Meet the Team
Mayweather Boxing + Fitness is led by a visionary executive franchise team who puts franchisee success first
Floyd Mayweather – Co-Founder
James Williams – Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
James first started his relationship with Floyd 10 years ago, as he would drive to Vegas and have meetings to discuss Floyd’s plans to build his legacy outside of the boxing arena. As their friendship grew closer, they became ever more excited to start Mayweather Boxing + Fitness together – with a plan to empower entrepreneurs to build their own legacies under Floyd’s iconic brand, through the quality of his workouts, and through the blueprint they could develop as a franchise system. James has been running overall strategy and day-to-day operations of Mayweather Boxing + Fitness from back in those first days of business conception through today.
James was previously an advisor to Beyoncé on her entertainment and management company, Parkwood Entertainment, with a focus on developing Beyoncé’s Ivy Park brand. He also co-founded XPT Life, a performance lifestyle brand created by big-wave surfer and fitness innovator, Laird Hamilton, and professional volleyball player, Gabrielle Reece.
Previously, James had an eight-year career at Bain & Company, where he developed growth strategies and devised business plans for some of the most successful luxury, auto and sports brands in the world. Prior to Bain, James was a corporate lawyer at Clifford Chance, at the time the world’s largest law firm and part of the UK’s “Magic Circle” of elite firms, working in both London and New York.
While studying for his MBA, James founded the non-profit, SOMB, which provides school uniforms to children in sub-Saharan Africa. He has visited Zimbabwe, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa on several occasions to oversee SOMB donations.
James holds an LLB with honors from the University of Leeds, a J.D. from Nottingham Law School, both in the United Kingdom, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
From the day that Mayweather Boxing + Fitness started, James’ passion in life has been the success of our franchisees, the positive impact to our members across the country, and the building of a legacy that everyone associated with it will be immensely proud of.
Burrel Lee Wilks III – Co-Founder, Vice Chairman and Franchisee
Burrel Lee Wilks III is a writer, entrepreneur, speaker, and life coach. He created and trademarked the “Strategies for Millionaire Magnetism” program and became a partner in the property development company, Diamond Developments, Inc. Burrel has owned multiple businesses, including gas station franchises, car dealerships, a grocery store, concert promotion business, and jewelry stores. A long-time friend and business partner of Floyd, Burrel connected James and Floyd and set the wheels in motion for Mayweather Boxing + Fitness. So confident in our system is Burrel, that he purchased his own franchise and opened and operates an incredible Mayweather Boxing + Fitness location in Newport Coast, CA.
Even in the face of success, Burrel has not forgotten his roots, and he continues working with underprivileged and at-risk children, as well as with the nonprofit organization Ready-Set-Work. Burrel communicates his struggles and successes to children that are much like he once was, and he serves as an inspiration to them. Burrel wrote and self-published his memoir, Tattoos on My Soul: From the Ghetto to the Top of the World: A Sizzling Story of Grit, Glitz, and Personal Growth, in 2006. The memoir was written in the hope that Burrel could reach and inspire more people with his remarkable story.
Bryan Diaz – Chief Operating Officer
Responsible for creating and executing business growth strategies, sales initiatives and operational procedures.
Bryan Diaz, COO has served in various capacities during his five year tenure with Mayweather Fitness Holdings LLC, and has played a significant role both establishing the foundation and supporting the growth of its franchise entities, Mayweather Boxing + Fitness and KickHouse. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the brands within the Mayweather Fitness Holdings portfolio, and has been instrumental in implementing the infrastructure for our operations globally.
Mr. Diaz has spent the past decade working in the boutique health and fitness industry focused on providing growth strategy, operational and financial guidance to start-ups bringing with him a unique and invaluable perspective honed from his own previous experience as a small business owner.
Prior to Mayweather, he served as a financial and business operations consultant for boutique health and fitness brands: Unscared Inc., and XPTLife LLC. His depth of knowledge extends to various aspects of fitness management both at the corporate and unit level, making him adept at recognizing and remedying the unique challenges that come along with scaling a business in an ever-changing industry.
Mr. Diaz owned and operated a small fitness studio he established in 2013 which he has since transitioned into a chiropractic wellness center with his wife. His career began in the banking and healthcare industries with a focus in finance and risk strategies, but his passion for fitness ignited his desire to aid in establishing and growing brands in an industry he was already so committed to.
He holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Trinity University, where he also played college football, and holds an MBA with a concentration in Finance which he received from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Dawn Weiss – Chief Marketing Officer
A franchise marketing veteran, Dawn Weiss has spent nearly two decades helping grow and lead the marketing strategy for award-winning, sustainable and early stage brands in the consumer retail, fitness, wellness and beauty industries.
More recently she has spent the last two and a half years at Xponential Fitness where she lead multiple brands simultaneously, including CycleBar, Row House and STRIDE, implementing structure and increasing lead flow substantially during and following the pandemic.
Prior to that she served as COO and CMO of Amazing Lash Studio, as the senior marketing executive at the helm of The Joint Chiropractic, and a founding team member responsible for building the brand platform the Massage Envy Spa franchise still thrives from today. Her tenure was during the most significant growth periods at each of these brands.
Dawn is a well-rounded growth and marketing strategist proficient across a wide variety of marketing mediums. At every turn her focus is on driving marketing that helps brands rise to be the industry-leading best in class.
Ryan Reeves – Chief Development Officer
Recently joining Mayweather Boxing + Fitness, Ryan brings a unique expertise in franchise system growth and development. He has spent more than a decade transitioning start up brands into rapidly growing concepts as well as creating platforms to support sustainable development expansion.
Before MBF, Ryan spent four and half years at Boston’s Pizza US as Vice President of Franchise Sales and Development. During his tenure, Ryan successfully restructured existing development agreements, brought in several multi-unit partnerships, and positioned the brand for both traditional and non- traditional growth in hotels putting Boston’s on track to double their footprint by 2026.
Prior to that, Ryan specialized in sales, growth, and team development at several other well-known franchise brands, including Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, McAllister’s Deli and SpeedPro Imaging. Ryan is driven by the belief that integrity-based relationship building, and transparency are fundamental in growing a strong, successful business and utilizes this business belief to help grow small concepts into segment leaders.
Chan Gannaway – Director of Fitness Education and Programming
Chan is a fitness industry veteran with 27 years working in various roles ranging from personal trainer, group fitness instructor, manager, workout developer, regional director, national director, education consultant, curriculum builder, and passionate presenter. He has presented education and fitness certifications in 35 states and 4 countries, representing NASM, ACE, Orangetheory Fitness, Equinox, IDEA, Midtown Athletic Clubs, GRIT BXNG, The Masters Fitness, and of course, Mayweather Boxing + Fitness. Chan brings 12 years of experience working, leading, educating, and developing, specifically in the boutique fitness space. His passion for the brand and future of Mayweather Boxing + Fitness is very clear when you speak to him.
Personally, married to Kerry Anne Hamilton-Gannaway, a master trainer and fitness industry veteran herself and a multi-unit Mayweather Boxing + Fitness franchise owner. They have 5 kids between them. They are Isabel, Logan, Danielle, Joshua, and Gracie Lane. Hobbies include cycling, beach time with the family, hanging in our pool, college football, keeping up with old friends, and – most importantly – taking plenty of boxing and fitness workouts at Mayweather!
