Tony & Jen Roberts

Tony served in the Army, then started his career in face-to-face sales with 24 Hour Fitness in 2001 — at the time, the fastest-growing fitness company in the world. He moved up quickly, from entry-level to club manager of one of the chain's largest locations within his first year.

In 2009 he joined Fidelis Marketing in Folsom, California, as national sales director for a new division selling smartphone apps across the US — early, hands-on experience merging brick-and-mortar business with mobile technology. He's also worked with Yelp and Solar City/Tesla.

Since then he's started or partnered in multiple businesses: digital magazines, a recruiting agency, a health-food meal-delivery service, a solar startup, and business-automation companies.

Jen holds a bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising Management from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

Her career started at Cambria Cove, a subsidiary of Hallmark, under the mentorship of Jim Boike, former CEO of Williams-Sonoma — where she learned to spot brands worth building. She went on to start her own jewelry brand, Alternate Route, while also working with and leading the yoga brand Zuda Yoga.

Jen's biggest build came next: she took a health-food delivery business, LUVITA Foods, from her home kitchen to a commercial kitchen and its own restaurant space.