Some employees bond over drinks after work. Elizabeth Kaplan believes she can create a stronger connection by sharing a workout with colleagues.

Ms. Kaplan, 51, is a partner at Paul Ferrante, a family-owned custom lighting design company in Los Angeles. After working out of the company’s Melrose Place showroom for 20 years, she moved to its Culver City factory in May 2016. Lighting pieces are handcrafted there by artisans, many from Mexico and Guatemala. As one of three women on a team of 60, and the boss, she struggled to...