About us
About Us
The Inspiration
We like to say that our solutions were born of both inspiration and frustration. As operators of recreation, sports, and leisure facilities, we were constantly struggling to find a solution that was designed for the unique needs of our industry. With experience operating and opening hundreds of facilities all over the country, we believed that there had to be a better and more environmentally conscious way to operate. After years of research and development and with the help of many friends and colleagues, we created Connect2Concepts.
Our Team
Jaime Salay
Jaime Salay is focused on providing our customers with an exceptional experience with our products. Jaime earned her BA in in psychology and physical education from Denison University in Ohio. At Denison, she worked in operations with the athletic and recreation department. Jaime continued her career in the academic setting where she was employed by the University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center as a research assistant. Jaime has studied abroad in Australia and most recently spent two years in Japan.
Jaime is passionate about conservation and environmental issues. Her interest in sustainability and seeking alternative business operations that reduce paper consumption and increase awareness of environmental stewardship perfectly positioned her as a team member with Connect2Concepts.
Jennifer Jacobs
Jennifer, owner of Connect2Concepts, has been involved in the health, wellness, fitness, and recreation industry for the last 20 years. She earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Ohio University where she got her start in campus recreation. After Ohio University, Jenn spent several years opening municipal parks and recreation facilities in Ohio before moving into the private sector. Jenn served in several senior leadership positions with worldwide leisure management and consulting firms and has been responsible for the successful opening and management of over 100 recreation facilities, spas, fitness centers, health clubs, and leisure amenities.Jenn’s education and experience combined with her passion for execution has driven the development of Connect2Concepts. Jenn has a unique ability to organize complex business processes into scalable systems that evolve to meet the dynamic needs of diverse markets.
Creating Connect2Concepts as a women-owned technology company committed to providing environmentally conscious industry specific solutions, perfectly aligns her personal and professional beliefs and values.
Tamara Jarrett
Tamara Jarrett, President and Founder of CORE, has over 25 years in the recreation industry. Tamara has held faculty and administrative positions at Ohio University, Kent State University, and Louisiana State University (LSU). In addition to her on-campus experience, through CORE she has led project teams toward the opening of the Student Recreation Center at California State University- Northridge, the Student Wellness Center at Georgia College & State University, the BRIC at Cal Poly Pomona, the new Aggie Student Recreation Center at Utah State University, and the current expansion project at Towson University.
Tamara is an active contributor to the field – speaking at numerous conferences and workshops and serving on a variety of boards and committees. She has served as an advisory board member for the Walt Disney World College Program. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Women’s Football Foundation where she is responsible for the creation of the research arm developed in partnership with the UNC Greensboro Program for the Advancement of Women in Sport.
Her passion for innovation guided her doctoral research and ultimately led to the creation of the CORE Innovation Network. Connect2Concepts has been a member of the Innovation Network for the last 3 years, and it is the insight provided by that experience that has directly contributed our success.
CORE continues to inspire the development of Connect2 and the strategic expansion of Connect2Concepts into new markets.
Charissa Beavers
Charissa brings over 20 years of experience in the luxury hospitality, spa, salon, and wellness industry specializing in retail, operations, staffing technology, and business development. She’s has experience with a diverse portfolio of over 50 spas nationally and internationally and has worked directly with spas that have been awarded “World’s Best” by Travel+Leisure as well as the prestigious Forbes “Five-Star” status.
Charissa started off in the industry in her teens, when she received her Cosmetology License. Wanting to take things further after graduation, she then specialized in artistry and design at the London College of Make-Up Artistry in Toronto, Canada. Selections of her work were featured on national TV shows and magazines around the country. This experience allowed her the opportunity to work in various roles with worldwide spa and leisure management companies, including Spa Director, Regional Operations Director, Retail Specialist, and as a Corporate Spa Director. Most recently Charissa worked with Zeel, a spa service technology company. She was the Key Note speaker at The Skin Inc. Conference speaking on the topic of “Understanding Digital Spa Services and How They May Change the Future of Spa.”
Charissa is the Corporate Director of Connect2’s Spa and Wellness Team servicing hotel/resort spas, day spas and wellness centers around the country. Her deep understanding of spa and wellness operations combined with her sincere desire to help others improve the efficiency of their businesses makes her the perfect fit for the Connect2 Team.
Hannah Roberts
Hannah Roberts, Director of Operations, has been a member of the Connect2 community since the beginning. Starting as an end user at East Carolina University, she quickly became a super-user and then a member of our Connect2 Academy Faculty. Hannah received her B.S. in Recreation Management from Appalachian State University and M.S. in Recreation and Sport Management from Purdue University. She brings a wealth of experience in the recreation, hospitality and restaurant industries. In 2014, she pursued a Graduate Assistant position of Club Sports at Purdue University and in 2016 became the Sport & Youth Programs Specialist at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Her pronouns are: She, Her, Hers.
Hannah is passionate about working in higher education and values being a positive role model while always respecting and appreciating the diversity of people’s ideas and opinions. She believes in educating others on finding their “why” or their purpose to better themselves and their peers while also becoming a good steward of the community. In her free time, Hannah enjoys spending time with her pup Mackey Dean and attempting amateur woodworking projects.
Client Partners
Connect2Concepts™ has partnered with the campus recreation departments at an exclusive selection of schools that allow us to maintain a close connection to the industry while providing feedback and insight that drives the continuous improvement of our solutions.
California State University, Northridge (CSUN) – Northridge, CA
The CSUN Student Recreation Center (SRC) is a 138,000 square foot facility for exercise and leisure activity that promotes lifelong health and wellness. The SRC is an award winning recreation facility featuring state-of–the-art weight and fitness zones, a rock wall, locker rooms, a three-court gymnasium, a multi-activity court, fitness and group exercise studios, a racquetball court, an indoor track and recreational/lap swimming pool.
Cal Poly Pomona Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex (BRIC) – Pomona, CA
The BRIC is a brand new student recreation facility at Cal Poly Pomona opening in September 2014. The BRIC is a 165,000 square-foot complex that includes an outdoor pool, 54-foot indoor rock climbing wall, five multi-activity studios, four-court gymnasium, indoor-running track, two racquetball courts, the latest cardio and strength training equipment and juice bar.
University of Dayton Campus Recreation – Dayton, OH
The department of Campus Recreation at University of Dayton provides a variety of recreational programs, services and facilities for the UD community. Their state of the art facilities include a 125,470 sq. ft. recreation complex and a 5.5 acre turf field; both offering opportunity for endless recreational pursuits.
Towson University Campus Recreation Services – Towson, MD
Towson University Campus Recreation’s main facilities, located in Burdick Hall on Towsontown Boulevard, feature a state-of-the-art fitness center, an indoor swimming pool, three multi-purpose gymnasiums, an indoor top-rope climbing gym, locker rooms and showers. Towson is currently working on an expansion to Burdick Hall that will provide students with enhanced opportunities for fitness, wellness, and recreational services.
Colorado State University
CSU’s award-winning Student Recreation Center has had its share of national attention. The Rec is a breath-taking combination of state-of-the-art amenities and eye-popping architectural design. The Rec features an aquatic facility, two free-standing towers for roped climbing, five fitness studios, four basketball courts, a MAC gymnasium, and 24,000 square feet of cardio and weight fitness areas. Several publications have listed the CSU Student Recreation Center to their “Best Of” lists, including Men’s Health, Best Value Schools, and Best College Reviews.