Gazelle Sports, a retailer that specializes in running that is based in Kalamazoo and has seven locations around Michigan including downtown Birmingham, now is 100 percent woman owned and operated.
CEO Jennifer Brummit is majority shareholder and Chief Marketing Officer Cara Cross has a minority partnership stake in the company. Terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.
Founded in Kalamazoo in 1985, Gazelle Sports has been locally owned and operated for more than 40 years. The current ownership transition follows the 2024 retirement of founders and co-owners Chris Lampen-Crowell, Jean Sequite, and Ken Sung.
“I have been fortunate to watch Gazelle Sports continually adapt to meet the needs of the business, customers, and communities over the years, even well before I was an employee,” says Brummitt. “My mom (Jean Sequite), Chris, and Ken each had a profound impact on me, my passion for this business, and the greater run specialty industry.
“I am inspired by the work we get to do each and every day at Gazelle Sports and am honored to continue to evolve Gazelle Sports to meet the needs of runners, walkers, and our partners.”
Brummitt has been with Gazelle Sports since 2003 and has worked at every level of the company, beginning as a part-time shipping and receiving staff member, before moving to Team Gazelle to manage the company’s Club Soccer business.
From there, Brummitt transitioned to launch Gazelle Sports’ first e-commerce website in 2009, before being promoted to director of brand strategy in 2013. She joined the Gazelle Sports executive team in 2018 and was appointed CEO in 2020.
Cross joined Gazelle Sports in 2011 as a sales floor team member in Grand Rapids and grew her career at the company as assistant store manager, then community engagement events manager. She joined the Gazelle Sports executive team in 2019 and was promoted to director of brand in 2020. She has served as CMO since 2023.
“Chris, Jean, and Ken built a local business on fostering strong relationships — within the team, our communities and among our partners,” says Cross. “It is a privilege to carry that legacy forward, while helping to evolve Gazelle Sports in a way that meaningfully meets the community and our customers where they are now, and into the future.”
