00:00I'm Tamika Rochester. I am the owner of Harlem Cycle. Our key mission is all about culture,
00:10fitness, and soul. Those are the three pillars that really make Harlem Cycle unique. I was
00:14someone who loved indoor cycling because of the music and just being around different people and
00:18trying to, you know, really build off that class energy, but I wasn't happy with the studio options
00:23in the city. And so I really wanted to find a place that really valued the culture of the
00:27community and kept it nice and pure. And that's why Harlem Cycle exists today, particularly in
00:33communities of color. Our services is not only helpful, but needed, right? We're communities
00:37that have been plagued with diabetes, hypertension, and all these cardiovascular diseases that have
00:42affected us for generations. And so what we're doing is trying to rewrite that script, right?
00:46We're trying to make that generational change, not only from just a health disparity standpoint,
00:50but also from a self-care standpoint and really get back to being our best selves and taking
00:55that moment to take care of ourselves. MasterCard provided me with a $10,000 grant,
01:00as well as access to their digital doors program to kind of help our online presence. It gives you
01:05access to mentors and different resources to make sure that your website and your online presence is
01:10secure. To have a brand as big as MasterCard rally behind you is, you know, it's one of those moments
01:17where you're like, wow, I'm standing next to MasterCard, a major brand. And so to have them kind of like put that
01:24stamp of approval on your brand and on your business is one of those things that just takes you to that next level.
01:29HarlemCycle had to be in Harlem. For me, Harlem was black excellence. And so when you think of music,
01:37and you think of the vibe and the energy of a fitness studio, it had to be in Harlem because this
01:41is where you go for the Renaissance. This is where the Renaissance started.
01:44I always tell people the goal is Harlem to the world. Yes, everywhere you see a void in that wellness space,
01:52everywhere you see someone looking to have a vibe, someone looking to take care of themselves,
01:57that means there's an opportunity for HarlemCycle there. What we're doing is making sure that people recognize
02:02that black women with hips, curves, and thighs can ride these bikes and can ride them well.
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