Coss Marte
Coss Marte is a formerly incarcerated entrepreneur and advocate for criminal justice reform. He is the owner of CONBODY gym and CONBUD dispensary. He is based in New York City.
Early life
Marte grew up in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan.[1] He started selling cannabis at age 13, and sales eventually expanded to other drugs like cocaine and heroin[2]. At the time, Marte ran the largest illegal drug delivery operation in New York City[3], earning about $2 million per year selling drugs by age 19[4].
Time in prison
Marte was sentenced to prison at Rikers Island[5] on drug charges in 2009[6]. While imprisoned, Marte was informed by Rikers Island medical staff that he had dangerously high cholesterol and high blood pressure[4], and it was recommended that he lose weight.
Utilizing his cell while in solitary confinement[7] and his body weight, Marte developed a workout that led to a 70-pound weight loss in six months.[4]
Entrepreneurship
CONBODY
Upon his release from prison in 2014, Marte struggled to find work due to his criminal status[8][2]. Shortly after his release, a passerby watching him exercise offered Marte $200 for 1 month of personal training. This interaction inspired Marte to turn to fitness as a career and led to his first entrepreneurial venture.[2] He was awarded a grant from Defy Ventures to open CONBODY, a "prison-style boot camp," on the Lower East Side in 2014.[9]
Marte employs fitness instructors who have served time in prison to highlight the role of employment in the reduction of recidivism rates.[10]
CONBUD
Marte, along with Junior Martinez and Alfredo Angueira, opened CONBUD in October of 2023[11]. The dispensary is located at 85 Delancey Street in the Lower East Side, across the street from the Tenement Museum and directly underneath CONBODY. CONBUD is the first licensed adult-use cannabis dispensary to open on the Lower East Side.[12] Marte also opened CONBUD in the Bronx's Mott Haven neighborhood in April 2024[13], and a third location across from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx in January 2025[14].
Marte prioritizes hiring employees at CONBUD who have been impacted by the War on Drugs. As of 2025, CONBUD employed 72 people who either have incarcerated family members or who were incarcerated themselves.[15]
Advocacy
Marte shares his experiences with audiences, elected officials, and non-governmental organizations.
He has delivered multiple TED talks, including "The Power of Untapped Talent"[16] at TEDxBerkeley, "Making A Living Out Of Prison"[17] at TEDxWanChai, and "From Kingpin to Entrepreneur"[18] at TEDxHudson.
Marte was an invited speaker to the United Nations' 68th Commission on Narcotic Drugs by the Global Commission on Drug Policy in 2025.[19] He has also offered testimony regarding his experiences to state and federal authorities.[20]
Documentary
Marte is the subject of the documentary CONBODY vs. Everybody, a 2024 American documentary series directed and produced by Debra Granik. The series debuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and at Doc NYC later that same year. As of May 1, 2026, the series is on The Criterion Channel.
References
- ↑ "Coss the Boss: with Coss Marte". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Remnick, Noah (2016-04-09). "Getting Fit, Prison-Style". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ "Documentary — CONBODY vs Everybody". conbody.com. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 G; e; o; r; g; e; B; o; d (2015-01-02). "From Jail Cell To Studio: Drug Dealer Becomes Personal Trainer". NPR. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ Cohen, Jeana Anderson (2019-03-27). "Coss Marte Sets a Big Goal From Solitary Confinement, Creating ConBody". aSweatLife. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ Clark, Tom Huddleston Jr ,Eric (2025-01-04). "39-year-old's cannabis business brings in $800,000 a month—16 years after he went to prison for selling drugs". CNBC. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ Sicardi, Arabelle (2017-06-05). "How This Ex-Con Took His Workouts from Prison to Saks Fifth Avenue". Allure. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ Muse Storytelling (2018-04-17). S2, E3 The Drug Kingpin Who Went from Selling Dope to Giving Hope. Retrieved 2026-08-31 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Coss Marte,Special to CNN (2016-10-04). "Ex-con transforms to entrepreneur behind bars | CNN". CNN. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ Cohen, Jeana Anderson (2019-03-27). "Coss Marte Sets a Big Goal From Solitary Confinement, Creating ConBody". aSweatLife. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ Release, Press (2023-04-07). "CONBUD - World's First Dispensary Run and Operated by Formerly". mg Magazine – Premier B2B Cannabis Magazine | Trusted Cannabis News. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ "The Lo-Down Culture Cast: Coss Marte, Founder of CONBODY and CONBUD | The Lo-Down : News from the Lower East Side". www.thelodownny.com. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ "New cannabis dispensary opens In Mott Haven". News 12 - Bronx. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ "ConBud Yankee Stadium: A Cannabis Haven by Yankee Stadium - The Bluntness". www.thebluntness.com. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ Clark, Tom Huddleston Jr ,Eric (2025-01-04). "39-year-old's cannabis business brings in $800,000 a month—16 years after he went to prison for selling drugs". CNBC. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ TEDx Talks (2022-06-03). The Power of Untapped Talent | Coss Marte | TEDxBerkeley. Retrieved 2026-08-31 – via YouTube.
- ↑ TEDx Talks (2016-12-05). Making A Living Out of Prison | Coss Marte | TEDxWanChai. Retrieved 2026-08-31 – via YouTube.
- ↑ TEDx Talks (2014-11-03). From Kingpin to Entreprenuer | Coss Marte | TEDxHudson. Retrieved 2026-08-31 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Takács, István Gábor (2025-05-13). "COSS MARTE: From Convict to Cannabis CEO in New York". Drugreporter. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ "From inmate to CEO: Coss Marte transforms lives with CONBODY fitness empire". ABC7 New York. 2025-01-22. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
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