Andy Hoang, Brandon Collins

Andy Hoang Andy Hoang, founder of Aviron, launched the world’s first gaming-integrated rowing machine to revolutionize home fitness. Born in Toronto to Vietnamese refugee parents, Andy was driven by a desire to make exercise more engaging. Struggling with ADHD in high school, he turned to physical activity for focus but noticed many gym-goers disengaged and bored. Inspired to create a more immersive workout, Andy launched Aviron in 2018, combining high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with gaming elements to spark motivation and resilience in users. This connected rowing machine challenges users through competitive, calorie-burning exercises that fuse fitness and gaming for a unique, engaging experience. Brandon Collins Growing up as an only child on a farm in Oklahoma, raised by a hardworking single mother, Brandon, the owner of Southern Jerky Co. in Nashville developed a deep sense of independence and ambition from an early age. He drove a tractor for the first time at just five years old and spent his days as a true latchkey kid, learning responsibility and self-reliance in ways that would shape his future. Despite the rural backdrop, he dreamed of big cities and bigger opportunities, moving on to pursue acting and modeling in New York City and Los Angeles. Yet, his entrepreneurial spirit—alive since childhood when he imagined building his own businesses—ultimately drew him to launch Southern Jerky Co., where he now channels his purpose: to help and inspire others through his journey and hard work.