Heart of Business
From Parking Lots to Four Studios: The Heart Behind Kore Barre & Yoga
Apr 9, 2026
From humble beginnings, Kelly Backert built multiple studios across Maryland, creating jobs, fostering community and proving that entrepreneurship, risk and dedication can transform both lives and neighborhoods.
Kore Barre & Yoga didn’t start in a studio.
It started in church basements, garages, parks and parking lots — anywhere people were willing to show up and move.
That’s where Kelly Backert began building what would eventually become four Kore Fitness studios across Maryland. No franchise. No investors. No financial safety net. Just determination, adaptability and a belief that helping people move their bodies matters.
“I just think moving your body is one of the most important things you can do,” Kelly says.
Before opening her first location, Kelly taught classes wherever she could find space. After completing a 10-month incubator program through the Town of Bel Air, she moved into her first permanent studio — just 700 square feet. Fifteen months later, she outgrew it.
Since then, Kore has expanded to multiple locations, offering bootcamp, barre, yoga and virtual classes. That flexibility helped the business adapt through COVID, including live virtual classes Kelly had already begun offering before the pandemic hit.
Like many small business owners, Kelly wears every hat — staffing, scheduling, technology, marketing, finances. She works with dozens of contractors and regularly partners with other local businesses.
“There are ups and downs,” she says. “You’re constantly learning, adapting, and figuring out what comes next.”
In the Business of Community Building
Kore studios create more than workouts. They create jobs, partnerships and places where people feel welcome, supported and connected. They are community spaces in the truest sense.
Kelly didn’t grow up in the area, and no one knew her when she started. But Maryland gave her an opportunity — and she turned it into something that now supports instructors, members and neighboring businesses.
Her story is a reminder that behind every Maryland business is someone who risked everything — not to get rich, but to help people, create jobs, and keep their community strong.
That’s the heart of Maryland’s small businesses — and the heart of our economy.
