UC alumnus Matt Kasee earns 40 Under 40 recognition

Before building his own business, Matt Kasee found his career direction as a University of Cincinnati student. His first personal training experience was working with a client at the Corryville Recreation Center for an Allied Health Sciences class. It showed Kasee how much he enjoyed helping people through fitness.

“At the time I was starting to flounder a bit and second-guess my career direction,” he said. “When I experienced first-hand how fun training was, it totally redirected where I wanted to go in my career.”

That experience planted the seed for a career that would eventually lead him to launch Trilogy Fitness Systems and earn recognition among the Cincinnati Business Courier’s 2026 40 Under 40.

Kasee’s connection to fitness began years before that class. At 14, he sustained an injury that left him without full function of his left hand. When he first stepped into a gym at 16, he found mentors who would help shape the trainer, coach and business owner he would become. As he entered the fitness field, Kasee saw an opportunity to give others the support he had received

“I knew I wanted to create my own space to be that inspiration and mentor to help people develop physically in a fun, safe and welcoming environment,” he said. “That has been my north star since day one.”

Hands-on learning and working with clients fueled his sense of purpose, while coursework on the intricacies of movement, muscles and performance equipped him with the healthcare knowledge to shape his business and instilled in Kasee an appreciation for detail. Running a business required Kasee to apply the same patience and precision to daily operations that he brought to understanding movement and helping clients progress.

“Being a business owner is basically having an obsessive eye for detail and constant improvement of mundane daily activities,” he said. “My eye for detail, thirst for knowledge and desire for constant improvement started at UC and is the foundation of everything I do at Trilogy.”

Kasee began personal training in 2011 and opened Trilogy Fitness Systems shortly after graduating. Today, the business combines his passion for improving clients’ health with a commitment to creating sustainable careers for trainers and giving back to the community.

“We are trying to build a sustainable business that provides true careers for trainers in an industry not known for this, while providing a great training experience that impacts people's lives daily,” Kasee said.

That work has earned him recognition among the Cincinnati Business Courier’s 2026 40 Under 40, after several Trilogy members nominated him for the award. The annual program honors young professionals across Greater Cincinnati for professional leadership and community service.

For Kasee, those commitments begin with helping others grow. Drawing on the mentorship he received throughout his education and career, he focuses on developing employees’ skills and creating opportunities for them to advance. Through Trilogy’s support for local nonprofits, he extends that commitment beyond the gym.

“When I see how much we can donate to and help local nonprofits and how much our work improves our clients' lives, it renews my energy daily,” he said.