Latest news with #fitnessclass
Forbes
16-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Bilt Reaches $10.8B Valuation & Announces Home Away From Home Platform
Imagine walking into your neighborhood cocktail bar and receiving a round of espresso martinis on the house – not because it's your birthday, but because you live nearby. Or booking a fitness class seamlessly through an app, and earning a post-workout smoothie in the process. Bilt is betting big on this vision of hyper-local loyalty, where members including many Gen Zers, earn perks not only for paying rent but also for engaging with the merchants, experiences, and entertainment options that define their daily lives. The loyalty program turning rent payments into reward points, has launched a hotel collection that brings this to life. The company's newly launched "Home Away From Home" collection offers Bilt's members VIP benefits like early check-in and premium amenities at the world's most prominent hotels. This marks a notable shift for a company that built its reputation on helping renters earn points on their monthly housing payments. While Bilt has offered travel-focused rewards before - in partnership with Virtuoso - this latest addition suggests the five-year-old startup is testing whether its members want more than just rent-related perks from their loyalty program. It doesn't hurt that just last week, the company more than tripled its valuation to $10.75 billion. But, this global travel expansion retains a local-first lens. Ankur Jain, founder and CEO of Bilt, explains, 'When our most loyal members travel, they get curated recommendations and perks at the best local restaurants and bars in that city. We're enhancing our merchant network by connecting travelers to it, not just residents.' "Our Gold and Platinum members have been asking for travel experiences that match the elevated lifestyle they've come to expect,' said Richard Kerr, VP of Travel at Bilt. 'Home Away From Home delivers exactly that, but with a twist – every property feels like an extension of their own neighborhood. The partnership with Virtuoso means they're getting white-glove service with dedicated travel advisors managing every detail of their journey. We're giving our members that same level of access and service as part of their existing Bilt experience." Latte with heart-shaped foam art served at Sideboard in Lafayette, California, January 30, 2025. ... More (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) From Rent Payments to a Local Lifestyle Platform Bilt began with a simple but powerful idea: allow renters to pay rent by credit card without transaction fees and earn points along the way. But Ankur Jain, Bilt's founder and CEO, sees an even broader future. 'We looked at it as a housing and neighborhood commerce platform,' Jain explains. 'The customer gets value for payments they're already making, plus rewards that create a true members-club feel within their community.' The company partners with property managers nationwide to integrate seamlessly into residents' lives, creating what David Wyler, Chief Business Officer, calls a fully branded ecosystem. 'There are more Bilt emblems on property walls than some hotel signs globally,' he says. Residents encounter Bilt at every stage – from lease signing to monthly payments to local perks that make their neighborhood feel like an extension of their living room. Home Away from Home journey Driving Local Commerce with Data and Perks Beyond rent rewards, Bilt's model aims to drive meaningful economic impact for neighborhood businesses. 'Two years ago, we launched our neighborhood rewards program,' says Jain. 'Local businesses pay us to drive customers to them. It's a performance marketing fee – they only pay when we drive spend.' Through its platform, merchants can analyze foot traffic and spending patterns by building, allowing them to tailor promotions. Jain illustrates: 'A restaurant can see there are 347 residents in a nearby building, 19 have visited so far, and they can target that building with a campaign offering comped espresso martinis for every guest in their reservation. It's hyper-targeted and drives real ROI.' Richard Kerr, VP of Travel, echoes this focus on value creation: 'These businesses no longer have to rely on flyers under doors or broad Facebook ads. We're offering a smarter way to connect with locals who live just steps away.' Entertainment as a Loyalty Driver Bilt is also reinventing neighborhood entertainment. Jain says Bilt invests in hyper-local experiences. 'We created a network of private comedy shows across the U.S., bringing the best local stand-up talent to intimate, invite-only events for Bilt Members. We also host monthly tasting menus with top neighborhood chefs to introduce residents to their local culinary scene.' This experiential focus turns loyalty from a transactional program into a lifestyle brand, aligning with what consumers increasingly value: unique experiences that create connection and community. Integrations Drive Richer Local Loyalty Program Bilt's competitive edge lies in deep integration with housing and neighborhood commerce ecosystems, enabling services that go far beyond traditional points programs. Jain elaborates, 'We built a rewards ecosystem, a demand management platform, and a loyalty checkout capability. We can programmatically have a car waiting to move you, have dinner booked and certain items comped, and automatically apply your FSA/HSA benefits – all seamlessly integrated.' This vision – a frictionless local loyalty experience powered by AI and proprietary integrations – turns loyalty into a strategic moat. 