Joe De Sena

Keynote Speaker

Founder & CEO, Spartan

Joe De Sena – Founder and CEO of Spartan, the world’s largest obstacle race and endurance brand – has demonstrated entrepreneurial drive since his pre-teens. After building a multimillion-dollar pool and construction business in college, and creating a Wall Street trading firm, De Sena set his sights on inspiring 100 million people to adopt the Spartan lifestyle. Following a successful career on Wall Street, De Sena moved his family to Pittsfield, Vermont to operate an organic farm, a bed and breakfast, and a general store for hikers. It was here his passion grew for ultramarathons, adventure races, and endurance events, leading to the creation of Spartan. With more than one million annual global participants at over 400 events across more than 40 countries, Spartan offers heats for all fitness levels and ages, from beginner to elite and kids as young as four-years-old. The brand has transformed more than ten million lives since it was founded in 2010. In addition to race events, the Spartan lifestyle encompasses all the tools needed to transform lives, including global gym affiliates, partnerships with fitness brands, a coaching network, nutrition plans and content; television series on NBC and Facebook; forthcoming documentaries about the brand, sport, and health; and an extensive line of apparel and licensed fitness gear and equipment. Throughout his lifetime, Joe has competed in many extreme sports adventures, testing mental and physical endurance against nature. He turned an interest in endurance racing into a passion. His racing resume is legendary – over 50 ultra-events overall and 14 Ironman events in one year alone. Today, the brands under the Spartan umbrella include Spartan, Tough Mudder, DEKA, Spartan Trail, La Ruta, Highland Adventure, M2O, and Spartan Combat. De Sena is also the New York Times Best Selling Author of “Spartan Up,” “Spartan Fit,” “The Spartan Way,” and “10 Rules for Resilience.”