Philipp von Kunhardt, CEO
Philipp is the co-inventor of the bellicon mini-trampoline and the founder of bellicon USA. Philipp began producing his unique, bungee-based mini-trampolines in his garage in 1995 before co-founding bellicon AG in Switzerland in 2003 and later becoming CEO of bellicon deutschland GmbH in Cologne, Germany. Inspired by bellicon’s popularity in Europe, and encouraged by feedback from customers in North America (such as the Canadian fitness expert who said to him, “Mr. von Kunhardt, America needs your product!”), Philipp launched bellicon USA in 2010.
Philipp has a business degree from the University of Passau and explored other business fields before settling on the fitness industry. His decision isn’t surprising when you consider that his father was a world champion pentathlete and both of his parents are authors and lecturers in the field of preventative health and fitness. Having relocated to the Chicago area, Philipp, along with his wife and four children, have adapted well to life in the “States,” but have yet to embrace baseball in place of a bizarre foreign kicking game called “soccer.”
Felix von Kunhardt, CMO
Felix, the last of the Kunhardt siblings to join the bellicon USA team, has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the technical side of bellicon’s website, marketing and support systems. Felix has an extensive management history, particularly in the eCommerce and product management fields where he has worked with eBay, America Online and Lycos Europe. He is also served as the COO and Managing Director of Sellaround, a company that offers a unique technology for businesses to integrate with social media.
Before working in eCommerce, Felix earned a Masters in Economics from the University of Münster, focusing on international trade. He has also been a lifelong athlete, winning a gold medal for the pentathlon in the CIOR Military World Games in 1995. Athletically, Felix continues to run, play golf and use his bellicon, something he has done consistently since jumping on his brother’s bellicon prototypes in the 1990s. Felix, along with his wife, Ira, and his children, Lukas and Lara, have lived in Chicago since August of 2013.
Saskia von Gemmingen, COO
Saskia wears several hats at bellicon: not only does she oversee our office and customer support staff, but she has also directed and created much of our web design, branding and advertising efforts. Plus, as the sister of both our CEO and CMO, Saskia is also responsible for managing our managers, which keeps bellicon USA running smoothly. Saskia studied Marketing and Graphic Design in a combined program (Kommunikationsdesign) in Hamburg before working in the German advertising and television industries.
In 2009 she joined bellicon and a year later moved to Chicago to establish bellicon USA with her brother, Philipp. Growing up in the beautiful Schleswig Holstein area of northern Germany, Saskia began daily horseback riding from an early age. These days, her main form of exercise is rebounding on her bellicon, though Saskia (who was married this August) also enjoys playing golf and biking around Chicago with her husband, Moritz.
John Hines
Content and Communications Director
John has helped to shape bellicon’s marketing strategies and assisted in the process of translating bellicon’s European popularity to the New World. In particular, he is responsible for all of the writing on our website, as well as the extensive health and fitness research behind it, and is often called upon to share this accumulated knowledge with our customers and the media. Originally from Chicago, John spent many years in New York and Los Angeles working as a professional actor. On stage, he has performed leading roles in major theaters across the country, as well as on Broadway, and has an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. On camera, his film and TV experience includes roles in several major feature films and TV shows. John also has an extensive history of writing for film and the theater, with several feature films and plays to his credit. For exercise, John grew up playing tennis and running, which he still does, but due to his research, John’s first choice is now rebounding on the bellicon to his favorite R&B songs. Can’t beat it.
Stan Tencza
Director of Operations
From the Ocean State (Rhode Island for the non-geographically savvy) to the Windy City, Stan brought his operations management background to bellicon in 2013. Having obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Film Media and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Stan approaches his work is much like bouncing on the bellicon - with creativity but also with efficiency. Outside of bellicon, Stan can be found rocking out on stage behind his synthesizers or passionately (borderline overzealously) rooting for his New England sports teams.
Lamont Bell
Production Manager
Lamont oversees the customization, packaging and shipping of each bellicon order, and is dedicated to maintaining bellicon’s high level of quality and customer satisfaction before each bellicon is sent off to its new home. Born and raised in Chicago, Lamont has worked with inventory and shipping in the Chicago area since the 1990s, including work for large corporations such as Comcast and Sam’s Club. Though he has coached children’s basketball and football, most of his own recent athletic activity involves using his bellicon at home…that is, when his daughters Amonti and Arianna are off of it long enough to give him the chance.