'Even OpenAI, which powers a lot of our models, doesn't have integrations into point-of-sale systems, healthcare reimbursement rails, or the rent ledger,' Jain notes. 'That's what makes Bilt unique.' The Future of Local Loyalty As urban living and digital experiences continue to merge, Bilt is betting that loyalty's next frontier isn't just about flights or cashback. Instead, it's about making people feel recognized, rewarded, and entertained in the places they call home – whether that's an apartment in Brooklyn Heights, a condo in Scottsdale Quarter, or a luxury hotel suite in Aspen. Jain summarizes the thesis simply: 'Your home isn't just the four walls you live in. It's where you dine, work out, pick up prescriptions, and spend time with friends. We're creating a loyalty experience that lives everywhere you do.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
Teacher in B.C. Interior suspended after telling girls he 'was not a pedophile': regulator
The B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation has suspended a teacher in the province's Interior after he reportedly told Grade 11 girls in fitness class that he was "not a pedophile" and touched some of them, making them uncomfortable. Todd Erin Graham consented to a one-day suspension of his teaching certificate and to attend a respectful boundaries course, as part of discipline relating to events in the 2022-23 school year. As part of a consent agreement posted online on Tuesday, the regulator found that Graham was teaching a fitness and conditioning class to Grade 11 students between September and December 2022 when he separated the girls from the boys. "In that meeting, Graham told the girls that he was 'not a pedophile' but that he might have to 'grab them' to show them proper form or to spot them," the consent agreement reads. "Graham then told them that he had no attraction to them as he was 52 and they were 15." The female students reportedly felt uncomfortable after the meeting, with Graham also saying that he would periodically touch students to help them with their form or work muscle groups. Those included occasions when he touched the side of a female student's chest while she was performing a bench press and asked, "Can you feel that?" Graham was also found to have pushed a student's hips while she used a squat rack, and complimented another student's legs while she used a leg press machine. Demeaning comments The regulator also found that he made demeaning comments to both an Indigenous student and a student with diverse needs, while singling them out in front of their classmates in the 2022-23 school year. Following those events, the school district gave him a letter of discipline and ordered him to attend two online courses regarding Indigenous cultural safety and reconciliation. The commissioner's consent agreement says that Graham agreed his actions constituted professional misconduct and agreed to his one-day suspension. "Graham failed to create a positive learning environment or to model appropriate behaviour," the agreement reads. "Graham failed to respect appropriate boundaries, making students feel uncomfortable."
CBC
10-07-2025
- CBC
Teacher in B.C. Interior suspended after telling girls he 'was not a pedophile': regulator
The B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation has suspended a teacher in the province's Interior after he reportedly told Grade 11 girls that in fitness class he was "not a pedophile" and touched some of them, making them uncomfortable. Todd Erin Graham consented to a one-day suspension of his teaching certificate and to attend a respectful boundaries course, as part of discipline relating to events in the 2022-23 school year. As part of a consent agreement posted online on Tuesday, the regulator found that Graham was teaching a fitness and conditioning class to Grade 11 students between September and December 2022 when he separated the girls from the boys. "In that meeting, Graham told the girls that he was 'not a pedophile' but that he might have to 'grab them' to show them proper form or to spot them," the consent agreement reads. "Graham then told them that he had no attraction to them as he was 52 and they were 15." The female students reportedly felt uncomfortable after the meeting, with Graham also saying that he would periodically touch students to help them with their form or work muscle groups. Those included occasions when he touched the side of a female student's chest while she was performing a bench press and asked, "Can you feel that?" Graham was also found to have pushed a student's hips while she used a squat rack, and complimented another student's legs while she used a leg press machine. Demeaning comments The regulator also found that he made demeaning comments to both an Indigenous student and a student with diverse needs, while singling them out in front of their classmates in the 2022-23 school year. Following those events, the school district gave him a letter of discipline and ordered him to attend two online courses regarding Indigenous cultural safety and reconciliation. The commissioner's consent agreement says that Graham agreed his actions constituted professional misconduct and agreed to his one-day suspension. "Graham failed to create a positive learning environment or to model appropriate behaviour," the agreement reads.
