Alberto Perlman
Alberto Perlman is the co-founder and CEO of Zumba, the global dance fitness brand, who joined the How I Built This Advice Line to share partnership and growth advice with early-stage founders.
Alberto Perlman's Bio
Alberto Perlman is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zumba, the global dance fitness brand that has grown from a small class format into a multi-billion dollar movement with millions of active participants across more than 180 countries. He leads the company's long-term strategy, global partnership development, and brand expansion, working to keep Zumba accessible and inclusive for people of all ages, fitness levels, and backgrounds.
Before launching Zumba, Perlman built a foundation in entrepreneurship and business development, with a keen interest in scalable, community-focused consumer offerings. He partnered with Colombian dancer and aerobics instructor Alberto "Beto" Perez, who had developed the improvised dance fitness routine that would become the basis of Zumba, to formalize the program into a licensable, structured brand in the early 2000s.
The pair officially launched Zumba in 2001, initially targeting fitness studios and independent instructors with choreographed routines, curated music, and certification programs. Unlike traditional rigid gym offerings, Zumba leaned into low-pressure, joyful movement that felt more like a social event than a workout, a differentiator that helped it spread rapidly through word-of-mouth. Perlman prioritized building a robust partner ecosystem, licensing the brand to instructors, gyms, and media partners, which fueled exponential global growth without requiring the company to own every physical location offering classe…
Career Timeline
2001 — Co-Founder at Zumba Fitness, Inc.
Co-founded Zumba Fitness, Inc. alongside Beto Perez, formalizing the popular Colombian dance fitness program into a scalable global brand with a network of certified instructors and licensed merchandise.
2010 — Product Launch Lead at Zumba Fitness, Inc.
Spearheaded the release of the Zumba Fitness interactive video game for Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, which sold over 3 million copies in its first year and expanded the brand's reach to at-home fitness audiences worldwide.
2016 — CEO at Zumba Fitness, Inc. / Life Fitness
Oversaw the acquisition of Zumba Fitness by Life Fitness (a division of Brunswick Corporation) for an estimated $1 billion valuation, remaining in the CEO role to guide the brand's integration into the parent company's fitness portfolio.
Episodes
Advice Line with Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics
Shazi Visram, founder of Happy Family Organics, joins Guy Raz to coach three early-stage founders on scaling, distribution, and investment. Daisy weighs expanding her UK barefoot shoe brand into the US, Rachel debates private labeling her protein sprinkle concept, and Andrew contemplates raising capital for his scented soil additive. The conversation balances practical go-to-market advice with Shazi's philosophy that entrepreneurship is one of the most creative outlets a person can have.
Advice Line with Alberto Perlman of Zumba
Zumba co-founder and CEO Alberto Perlman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Alberto’s take on the value of partnerships for growing brands — and why entrepreneurs should say ‘yes’ more often. First we meet Stefanie in Michigan, who’s looking for the smartest route to raise capital for her non-slip workout shoes. Then Jack in New Hampshire, who wants to broaden the appeal of his protein powders for sensitive stomachs. And Peter in Colorado, who needs help evaluating which opportunities to chase for his plant-based ski wax. Thank you to the founders of Barreletics, Drink Wholesome, and mountainFLOW for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Zumba’s founding story as told by Alberto and his co-founder Beto on the show in 2017. Neal Rauch.