Alo Yoga remains privately owned by its original founders, Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge, who started the brand in Los Angeles in 2007 and continue to serve as co-CEOs.
This ownership structure sets Alo apart from most successful startups that typically sell to larger corporations or go public after reaching billion-dollar valuations. Harris and DeGeorge have maintained equal 50% stakes in their company throughout its extraordinary growth journey.
The numbers tell the story. Alo Yoga’s sales jumped from $200 million in 2020 to over $1 billion in 2022—a fivefold increase in just two years. During this same period, the founders expanded their business far beyond activewear into skincare, supplements, and wellness products while building a retail presence of more than 130 stores worldwide.
Today, their company is valued at $10 billion. Yet Harris and DeGeorge have chosen to keep complete ownership and control rather than cash out through public offerings or major stake sales. Their decision reflects a long-term vision to build a global wellness empire on their own terms.
Here’s how two childhood friends turned a yoga apparel company into one of the most valuable privately-held brands in the athleisure market.
Who Owns Alo Yoga?
Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge own Alo Yoga outright. The duo started the premium athletic apparel brand in 2007 and continue to serve as co-CEOs. Each founder holds an equal 50% stake in the business, maintaining the same ownership structure they established at the company’s founding.
This approach sets them apart in an industry where most successful brands eventually sell to larger corporations or go public once they reach significant scale.
The founders: Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge
Harris and DeGeorge built their business partnership on a foundation of childhood friendship. The two grew up together in Los Gatos, a San Francisco suburb. Their entrepreneurial journey started early—during their senior year of high school, they began making T-shirts for a local business. After graduation, they launched a screen printing company that would eventually become the foundation for their current empire.
Both founders came to yoga through personal need rather than business opportunity. DeGeorge was recovering from a back injury, while Harris discovered the practice helped manage his anxiety. This personal connection shaped their vision for Alo, which they describe as “inspiring mindful movement”. Their company website states they’ve been “working hard to make clothing that elevates every yogi’s practice” since 2007.
Parent company: Color Image Apparel
Alo Yoga operates under Color Image Apparel, Inc., a Los Angeles-based clothing and accessories wholesaler and distributor founded in 1992. The parent company houses two major brands: Alo Yoga and Bella+Canvas.
Bella+Canvas came first and provided the stable foundation that made Alo possible. The brand manufactures blank t-shirts and other apparel for wholesalers and has grown into one of America’s largest T-shirt manufacturers. This steady revenue stream gave Harris and DeGeorge the financial security to invest in Alo’s growth.
The financial performance speaks for itself. Color Image Apparel generated over $1 billion in revenue in 2022, doubling its size from the previous year. Recent estimates put the parent company’s revenue at nearly $2 billion.
Ownership structure and private status
Harris and DeGeorge have resisted the typical path of selling stakes or going public despite Alo’s success. This decision gives them complete control over their brand’s direction and growth strategy.
The founders did explore their options in October 2023, hiring investment bank Moelis to examine potential investment opportunities, including selling a stake in the company. Private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds expressed interest in deals structured around a $10 billion valuation. However, no transaction was completed, and the company decided against any deal.
Their choice to remain privately held has paid off personally as well. Each founder’s estimated net worth has reached approximately $4.7 billion, based on Color Image Apparel’s value. Rather than cashing out, they continue focusing on expanding their wellness empire while maintaining full ownership and control.
How Alo Yoga Became a Billion-Dollar Brand
Harris and DeGeorge built their billion-dollar brand through strategic decisions that set Alo apart in the crowded athleisure market.
Revenue growth from 2020 to 2025
The explosive growth continued well beyond that initial surge. By 2024, the company was reporting approximately $250 million in quarterly revenue. The parent company Color Image Apparel doubled in size from 2021 to 2022 alone.
Today, estimated revenues approach nearly $2 billion, placing Alo among the most successful privately-held companies in the competitive athleisure space.
What drives these numbers? About 90% of Alo’s annual revenue comes from ecommerce sales and subscriptions to their Alo Moves fitness platform. This digital-first approach has proven smart timing as the global workout clothes market expands from $210.8 billion in 2022 toward a projected $384.8 billion by 2032.
Valuation milestones and investor interest
By late 2023, Alo Yoga’s valuation had reached $10 billion. This puts it in elite company among athleisure brands—competitors like Vuori were valued at $4 billion and Kim Kardashian’s Skims at roughly the same amount.
The valuation attracted serious attention from potential investors. In October 2023, Harris and DeGeorge hired investment bank Moelis to explore various financing options. Private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds expressed interest in structuring deals that would provide them preferential returns or debt-like protections.
Why the brand remains privately held
Despite enormous interest from investors, the founders ultimately decided against finalizing any deals. Their decision to maintain private ownership gives them complete control over their expanding empire, which now includes over 130 global stores.
This independence enables strategic flexibility as they continue expanding beyond apparel into wellness categories including skincare, supplements, and fitness content. Rather than answer to outside investors, Harris and DeGeorge can focus on long-term brand building and customer experience.
For founders who started making T-shirts in high school, maintaining control has proven more valuable than cashing out.
The Role of Celebrity Culture in Alo’s Rise
Harris and DeGeorge recognized early that getting their products on high-profile individuals would accelerate brand recognition. Their approach to celebrity marketing became a key driver of Alo’s explosive growth.
Organic celebrity endorsements
The founders initially gained traction through organic celebrity adoption. Stars like Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Taylor Swift were spotted wearing Alo products without any formal partnerships or paid arrangements.
These natural endorsements carried particular weight because they represented authentic preference rather than paid promotion. When celebrities began wearing Alo during high-visibility moments—airport arrivals, coffee runs, gym sessions—the brand visibility multiplied exponentially as these images circulated across social media and magazines.
