HomeGrown Lifting was founded by Will Whitman, Nicole Whitman, and Zach Boden at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. When gyms shut down and quality bumper plates became nearly impossible to find, the three found themselves facing the same problem as thousands of other athletes: the equipment they wanted was either unavailable or constantly sold out.
So instead of continuing to search, they decided to build the plates themselves.
Drawing on Will’s manufacturing expertise, the team developed a durable, high-quality bumper plate they were proud to use in their own gyms. Nicole then built the brand from the ground up, creating the website, photography, marketing, and social media presence that introduced HomeGrown Lifting to customers across the country.
The response was immediate. Week after week, the plates sold out, and within just a few months it was clear HomeGrown Lifting was more than a side project.
Each founder brought a unique background to the business. Will and Zach were college football teammates before their careers took them in different directions, while all three shared a longstanding interest in strength training. Will has more than 12 years of experience building and operating a rubber and urethane manufacturing company serving the automotive, medical, and defense industries. Nicole, a Harvard College graduate, has more than 10 years of experience in sales, marketing, and launching products in domestic and international markets. Zach, a graduate of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, brings more than 6 years of experience in the financial services industry.
Together, their backgrounds in manufacturing, business, sales, and marketing—combined with a shared passion for strength training, CrossFit, and powerlifting—became the foundation of HomeGrown Lifting.
Today, HomeGrown Lifting remains focused on the same goal that started it all: building durable, high-quality strength equipment in the USA that athletes can rely on for years to come.
Meet The Founders
Will Whitman
Co-Founder
Will has 6+ years experience starting and running a rubber/urethane manufacturing company supplying major automotive, medical, and defense companies with high quality, tight tolerance, and durable parts. He graduated in 2015 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and secondary studies in Computer Science. He was an All-American offensive lineman as a Freshman. He now lives in him hometown of Lexington, KY with his wife, Nicole, and their two dogs. He looks forward to starting each morning with a CrossFit workout with his friends at CrossFit 859.
Nicole Whitman
Co-Founder
Nicole graduated from Harvard College, where she met both Will and Zach freshman year while working as a photographer for the football team. She has over 10 years of experience developing and executing digital marketing for both domestic and international markets, and over 5 years experience launching customer-facing products into the US market. Nicole was introduced to olympic weightlifting by her travel volleyball coach in high school, something she has continued to practice ever since. Will and Nicole got married in April 2020, but their first date was in 2013 when they met each other for a lift in the college gym.
Zach Boden
Co-Founder
Zach has 6+ years working in the financial services industry. He is a former collegiate football and baseball player, and currently enjoys staying fit as an amateur powerlifter. Zach graduated from Duke University in 2017 and earned his Master's Degree at Duke's Fuqua School of Business in 2017. Zach currently lives in Charleston where he works as a nurse in the emergency department.