April 2, 2026 //
Kanna Fitness //
Blog //
5 min read
Jesse Cugliotta leads global AI strategy for one of the world’s fastest-growing tech companies, is a great dad to three kids, and STILL shows up at 5:30 am calling it the best hour of his day.
Since September 2022, Jesse has crushed his first bar muscle-up, mastered handstand push-ups, captained a Intramural Open team, and pushed through injuries with serious grit. He’s a news junkie, map enthusiast, public speaking lover, and 20-year volleyball vet who can’t sit still.
Jesse brings the same energy to a 5:30am WOD as he does to a global industry stage and that’s exactly why we love having him here. Congratulations, Jesse!
Name
Jesse Cugliotta
Occupation
Global Head of Healthcare & Life Sciences at Snowflake
When did you start at Kanna?
Sep 2022
What are your favorite numbers and why?
3, 8. When I was young, my favorite board game was LIFE. The 3 and 8 were my favorite colors on the spinning wheel.
The bike, ring dips, wall-balls, sandbag cleans, swimming
What sports or fitness things did you do before Kanna?
If you ask my family they’ll say something about not being able to sit still for my entire life…. I played a little of everything when I was young: baseball, soccer, tennis, football. I could be best described as: good enough to have fun but not good enough to be on a travel team. In college I started working out (running and lifting) regularly, but was super weak and skinny. I also got into indoor volleyball (I play RH) and have been playing with the same team for about 20 years now. In grad school, I worked at the University gym and got paid to check people into a spin class and then clean-up. As a perk, I got to take the class too. I did that probably 3-4x / week and this was my introduction to group exercise. I’d been a regular gym goer (running and lifting and weekend bootcamps) ever since. I first tried crossfit in 2013, but the first few workouts were TERRIBLE programming for a beginner and I hurt my shoulder. I then got really into programs from Nick Tuminello and Jim Stoppani and did that for about 7 years.
How did you find Kanna? How did you feel when you first walked in?
We moved to PA from NJ in 2020 and I no longer had a gym. I tried a gym in N. Wales, but it wasn’t a good fit and the Sumneytown Pike traffic is awful. We went to the LG Fall Festival back in Sep 2022 and my kids knocked Justin into the dunk tank a few times while Chris sold me on Kanna. I’ve been hooked ever since!
What’s your “why” for working out?
It used to just be something fun to do with friends and an excuse for me to eat like a post-Republic Roman emperor… Since, it’s become the best thing I can do to balance the everyday stress and anxiety that comes with my job and 3 young kids. It’s the best hour of my day, even if it happens at 530am.
What’s your favorite thing about Kanna?
The community, the cleanliness, how well it’s run. The Level Method makes it really approachable for all skill levels, while providing reasonable progression w/o fear of getting injured. The events (Open, Friendsgiving, Member comp, etc) are a lot of fun a great way to deepen friendships.
What are your hobbies?
You mean besides working out??? I’m a news and politics junkie. I took a 30 year hiatus from playing piano, but I’m back at it again. I really enjoy studying old maps, learning about world history and geopolitics. I can get lost in Google maps or Wikipedia rabbit holes about how a town or city came into being.
What’s something most people don’t know about you or a fun fact?
I love public speaking, I have the chance to do this quite often in my job and it’s one of my favorite things to do. Also, I was homeschooled from grades 3-7. And yes, all the rumors about that are true…
What PRs or accomplishments (fitness-related) are you most proud of?
I was pretty excited to get my first BMU and to be able to do HSPU’s.
What’s on your fitness bucket list?
Run a marathon, get a RMU, become a Kanna coach / instructor at some point
What’s on your general bucket list?
Become a professional, paid speaker on a circuit – dream job
What advice do you have for people new to Kanna?
Introduce yourself, tell people you’re new. Don’t be afraid to ask other members for help or clarity on an exercise – most Kanna-ites will be eager to provide help.
Kanna members: The MOTM custom workout date is TBD
How does one become Member of the Month? By embodying the Kanna ideals of Learning, Working Hard, and Having Fun. By contributing to the community and supporting others in and out of the workout. By being open to coaching and improving oneself for the sake of being better, not to “win” the workout. By just generally being a good person and having a positive attitude. And a lot more, but you get the idea!
