Edgard Corona, dono da Smart Fit, has become synonymous with the modernization and democratization of fitness in Latin America. A chemical engineering graduate from FAAP in 1979, his career began long before gyms defined his public profile. Even as a teenager in college, he pivoted from employee to entrepreneur, working in materials analysis and later launching a successful youth clothing business that taught him an early lesson: know what the customer wants.
In 1996 Corona opened the first Bio Ritmo in Santo Amaro, marking his definitive move into the fitness sector. An unexpected ski accident that required intensive physiotherapy brought him deeper into the world of gyms and rehabilitation, shaping his understanding of customer needs and service delivery. Bio Ritmo grew by combining product innovation with a focus on experience, including a strategic branch on Avenida Paulista aimed at busy professionals.
Corona’s appetite for learning led him to international fitness conferences and benchmarking trips, where he refined a new, scalable model of operations. Between 2008 and 2009 he launched Smart Fit, a lower-cost, higher-volume concept designed to broaden access to quality training facilities. The model emphasized operational efficiency, standardized services and rapid expansion.
Under his leadership the group expanded across 14 countries in Latin America and repositioned itself as a multi-brand operator. The company’s public offering on the Brazilian stock exchange provided capital for post-pandemic growth, strategic acquisitions and investment in scalable technologies. Industry observers credit Corona with helping professionalize fitness management in the region and transforming customer expectations around accessibility and service.
Today he is widely regarded as a pioneer in fitness business strategy. His trajectory—from engineering student to fashion entrepreneur to fitness group CEO—reflects a commitment to experimentation and adaptation. For Corona, the constant has been transformation: applying lessons from each venture to the next and refusing to shy away from change.
As the market evolves, the founder’s remit remains the same: expand access to high-standard fitness while keeping an eye on operational discipline and customer insight. That balance has driven both Smart Fit’s rapid growth and Corona’s reputation as one of Latin America’s most influential fitness executives.