Thrive Global and The Quaker Oats Company present The Fuel List—20 people changing the way we fuel our minds and bodies every day. These are the leaders making an impact in the worlds of sleep, nutrition, movement and mindfulness right now.
At a time when obesity rates and sedentary lifestyles are on the rise, Chicago native Gideon Akande is working to make health and fitness attainable for everyone—kids and corporate employees included. The creator of the Men’s Health Riptensity fitness DVD series and National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified trainer designs custom corporate wellness programs, including workout bootcamps, to help make fitness a priority among employees—his clients include Gatorade, Energy BBDO, and Foote, Cone & Belding. He also advocates for youth fitness and shares daily exercise wisdom and workout ideas with his 34,000 Instagram followers. A standout high school and college athlete, Akande has also won the Chicago Golden Gloves boxing championship and the Men’s Health Next Top Trainer competition.
“I appreciate Gideon’s philosophy that fitness is for everyone, not just for a select few. He practices this by focusing on young people, companies, and other broad settings.” — Candice Morgan, Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Pinterest
Editor’s Note: Akande has a relationship with Propel Fitness Water, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, which owns Quaker Oats.