Beyond a Product: How Jen DeAngelo Turned Gus Grip Into a Purpose-Driven Fitness Brand
Jen DeAngelo approaches entrepreneurship through a deeply personal lens, and her work with Gus Grip reflects a mission centered on lived experience. The brand carries a vision that links physical activity with emotional well-being while honoring her family’s legacy. Gus Grip began as a solution inside her own workout routine and evolved into a broader expression of purpose and community connection, setting the tone for everything she continues to build.
That perspective is rooted in a family history defined by immigration, perseverance and hospitality. “I grew up watching my parents build a life after immigrating from Greece to the United States. Both of my parents worked long hours, learned the language along the way and eventually ran multiple restaurants across Massachusetts. Seeing that level of resilience, community and commitment gave me an early understanding of what hands-on entrepreneurship can look like,” DeAngelo shares.
These early experiences later blended with a corporate career spanning more than a decade in healthcare marketing, commercialization and product strategy. Managing global portfolios and supporting essential care products gave her a strong foundation in structure, discipline and strategic thinking, skills that translate into running a successful business. Even as she advanced professionally, creativity and curiosity remained central to her identity, leaving room for ideas that extended beyond traditional career paths.
The idea for Gus Grip emerged from a personal moment during her return to fitness after childbirth. She says, “Every day I was on my stationary bike and kept noticing how uncomfortable my hands felt. Towels helped a little, but not enough to stay focused, so I started playing around with fabrics at home and sewing simple prototypes to see if I could make something that felt more comfortable and secure.”
Months of iteration led to refined materials and a more precise fit, eventually resulting in handlebar covers engineered for absorbency, cushioning and stability across various training formats. “It started as something I made just to solve my own problem, and over time I realized other people were looking for the same kind of support in their workouts,” DeAngelo states. However, as the idea slowly took shape, life shifted in a way she could never have prepared for.
The loss of her father, Gus Psichopaidas, arrived in the middle of that creative period, turning the work into something far more personal. Grief encouraged DeAngelo to think deeply about legacy, purpose and how she wanted to use her energy moving forward. Entrepreneurship became a space where she could channel that reflection and honor the optimism and courage he carried throughout his life. Naming her flagship product and the company after him offered a tribute that continues to guide the brand’s direction.
As DeAngelo’s work progressed, movement became a central philosophy in both her life and the brand’s identity. “Exercise became a space where I could sort through emotions at my own pace, and it reminded me how movement can offer support during different chapters of life,” she shares. DeAngelo notes that this perspective resonated with others, creating natural points of connection and helping the brand grow into a space where performance and emotional strength coexist.
Gus Grip eventually expanded beyond a single accessory into a broader movement-focused lifestyle brand. New accessories were introduced across various training formats, each emphasizing quality, durability and performance. Through fitness studio activations and countless trips to Peloton Studios New York, DeAngelo’s determined grassroots efforts paid off, ultimately leading to a partnership between Gus Grip and Peloton. This helped bring the product to a wider audience and strengthened its position in the fitness industry.
Alongside this growth, community became a defining element. “I started to see how much the brand connected people. Customers, athletes and other entrepreneurs would share their own stories with me, and it made the community side of this work feel especially meaningful,” DeAngelo says. As these relationships deepened, her role as a founder also continued to evolve. She realized that her company went far beyond the physical products and had a much greater mission.
As a woman leading her own business, DeAngelo approaches entrepreneurship with intention and openness. Her path reflects the reality of carrying multiple identities at once, executive, founder, parent, and demonstrates how creativity and ambition can coexist with family life and professional responsibility. This has become an important part of her story, shaping how she moves through each chapter of her life without being defined by one title.
DeAngelo’s journey influences her home life as well. “My children get to see me build something impactful, and that means a great deal to me. My son loves being part of the brand in his own way, and my daughter joins me in workouts, which brings a fun energy into what I do,” DeAngelo says. In many ways, her path echoes the example set by her parents, creating a full-circle legacy that continues across generations.
Today, DeAngelo continues to focus on purposeful creation with a pipeline of prototypes, addressing market gaps and fitness needs. She’s committed to launching future products to expand the brand’s reach while nurturing the growing community around movement, healing and wellness. Gus Grip’s journey illustrates how personal experience, professional discipline and family legacy can come together to form something meaningful.