The timing was perfect. Social media had created an environment where a single paparazzi photo could reach millions of potential customers within hours.
Paid partnerships and influencer strategy
Building on this organic success, Harris and DeGeorge developed a more structured approach. They established the “Alo Family”—a curated group of celebrities and influencers who receive products and compensation in exchange for content creation and brand promotion.
Many major partnerships began organically before evolving into formal arrangements. After Kendall Jenner was repeatedly photographed in Alo attire, the company secured her for official campaigns. This progression from organic to paid maintained authenticity while scaling their celebrity marketing efforts.
The strategy worked because it felt natural rather than transactional.
Impact on brand visibility and sales
The results speak for themselves. Each major celebrity sighting triggered noticeable spikes in website traffic and sales of featured products. When a celebrity posts content wearing Alo, the brand typically sees engagement rates five times higher than standard marketing content.
More importantly, these endorsements positioned Alo as a premium lifestyle brand rather than just athletic wear. The celebrity association helped justify higher price points and attracted customers who wanted to emulate their favorite stars’ style.
Harris and DeGeorge’s genius lay in cultivating relationships with precisely the right celebrities—those whose personal brands aligned with Alo’s aspirational yet accessible image. This celebrity strategy remains one of the primary engines behind Alo’s billion-dollar valuation and continued growth.
Beyond Apparel: Alo’s Expansion into Wellness and Retail
Harris and DeGeorge built Alo Yoga as more than an activewear company. They created a wellness ecosystem that touches multiple aspects of their customers’ daily routines.
Here’s how they expanded beyond yoga pants and sports bras into a comprehensive lifestyle brand.
Alo Moves and digital fitness
Alo Moves launched as the cornerstone of their digital strategy. The subscription-based fitness platform offers over 3,000 classes spanning yoga, meditation, fitness, and mindfulness categories.
Monthly subscriptions cost $20, with annual plans available for $199. Subscribers get access to on-demand classes, structured programs, challenges, and exclusive content from renowned instructors.
The platform generates consistent recurring revenue while perfectly complementing their apparel business. This creates a complete brand experience that keeps customers engaged both online and offline—exactly what subscription-based businesses need to thrive.
Skincare, supplements, and wellness products
The founders expanded into beauty and wellness products with the Alo Glow System skincare line in 2020. The collection includes serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and body products designed specifically for active lifestyles.
They also introduced Alo Wellness—a range of supplements focused on performance, recovery, and overall health. Popular offerings include adaptogenic blends, protein powders, and beauty-enhancing formulations.
Each product maintains the premium positioning that defines the brand while extending Alo’s influence into customers’ daily wellness routines. It’s a strategic move that increases customer lifetime value and strengthens brand loyalty.
Global retail expansion and Alo Sanctuaries
The physical retail strategy goes far beyond traditional stores. Alo operates over 130 locations worldwide, with flagship stores called “Alo Sanctuaries” that reimagine what retail can be.
These Sanctuaries incorporate yoga studios, cafés serving plant-based fare, and lounges designed for community building. Many locations feature rooftop spaces for outdoor classes and events.
This retail concept turns shopping into an immersive brand experience. Customers can practice yoga, enjoy healthy refreshments, work remotely, or socialize—all while surrounded by Alo merchandise.
The strategy works because it creates emotional connections with the brand that go deeper than product purchases. When customers spend time in these spaces, they’re not just buying clothes—they’re buying into a lifestyle.
Conclusion
Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge have done something rare in business. They’ve built a $10 billion company and kept it.
While most successful startups eventually sell to larger corporations or go public, these childhood friends chose a different path. They maintained complete ownership while scaling from a small yoga apparel company to a global wellness empire spanning digital fitness, skincare, supplements, and experiential retail.
Their strategy worked. Celebrity endorsements created authentic brand visibility. Digital-first sales channels captured 90% of revenue. Expansion into wellness products deepened customer relationships. Each decision reinforced their position as a premium lifestyle brand rather than just another athleisure company.
The financial results speak for themselves: revenue jumped fivefold in two years, from $200 million to over $1 billion. Yet when private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds came calling with $10 billion valuations, Harris and DeGeorge walked away from potential deals.
This decision gives them something money can’t buy: complete control over their brand’s future. They can expand into new wellness categories, open innovative retail concepts, or pursue long-term strategies without answering to outside investors.
For entrepreneurs watching this story unfold, Alo Yoga represents a different model of success—one where founders can build billion-dollar brands without giving up ownership or compromising their original vision.
FAQs
Q1. Who are the owners of Alo Yoga?
Alo Yoga is owned by its original founders, Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge. They started the brand in 2007 and continue to serve as co-CEOs, each maintaining a 50% stake in the company.
Q2. Is Alo Yoga affiliated with Lululemon?
No, Alo Yoga is not affiliated with or owned by Lululemon. It is an independent brand owned and operated by its founders, Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge.
Q3. What is the relationship between Bella+Canvas and Alo Yoga?
Bella+Canvas and Alo Yoga are both brands under the parent company Color Image Apparel, Inc. They are separate entities but share the same parent company founded by Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge.
Q4. Is Alo Yoga a publicly traded company?
No, Alo Yoga is not a publicly traded company. It remains privately held by its founders, despite its significant growth and valuation of approximately $10 billion.
Q5. How has Alo Yoga expanded beyond apparel?
Alo Yoga has expanded into various wellness sectors, including the Alo Moves digital fitness platform, a skincare line called Alo Glow System, wellness supplements, and experiential retail spaces known as Alo Sanctuaries.