Join us for the 2024 Summit May 18th & 19th in Philadelphia, PA and online. We’re bringing together fitness professionals of any movement discipline who are transforming the health and fitness industry into a space that is welcoming and inclusive for all bodies.
Summit is the place to grow your professional community by connecting with other fitpros who are building thriving, sustainable businesses without predatory sales tactics or weight loss challenges.
What to expect: business skills workshops led by industry trailblazers, body-positive fitness demos, and social time to network. Everything we do has hands-on components and action items, so you are empowered to make concrete changes right away!
Summit registration is open to all fitness professionals who want to cultivate empowerment with their coaching rather than using traditional body-shaming tactics. If you’re new to BPFA, Summit is a great way to jumpstart your path toward our Onramp to Inclusive Fitness Practices course. If you’ve already taken Onramp, you can see that knowledge put into practice with different movement principles and training styles.
SAVE $50 on your registration for our Onramp to Inclusive Fitness Practices course when you register for in-person or remote access to Summit! (After you register for Summit you will receive a discount code in your mailbox.)
Meet Your 2024 Summit Speakers!
Click here to read full speaker bios and session descriptions.
| Presentation Style | Time | Presenter | Topic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 8:30 AM | Doors Open – Registration | ||
| 30 min | Lecture – Seated | 9:30 AM | Laura Vineyard | Welcome to Summit 2024! |
| 60 min | Lecture – Seated | 10:15 AM | Roz the Diva | “Helping Marginalized Clients Overcome Gym-timidation” |
| 60 min | Workshop – Moving | 11:30 AM | Damali Fraiser (virtual) & Justice Williams (in-person) | “Size-Inclusive Kettlebell Coaching” |
| 75 min | BREAK | 12:30 PM | LUNCH | |
| 60 min | Lecture – Interactive | 1:45 pm | Amanda Tierney, Tamie Gangloff, Abbey Griffith | “Becoming Eating Disorder Informed and Sensitive” |
| 60 min | Lecture – Seated | 3:00 PM | Tasheon Chillous | “Fat Coaches Exist: How to find, create space for, protect and mentor them” |
| 45 min | Movement | 4:15 pm | Sarah Siertle | “Connecting to Your Body Through the Lindy Hop” |
| Optional | Networking | 5:00 PM | JodiAnn Stevenson & BPFA Board | Rebel Body Collective, open questions and availability until dinnertime |
| Optional | Philly Field Trip | 5:30 PM | Field Trip for Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks! | |
| Sunday | ||||
| Optional (addt’l fee) | 8:30 AM | KB class with KG Strong | ||
| 9:30 AM | DOORS OPEN | |||
| 60 min | Lecture with Movement | 10:00 AM | Leslie Jordan Garcia | “Pleasure Principles: Intersection of Fun and Fitness” |
| 60 min | Lecture – Seated | 11:15 AM | Jess Brock-Pitts | “Trauma-Informed Approaches to Movement” |
| 30 min | Movement | 12:30 PM | JodiAnn Stevenson | “Tired Tabata” |
| 75 min | BREAK | 1:00 PM | LUNCH | |
| 60 min | Workshop – Moving | 2:15 PM | Teresa Myers & Jenn Hicks | “The 8 Pillars in Action” |
| 45 min | Movement | 3:30 PM | Ashantis Jones | “Dance Cardio as Inspiration for Accessibility and Inclusion” |
| 30 min | Lecture – Seated | 4:30 PM | Justice Williams | “What’s Next for Inclusive FitPros?” |
| 15 min | Wrap-Up | 5:00 PM | BPFA Board | Closing Remarks |
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Looking for a fitness industry partner who truly understands your mission of inclusivity and body neutrality? I’m Stacy Kim, owner of Feel Strong Brands, and I stand with you in our shared commitment to redefine the fitness narrative. With two studio locations and over 300 members combined, we have demonstrated that our approach is not only needed but sought after by those who value a supportive and inclusive environment.
We partner with fitness professionals to provide the tools and strategic coaching necessary to build your inclusive business. We start with targeted advertising to connect you with your ideal audience, followed by an SEO-optimized website designed to enhance lead conversion. We’ll integrate this with Empowerly, our CRM system, which streamlines lead and member management through automation. Plus, you’ll have access to educational materials and design templates that support the growth of your business.
Ready to amplify your mission with a partner who understands? Schedule your free marketing review with me at FeelStrong.co and connect with Stacy on Instagram @coachstacykim.
BKE Coaching & Consulting helps inclusive fitness and health professionals find clarity, use their unique voice, and build businesses that support themselves and their communities.
