Meet The Team - Riser Fitness

Theo Apanco

Chief People Officer

Theo Apanco is a dynamic HR executive recognized for driving transformative people strategies, shaping workplace cultures, scaling HR organizations, and inspiring teams to deliver exceptional results. With more than two decades of experience in global fitness, hospitality, service industries, and healthcare, he has led high-impact programs that elevate employee engagement, streamline operations, and position companies for long-term success. Blending strategic vision with a people-first philosophy, Theo empowers leaders and teams to reach their highest potential and continues to champion workplace environments where performance and purpose thrive together.

Clayton Benton

Vice President of Sales

Clayton joined Riser Fitness in 2021 with more than a decade of experience in the fitness industry and a proven record of performance at 24 Hour Fitness. Over the course of his career, he has led large-scale fitness operations, beginning with single-site management where he consistently set new benchmarks for member retention, employee engagement, and sales performance.

He advanced into a District leadership role overseeing multiple big-box locations that generated more than $60 million in annual revenue and employed over 700 team members. An ex-professional athlete, Clayton brings a coach’s mindset to leadership—developing people, building culture, and guiding high-performing teams across multiple territories as Riser continues to expand its footprint both domestically and internationally.

Patrick Bonner

Director of Development

Patrick brings a blend of leadership, construction expertise, and fitness industry experience to his role at Riser Fitness. A U.S. Army veteran, he served as an Infantry Officer and achieved the rank of Captain. After his military service, Patrick moved into the fitness industry as Opening Market Manager at D1 Training, where he led market launches and new facility development. He later served as Director of Construction at Xponential Fitness, overseeing site development, vendor relations, and project delivery across multiple franchise brands. At Riser Fitness, Patrick leverages his expertise to drive studio openings and support the company’s continued growth.

Lisa Calderon

Director of Marketing & Communications

Lisa brings over nine years of experience in the sports and fitness industry, with a focus on marketing, brand development, and community engagement. She previously served as Director of Marketing at Club Pilates, where she helped design and execute both local and national strategies that fueled the brand’s rapid expansion.

Today at Riser Fitness, Lisa applies that expertise on the franchisee side, leading initiatives that support growth across more than one hundred studios while building deeper connections with members and communities. A proud first-generation Latina, she is passionate about fostering innovation and elevating wellness brands that make a lasting impact.

Zach Fritz

Chief Financial Officer

Prior to joining Riser Fitness, Zach served as a Senior Vice President at Portage Point Partners, a leading advisory firm specializing in complex M&A and business transformation initiatives. He began his career at KPMG, where he spent seven years across Audit and Deal Advisory. Over the course of his career, Zach has advised on more than 100 transactions ranging in value from $20 million to over $1 billion, spanning a diverse set of industries. Zach is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a dual degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Delaware.

Mike Gray

President, International

Mike Gray joined Riser Fitness in 2024 and serves as President of International, leading the company’s global expansion beginning with Mexico and Australia. With nearly 30 years of experience in the fitness industry, he brings deep expertise in operations, development, and franchise growth.

Before Riser, Mike spent seven years at Club Pilates, where he advanced from Vice President of Sales to President. Under his leadership, the brand achieved record growth and became the largest Pilates franchise in the world, while strengthening operational performance and franchise support systems.

At Riser, Mike applies this experience to drive disciplined international growth and operational excellence, positioning the company to deliver long-term value as it expands into new markets.

Danielle Henderson

Director of People Operations

Danielle Henderson leads People Operations at Riser Fitness, overseeing HR for nearly 100 studios across multiple states. She brings more than 20 years of HR and leadership experience spanning retail, recruitment, and the fitness and wellness industries.

Before joining Riser, Danielle held senior HR roles in multi-unit retail and recruitment firms, where she managed talent development, employee relations, performance management, and organizational growth. At Riser, she focuses on building engagement, shaping talent strategy, and supporting leaders in complex, fast-paced environments.

Teresa Iott

Director of Operations

Teresa brings more than 20 years of experience in multi-unit retail management, operations, and talent development across the retail, fitness, and hospitality industries. Before joining Riser Fitness, she spent 14 years at Road Runner Sports as a Senior District Leader, where she oversaw strategic planning, operational execution, and leadership development across multiple markets.

She also held senior roles at Gold’s Gym International, managing multi-location fitness operations, creating corporate training programs, and consistently driving results that exceeded performance targets. In addition, Teresa is certified in Pilates Mat & Reformer, NASM, ACE, and Spin, bringing firsthand fitness expertise to her operational leadership.

Teresa is passionate about building high-performing teams, advancing leadership development, and fostering operational excellence to support Riser’s continued growth.

Lauren Kreis

Director of Education

Lauren leads Education at Riser Fitness, overseeing training, recruitment, and operations for more than 700 instructors across the company’s growing network of studios. She is responsible for developing the systems and standards that ensure consistent, high-quality instruction, and for cultivating the next generation of Pilates talent to support Riser’s expansion.

Previously, Lauren headed Operations at Riser, where she managed day-to-day performance and supported the integration of newly acquired studios. Her experience across both operations and education gives her a unique perspective on aligning instructor development with business performance, making her a key driver of Riser’s culture and member experience.

Eduardo Lombardi

Co-CEO and Board Member

Eduardo has been part of Riser’s leadership team since 2016, helping shape its growth and long-term strategy as both a Board Member, Managing Director and now Co-CEO. He brings more than 25 years of experience building and scaling companies, with a strong background in finance, operations, and compliance.

Before Riser, Eduardo launched and managed multiple startups in the financial services industry, where he developed proprietary investment products and ran day-to-day operations for an SEC-registered investment advisor and broker-dealer. That experience navigating complex financial and regulatory environments now drives his approach at Riser—focusing on scalable growth, disciplined operations, and long-term value creation.

Jeffery Nash

Co-CEO and Board Member

Jeff joined Riser Fitness in 2016 and helps to shape the company’s growth strategy, capital planning, and brand development as a Board Member, Managing Director and now Co-CEO. He brings more than 25 years of experience building and scaling businesses across finance, real estate, and early-stage ventures.

Before Riser, Jeff was a partner and Managing Director at systematic trading hedge funds and developed proprietary real estate investment vehicles. Earlier in his career, he worked at Union Bank of Switzerland and managed an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer. His experience in capital raising, finance, and operational scaling has been central to Riser’s expansion, shaping it into one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisees in the Club Pilates network.

Alma Reza

Vice President of Real Estate

Alma Reza has 25+ years of commercial real estate experience including brokerage, land use consulting and permitting, project management, construction management, and development. Under her leadership, Alma has completed over $1 billion in real estate transactions and development projects across two dozen states and internationally. Alma is a licensed broker in California and Colorado. She earned a B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley and a Master of Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California (USC) where she was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.