OPEX CTO PROFILE: CASEY JENKS
Since high school, Casey has been passionate about building web applications and fitness. After earning a degree in computer science from UCF in 2007, he embarked on his professional software career.
Eager to keep his interest in fitness alive, he and his wife opened one of the first CrossFit gyms in Orlando in 2011. They ran it for five years before deciding to pass the torch and sell. During that period, Casey discovered OPEX and identified the challenges inherent to remote coaching during the era of email and Google Sheets. In 2015, he decided to merge his two passions, founding TrueCoach — one of the first platforms for remote coaches. Together with his team, Casey grew the platform to serve over 20,000 coaches worldwide before it was acquired in 2020.
Today, Casey resides in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife, their two daughters, and two Australian Shepherds. He spends his free time snowboarding, mountain biking, and learning to play the guitar.
MILESTONES
Graduated from UCF with a B.S. in Computer Science in 2007
Cofounded and ran CrossFit Kings Point in Orlando, FL with my wife from 2011-2015. Grew it to 2 locations and 300+ members at our first location at its peak.
Married my wife, Lindsey, in 2013
Cofounded TrueCoach in 2015 where I served as cofounder/CEO, built an amazing team, learned a ton, and grew it to 20k+ coaches before being acquired in 2020.
We started growing our family with the birth of our 2 daughters in 2021 and 2023 - my favorite and most fulfilling milestone.
A Q&A WITH CASEY JENKS
What inspired you to pursue a career in technology and, specifically, in the field of fitness coaching software?
I’ve always loved building and fitness. When I was younger, it was Legos and playing basketball. As I got older it turned to programming and hitting the gym in addition to the outside activities I loved doing - surfing, canoeing, snowboarding. While running our gym, I learned about the pain points coaches faced through my own remote coaching experience, and decided to go all in on solving those problems.
Why did you choose to come on board the CoachRx team?
I was first introduced to OPEX in 2012 (which was OPT back then), and fell in love with the individualized and more intelligent approach to fitness. I am still very passionate about fitness and building and still feel there is a ton of work to do to help coaches and their clients. Getting the chance to take the reins on tech was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. We have a lot of work ahead of us and I’m excited to see where we are a year from now.
What is your vision for the role of technology in transforming fitness coaching? How do you see CoachRx and technology broadly making a positive impact on individuals' health and vitality?
Tech has already largely transformed fitness coaching, letting coaches work with their clients from anywhere in the world. I think advancements in AI will mean that coaches will spend less time writing programs and spend more time on the human and relationship side of coaching, and that this will happen very soon.
What differentiates CoachRx from the other coaching software players out there?
The biggest differentiator I see for CoachRx is that it is built by coaches, for coaches. This is a team with 20+ years of experience both delivering coaching to clients and educating thousands of coaches, and with that comes an intimate understanding of what’s needed in a coaching app. As a former gym owner myself, I’m excited to bring my personal passion for fitness to create the ultimate solution for professional coaches.
As CTO, how do you foster innovation, collaboration, and a positive work culture amongst your team?
I place a high value on working hard while still having fun doing so, shipping and delivering value to users as often as possible, setting a high bar and pursuing excellence, valuing honesty and the truth, and staying humble and keeping a low ego.
What future technological advancement are you most excited to see become a reality?
At the rate AI is improving, It’s hard not to get excited about that technology as well. I’ve already integrated it heavily into my daily workflow.
I’ve been excited about the possibilities of AR/VR for a while, but still feel the tech has a ways to go before it truly takes off. It still feels like you’re looking through a screen door, needs a few killer apps, and made me nauseous the last time I tried it. I’m excited to see where it’s at in another 5-10 years.
CONNECT WITH CASEY
Email Casey directly casey@opexfit.com
