Make your studio a third space: Community engagement strategies that lead to business growth

Ashley Marand Iwanicki founded The Collective Studios (TCS) with a mission to create a third space that blends expert coaching, intentional programming, and an immersive, high-energy community. With a background in marketing, public relations, and experiential events, Ashley built a successful career in the luxury consumer goods industry and ran a thriving marketing consulting business, partnering exclusively with health and wellness brands to elevate their presence and growth. Since its opening in 2021, TCS has successfully scaled the two locations while earning an impressive list of accolades, including New Hampshire’s Best Independently Owned Studio, and the coveted Community Choice Studio in the Mariana Tek Studio Awards. Beyond her CEO role, Ashley holds certifications in various yoga modalities, strength training, indoor cycling, and Megaformer. She’s also an integrative nutritionist, Reiki Master, EFT practitioner, and former lululemon ambassador.

Gina is the founder and CEO of The Garage in Chicago. Her journey started in healthcare as a family Nurse Practitioner, where she saw firsthand that true wellness isn’t reactive — it’s built through movement, recovery, and proper fuel. That’s why she created The Garage, The Apartment, and The Third Space Café. These three spaces bridge performance, recovery, and community into a seamless ecosystem for lifelong athletes. Gina believes health and wellness isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about moving better, recovering smarter, and fueling with purpose—so you can perform for life.

Shannon is a former boutique studio operations executive with deep roots in the fitness industry. Shannon began her fitness career as a manager of a SoulCycle studio. She then led operations teams at Flywheel sports for seven years, successfully launching 26 Flywheel locations across the US, and overseeing regional operations as a Vice President at the company. She was Mariana Tek’s first sales hire in 2017, and has led successful sales and marketing teams through her deep industry expertise. Shannon understand clients’ needs and is passionate about ensuring Mariana Tek is the leading technology for boutique fitness studios who want to build strong communities and grow their business.