Anne Hartnett has a love for cycling. She’s been involved in group cycling and has taught spinning classes for many years. But she thinks there should be something more to it. While she burns energy on the bicycle, she wants to harness that energy to create electric power.

Hartnett came up with idea for Harness Fitness, a fitness studio where the cyclists pedal their way to green energy. “I had this idea to harness all this energy created from spinning,” she says. “It’s a concept that’s spreading across the country. The bikes in a group cycling studio should be able to harness energy and convert in to electricity.”

The idea started as a fitness studio that sells sustainable fitness apparel. But when Hartnett brought her business to Bad Girl Ventures’ business class, the studio became a vision of a sustainable energy power plant.

“I did market research to see if the concept would resonate in Cleveland,” says Hartnett. “I felt it was important to have the green component with a local business perspective.”

Hartnett wants to open a studio to teach spinning classes with bikes that are equipped to harness the energy and create electricity. She’s currently researching electric companies that would be willing to match their efforts. Any savings at the end of the month would go to local charities.

“It all goes back into the community grid,” says Hartnett. “It’s triple bottom line impact philosophy. It’s socially responsible -- you will be part of a larger community being part of these classes.”

The studio isn’t open yet, but Hartnett has found a lot of interest in the Tremont and Ohio City neighborhoods. She won a $5,000 loan in the BGV business plan contest and is continuing fundraising efforts to raise the $20,000 she needs to open. She hopes to open her first studio this fall.

Source: Anne Hartnett
Writer: Karin Connelly