FOUNDER & CEO
Katherine Chen
Katherine leads Poetide as Founder and CEO, bringing a background in coaching, yoga teacher training, and international development.
Meet Katherine ↓THE POETIDE TEAM
People behind the practice.
Meet Katherine Chen and Saavan Nanavati.
PILATES INSTRUCTOR
Saavan Nanavati
Austin-based instructor with a personal approach to mat Pilates. Get to know Saavan’s teaching style and background below.
Meet Saavan ↓MEET OUR FOUNDER & CEO
Katherine Chen
Founder & CEO · Poetide Pilates
Katherine Chen is the Founder and CEO of Poetide Pilates. Her background connects movement, mindfulness, and work with people across different communities. Her training in coaching and yoga teaching has included mindfulness, somatic practices, and trauma-informed approaches. She is interested in helping people navigate change with greater clarity and a stronger sense of what matters to them.
BEYOND THE MAT
Global perspective.
Personal connection.
Katherine is an MBA candidate at Stanford Graduate School of Business, pursuing a dual MBA/MPA path with Harvard Kennedy School. She also studied at the University of Texas at Austin.
Her professional experience includes management consulting at McKinsey & Company and innovation and investment work with the World Food Programme and UN Advisory Alliance. A secondment with One Acre Fund took her to Nairobi, where her work supported initiatives serving smallholder farmers across Africa.
Across these experiences, Katherine’s interests centre on global development, thoughtful leadership, and supporting others through periods of uncertainty and growth.
ON THE MAT
A considered pace.
A personal approach.
Saavan teaches Pilates with an emphasis on clear cues, deliberate movement, and space to get comfortable with the practice. Classes bring attention to breath, control, and how movements connect.
Whether you’re new to the mat or returning to a familiar routine, you’re encouraged to ask questions, take a pause, and work at your own pace.
BEYOND THE MAT
A background in building
and giving back.
Saavan’s background spans technology, education, and community work. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2021 with degrees in Computer Science and Business Honors, and his engineering experience includes a past role at Google.
He founded Momentum Scholars in 2015 to provide free tutoring for underserved students in Austin. His volunteer work has also included software support for Free to Run, an organisation that helps women and girls access sport in conflict-affected regions.
Outside work, his interests include running, chess, and debate.
EDUCATIONUniversity of Texas
University of Texas
at Austin
Computer Science & Business Honors · 2021
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDEngineering
Engineering
& technology
Past experience at Google
COMMUNITYMomentum
Momentum
Scholars
Founded in 2015 · Education in Austin
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Guidance you can
make sense of.
Clear cues +
Time to understand the starting position, the movement, and how the sequence connects.
Space to ask +
Let your instructor know when a cue needs explaining or when you would like to pause.
A personal introduction +
Share your experience level before your first class so we can talk through where to start.
The teaching image illustrates Pilates instruction; it does not depict a Poetide team member.
GUEST TEACHING & COLLABORATIONS
Bring your perspective.
We welcome conversations with Pilates instructors in Austin. Introduce yourself with your teaching background, preferred class formats, and availability.
Teach with Poetide →