Services include 12-week Business Refresh, ongoing business mentorship, event consulting, fitness programming guidance and reviews, and specialty program development.
Start with a free 15-min coaching call for some quick feedback or to see if more in-depth coaching is a good fit. To book, reach out to Katie directly at katiefeeleystrength@gmail.com.
Hidden River is the first residential eating disorder treatment center to provide care in New Jersey for girls, adolescents, and young women ages 10 to 20 as well as our Emerging Adult program for young adults 21 to 28.
Our expert interdisciplinary team provides a compassionate, evidence-based, and goal-oriented approach to guide patients in their healing process. We offer multi-faceted treatment plans that include medical and psychiatric care, nutrition rehabilitation, and psychotherapy. Throughout treatment, we place a particularly important emphasis on family involvement.
Our beautifully-designed facility and grounds is conducive to healing. We are dedicated to guiding patients to believe that they can experience healthy relationships, enjoy successfully productive lives, and achieve full recovery.
Thank you to our speakers Teresa Myers and Jenn Hicks for sponsoring our Summit Scholarship!
Power Plant Gym was born out of a need for a strength training space that is equal parts approachable, competitive, and fun. We believe that everyone deserves to feel strong and happy, and that the gym should be a place you WANT to go, not out of obligation, but because you truly enjoy it. After spending years in gyms obsessed with being “hard core,” PPG Founder Katie Feeley and her husband Brian set out to create a new kind of gym. One that was welcoming enough for beginners, tough enough for competitors, and offered an effective path for people who wanted to travel between the two.
Jess Brock-Pits started at PPG as a member (you might notice that’s a bit of a trend around here), and took over ownership of the gym in 2023. She started working in fitness in 2018 as a pivot from a career in mental health. She is certified in Trauma Informed Weightlifting, where she brings together her passion for mental health and movement. She’s an avid competitor in strength sports, having competed in powerlifting, strongman, and most recently, highland games. She has certifications in personal training and group fitness (ACE), as well as being a Girls Gone Strong 1 Certified Women’s Coaching Specialist. She’s also certified as an intuitive eating counselor.
Discovering Balance: Fitness Coaching & Support was founded to help individuals of various fitness levels and backgrounds, foster a balanced relationship with fitness! Our aim is to help individuals reach their fitness goals and discover their passions through movement.
We also strive to support individuals to discover balance when integrating exercise into eating disorder recovery. We provide a safe and supportive platform to discuss any challenges that one may encounter during the journey of recovery.
Discovering Balance: Fitness Coaching & Support works to help individuals identify unhealthy exercise thoughts and behaviors and supporting them in redefining their relationship with fitness. We aim to help our clients find a balance between challenging the body and bringing the fun back to exercise. We encourage listening to one’s body cues and promote adequate fueling to maintain a healthy body and mind!
Our target reaches beyond the individual and we strive to collaborate and/or educate your specialized treatment team, athletes, teams, coaches, parents, athletic trainers, etc. on how to best support your unique challenges and recovery goals!
Discovering Balance: Fitness Coaching & Support will not use emotionally triggering or extreme tactics to motivate you! We want to help lead you through the fitness world with kindness, support, and empowerment!
Introducing Ascent Fitness, a body-positive gym in Tacoma, WA. They’re dedicated to cultivating a welcoming environment where movement is celebrated and everyone feels included. With expert coaching, accessible programs, and a supportive community, they’re here to help all bodies find joy in fitness.
Exciting news ahead!
Coming soon, you’ll have the opportunity to bring Ascent’s Empowered Programming to your gym. 
This comprehensive package features a functional strength training plan for six weekly classes, with additional options like powerlifting and mobility training add-ons. Each program is thoughtfully designed with scaled movements, coaching notes, and demo videos featuring diverse bodies, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for all. Say goodbye to planning stress and hello to more time for what truly matters: coaching and empowering your members. Stay tuned for our individual program option, perfect for those seeking a self-guided fitness journey. 
#AscentFitness #EmpoweredProgramming #ComingSoon
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COVID Health Policy
BPFA recognizes the continued impact of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases on our community (such as flu, RSV, etc…) and we remain committed to a safe, accessible summit. We will continue to monitor infection rates and implement layered prevention measures in accordance with CDC guidance at the time of Summit. A large HEPA filter will be used in the main meeting room, masks will be readily available, and equipment will be sanitized between sessions. Weather permitting, we will increase ventilation by opening windows. If participating in-person is not a good option for you, please consider our Remote Access Pass.