About

The focus of Rock Hill Yoga (RHY) is to make yoga accessible to those that need it most. We’ve developed a radical business plan for a yoga center that meets both the needs of the community and the business. The low-profit, limited liability corporation or L3C is a new hybrid business model that merges the LLC with nonprofit sensibilities providing the balance between business and social responsibility. This allows the center to operate by funding globally and acting locally. We will be making yoga accessible through scholarships, a sliding scale fee structure, donation based classes and partnering with local charities to give back to the community wherever possible. The L3C feels like it was designed for the business of yoga. We will be one of the first in the industry to use this model. Not only will Rock Hill Yoga be an early adopter of this business model, it will be Rock Hill’s first yoga center.

Rock Hill, SC
Rock Hill is the 4th largest city in the Charlotte metropolitan area and the 4th largest city in South Carolina. As such, it is surprising to find out that there is no yoga presence, outside of the YMCA, in the city. RHY has found a convenient location near both Winthrop University and York Tech that is located on the high traffic Cherry Rd. close to an EarthFare.  

The L3C
Our initial concept was to create a nonprofit business, but while working on this model we realized that it wasn’t the right fit for us. Boards and committees, the length of time it takes to file and achieve nonprofit status, compliance costs and the complexity of filing seemed like a lot of work to distract us from our mission. L3Cs must pursue charitable or educational purposes above profit, but can still earn income to make the business end more sustainable. RHY aims to offer the best yoga experience at an affordable rate while still meeting our financial needs. We are currently in the process of filing for L3C.

The Founders
Yogis Michael, Gina & Garland have united their strengths to create a new business model for a yoga center. Their passion for yoga and compassion for their community inspired them to come together and bring a sustainable yoga business to Rock Hill. Michael & Gina are both yoga instructors who often give back to the community through yoga in a variety of ways. Michael has been a business owner before and Gina is in transition from the television industry to the world of yoga with first hand experience managing a small business closely with the owner. Garland offers her business planning skills, design capabilities and marketing sensibilities to help round out the team and also is a founder of her own nonprofit business. Each person brings their strengths to the table and help create a well rounded team.