Briana Coureur: Community, Technology, and Entrepreneurship

November 10, 2023 by Jessika Leatherbury

By: Sunnie Dawn Baker

Briana Coureur has always had a passion for community and entrepreneurship. When she was working on her Business Marketing degree at East Central University, she was always aiding others with marketing campaigns, blogs, and photography. She constantly looked for ways to engage with others, using her own spark of entrepreneurial spirit to help others. Despite labeling herself as “technically challenged” in the past, Coureur defied expectations after her graduation in 2018 by starting not one, but two ventures deeply rooted in technology. As technology became increasingly intertwined with every aspect of our lives, it was only natural that she would find herself drawn into the work of tech entrepreneurship, even if it wasn’t her original intent.

After graduation from ECU, Coureur, who has always had an interest in fitness, started teaching yoga classes at the Grandview which eventually evolved into corporate fitness, where she went to businesses and conducted mid-day yoga classes to help employees with their physical and emotional wellbeing. She officially started the Sculpt Fitness Academy in August of 2019. Initially, she says, “I just wanted a studio that people in smaller towns could go to easily. I wanted it to be easily accessible.” However, in rural America, that can be difficult to do without expecting your clients to travel thirty miles or more to reach the studio. Instead of opening a physical studio, Coureur decided to harness the power of technology, becoming a virtual personal fitness trainer.

Coureur’s business allows her to work with clients from both rural and metro areas. These women may not always find the time to go to a fitness studio, but through technology, Coureur is able to provide one-on-one instruction tailored to each client to help them reach their goals while promoting a mission of “fitness positivity.” While most are in Oklahoma, she has had clients from as far away as Georgia and even had a few women from Spain participate in a free seven-day challenge. This approach to personal training also allows Coureur to build a virtual community of women who want to be more fit. While most sessions are on-on-one, she also organizes community calls where the women can share their own experiences and be a supportive network for each other. Coureur aims to empower women and she receives the most joy whenever her clients are surprised at what they can do, like the 65-year-old woman who could flex her bicep and said, “I didn’t know I could be strong.”

While Coureur improves the lives of women in her virtual fitness community, she also wanted to enhance her own physical community. After a conversation with a friend, she discovered the way to help her local community was to turn to technology. In February of 2023, Ryan Temple, who owns and operates the Roofing Department and General Contracting Inc., was on the treadmill at a gym, staring at a blank screen. The thought occurred to him that he wished his logo was on that screen and he called Coureur with his idea. Within 48 hours, they had everything set up and Prestige Legacy was formed.

Prestige Legacy is a digital sign company that installs screens in businesses that run local advertisements, announcements, and positive messages in a one-hour loop. Coureur says, “Digital signs are the integration of tech into your real physical hometown world. We can integrate our lives that are online into that physical world and use that strategy to help people build community both in person and online.”

Coureur sees tremendous potential for Ada’s entrepreneurial economy with regards to Prestige Legacy. She says, “We are wanting everyone to know what is available in Ada. For instance, most people think that they would have to go to the city to find an interior designer, but here in Ada, we have four.” This new way of advertising allows businesses to expand their reach and, in some cases, make others aware of their very existence. In addition to the advertising elements of the technology, the screens also provide dynamic QR codes that serve two purposes. First, it allows the consumer to get more information about the business that is being advertised. Second, it allows the advertiser to track who is interested in their business and engage in targeted marketing.

Just as Coureur focused on building a virtual fitness community, she is now determined to build a stronger community in Ada, using technology to bridge the virtual and the physical. She installed the first screen in Arbuckle Craft Coffee because of the high volume of customers, but also because of the type of clientele that they serve. She thought that these customers might be more likely to utilize the interactive digital signs and be interested in learning about other local businesses. In addition to promoting businesses, she also wants to expand into working with non-profits to spread their messages globally, strengthening the community services that help make Ada better. If a business or non-profit is unsure of what they would want to display on the sign, Coureur also offers services to help her clients create attention-grabbing and successful ads.

Though Coureur didn’t initially envision herself as a tech entrepreneur, the nature of today’s world led her down this unexpected path. Technology touches all aspects of our lives, and she embraces possibilities, learning what she needs in order to stay up to date in this ever-changing world. While many people may think of technology as something that isolates us, Coureur proves that this is not the case. Technology can make our lives better and easier, but it can also build community, both online and in person.

Sign up to receive more news from the Ada Jobs Foundation HERE!

Back to News