
- No green card required — fitness certification + EAD qualify
- Fund gym equipment, studio buildout, and membership marketing
- Venezuelan, Ethiopian, and Cuban fitness professionals build studios as asylees
- Recurring membership revenue is ideal for revenue-based funding
- 48-hour decisions
Fitness entrepreneurship attracts asylee professionals who had careers in sports, physical education, or wellness in their home countries. Venezuelan personal trainers who coached athletes in Caracas build boutique studios in Miami and Houston. Ethiopian and Eritrean fitness coaches — many with backgrounds as runners and athletes — serve immigrant and mainstream communities in DC and Minneapolis. Cuban boxing coaches have launched fight gyms that attract professional fighters across South Florida.
Gym buildouts are capital-intensive: commercial cardio equipment runs $50,000-$200,000 for a well-equipped facility; flooring, mirrors, sound systems, and locker rooms add another $30,000-$100,000. Bankable funds gyms with existing membership revenue seeking to expand their facility or equipment.
Fitness Businesses We Fund
- Independent gyms and fitness centers
- Boutique studios (yoga, Pilates, cycling, HIIT)
- Boxing and martial arts gyms
- Personal training studios
- Sports performance facilities
- CrossFit-style functional fitness gyms
- Dance and movement studios
Minimum: $15,000/month in membership and session revenue, 6 months operating, US entity, EAD.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Asylee fitness professionals with EAD, a US business entity, and $15,000+/month in revenue qualify for expansion funding.
Yes. Equipment purchases (cardio machines, weight racks, benches) are a common use.
Yes. Franchise gym operators qualify under the same terms as independent gyms.
Membership fees, class packages, personal training sessions, and merchandise sales all count.
Yes. Multi-location expansion is a common use case.
Business bank statements, Mindbody/Glofox/Pike13 reports, or payment processor records.
$15,000/month in total fitness business revenue.
Yes. Leasehold improvements and studio buildout are eligible uses.