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Double Agents: Superhero Athletes of the Tech Industry

There's a new generation taking over the Bay Area who aren't afraid to play as hard as they work.

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A new breed of hyperfit techies is taking over in the Bay Area. They launch startups and run ultras. They write code and race triathlons. They pitch ideas to VCs while kiteboarding. Sleep? Not so much.

Marc Laveson

Supply Chain Manager, FitBit

Classic-Fit sport coat ($90) and Slim-Fit pants ($40) by J.Ferrar; Long-Sleeve shirt by Rapha ($145); Gravity Neutral Performance shoes by Newton Running ($175); Hugo tie by Hugo Boss ($95); belt by Dockers ($28)
Classic-Fit sport coat ($90) and Slim-Fit pants ($40) by J.Ferrar; Long-Sleeve shirt by Rapha ($145); Gravity Neutral Performance shoes by Newton Running ($175); Hugo tie by Hugo Boss ($95); belt by Dockers ($28) (Jake Stangel)

Despite being a serious endurance runner and managing the supply chain for FitBit, which develops devices and mobile apps that allow users to track their activity, nutrition, and sleep, Marc Laveson, 28, insists that he’s not a gadget addict. “I run by feel,” he says. Still, he obsessively tweets pictures from the trail runs he squeezes in during work trips to Hong Kong and Vienna. “I love how instantaneous Twitter is,” he says. Last summer he completed the Western States 100, the Super Bowl of ultra events, in a very respectable 18 hours and 47 minutes.

Craig dos Santos

Founder, Andover Games

Ludlow cotton jacket ($278) and Slim pants ($148) by J.Crew; ­Amicable Zack ­Sylvain shirt by ­Theory ($185); Minimus 10v2 Trail shoes by New Balance ($110)
Ludlow cotton jacket ($278) and Slim pants ($148) by J.Crew; ­Amicable Zack ­Sylvain shirt by ­Theory ($185); Minimus 10v2 Trail shoes by New Balance ($110) (Jake Stangel)

Long before minimalist shoes altered the running landscape, Craig dos Santos, 31, made his own. “I used to put my shoes in the oven to heat them up so I could remove the middle layer of padding,” says the former Rice University cross-country and steeplechase competitor. In 2011, he founded Andover Games, which produces mobile apps for clients like National Geographic. These days, he runs in Golden Gate Park before work and fits in the occasional marathon, ultra, or century ride. “Being an endurance athlete and an entrepreneur both put you at the edge of self-discovery,” he says. “In sports, you’re optimizing the way your body works. As an entrepreneur, you’re optimizing business efficiency. Things are constantly changing in both arenas.”

Zak Holdsworth

VP of Business Development, WellnessFX

Ludlow Italian chino jacket ($298) and Slim pants ($158) by J.Crew; Pinstripe Slim-Fit shirt by Gap ($60); Flux Glove Sport shoes by Merrell ($100); Orlando tie by Ben Sherman ($55); pocket square by Charter Club ($15)
Ludlow Italian chino jacket ($298) and Slim pants ($158) by J.Crew; Pinstripe Slim-Fit shirt by Gap ($60); Flux Glove Sport shoes by Merrell ($100); Orlando tie by Ben Sherman ($55); pocket square by Charter Club ($15) (Jake Stangel)

Zak Holdsworth, 31, grew up about as far from Silicon Valley as you can get—on a sheep farm on New Zealand’s North Island, where he learned to surf at nearby Wanui Beach. After earning his MBA at Stanford, he worked at a venture-capital firm that helped fund WellnessFX, a startup offering sophisticated blood analysis for anyone looking to improve their health. Holdsworth was so taken with the concept that he became the company’s VP of business development. Now a CrossFit devotee and kitesurfer, he’s a strong advocate for mixing sports and business. “Training with people lowers barriers and allows for more authentic relationships,” he says.

Jessica Shambora

Marketing Communications Manager, Facebook

Dress by Bar III ($79); Minimus 10v2 Trail shoes by New Balance ($110)
Dress by Bar III ($79); Minimus 10v2 Trail shoes by New Balance ($110) (Jake Stangel)

Jessica Shambora, 32, marketing communications manager at Facebook, has raced in five half-Ironmans and five marathons, including Boston in April. Along the way, she’s learned to take advantage of the company’s casual atmosphere to squeeze in her workouts. “I’ve taken to wearing exercise clothes to work so that I can get out for a run,” says Shambora. She’s not alone: her boyfriend, an engineer at the company, is an ultrarunner, and they both train with coworkers, Shambora as part of Facebook’s triathlon team. In June, she’ll compete in her first full Ironman, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, the culmination of six months of preparation that she’s been chronicling on—you guessed it—a Facebook page: facebook.com/letstriit.

Jeremy Weinman

Director of Operations, Dodocase

Ludlow Japanese seersucker jacket by J.Crew ($248); Dover Point shirt by Theory ($125); Sodium Taper jeans by All Saints ($145); Minimus Hi-Rez shoes by New Balance ($110)
Ludlow Japanese seersucker jacket by J.Crew ($248); Dover Point shirt by Theory ($125); Sodium Taper jeans by All Saints ($145); Minimus Hi-Rez shoes by New Balance ($110) (Jake Stangel)

For Jeremy Weinman, 35, triathlete and director of operations at Dodocase, which produces handmade tablet, phone, and laptop cases, the link between the tech industry and racing is the challenge of the unknown. “When you’re running a marathon or out on an Ironman course, you have to be ready for the unexpected—dehydration, a flat tire, weather, injury,” says Weinman, who finished the 2011 Canada Ironman in just under 12 hours. In tech, adaptability is essential for success, which is part of the reason Dodocase assembles its cases in San Francisco. “It keeps operations flexible and allows us to respond more efficiently to new products,” says Weinman.

Jason Shen

Cofounder, Ridejoy

Window Slim jacket ($240) and pants ($120) by Stafford; Sylvan shirt by Theory ($225); PureDrift shoes by Brooks ($100); pocket square by Banana Republic ($25)
Window Slim jacket ($240) and pants ($120) by Stafford; Sylvan shirt by Theory ($225); PureDrift shoes by Brooks ($100); pocket square by Banana Republic ($25) (Jake Stangel)

The true reason so many tech geeks are drawn to endurance sports? “It’s the data,” says Jason Shen, 27, cofounder of Ridejoy, a social network that connects drivers and passengers so they can share the cost of road trips. “There’s so much that can be analyzed: distance, speed, elevation.” An elite college gymnast—he was captain of Stanford’s 2009 NCAA championship team—Shen is now a committed runner. He also concocts monthlong fitness challenges for himself—say, most handstand pushups (25)—and documents his efforts on his blog, the Art of Ass-Kicking.

From Outside Magazine, Jun 2013
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