Joe De Sena is the founder and CEO of Spartan, the world’s leading endurance sports brand. Growing up in working-class Queens, De Sena has demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit since his preteens. He built a multimillion-dollar pool cleaning business before moving to Wall Street, where he started his own trading firm. In 2001, De Sena fled Wall Street for Riverside Farm in rural Vermont. It was during this time that he discovered his passion for adventure races and endurance events, and Spartan Race was born.

De Sena has built Spartan into a global fitness and wellness brand, with a 10 million+ community of athletes across the globe. Under his leadership, Spartan’s portfolio of brands has grown to include Spartan Trail, DEKA, La Ruta, Tough Mudder, and HIGHLANDER.

A New York Times bestselling author, De Sena’s latest book, 10 Rules for Resilience: Mental Toughness for Families, hit bookstores last October.