Lifting the Ceiling: Why Founders Row is Betting Big on Women's Strength

ATLANTA, GA – June 30, 2026 – Brand incubator Founders Row today announced the launch of LiftHER, a women's-only strength and lifting studio poised to debut in Dallas this September. The venture is the brainchild of a seasoned trio: Jamie Weeks, the operator behind Founders Row and former largest franchisee of Orangetheory Fitness; Katherine Mason, founder of the successful SculptHouse fitness brand; and Betina Gozo Shimonek, a Nike Global Trainer who will helm the new brand's programming. While the boutique fitness market is crowded, LiftHER represents a calculated and strategic move to capitalize on one of the most significant, and paradoxically underserved, trends in modern wellness: women's strength training.

A Market of Strength, A Void of Space

The case for LiftHER isn't built on intuition; it's founded on a mountain of data indicating a seismic shift in female fitness priorities. Strength training has moved from the periphery to the core of wellness, with Strava's 2024 Year in Sport Report identifying it as the fastest-growing activity among women, logging a 25% year-over-year increase. This isn't a fleeting trend. Deeper analysis from Harrison Co. reveals a monumental surge over the past decade, with women's use of free weights climbing 150% and resistance-machine usage skyrocketing by 558%.

Yet, a critical disconnect persists. Despite this surging interest, a staggering 73% of women in the United States still fail to meet federal guidelines for muscle-strengthening activity. This gap between aspiration and participation signals a profound market failure—not of demand, but of supply. Traditional, co-ed weight rooms are frequently cited as intimidating environments, while many group fitness classes fail to offer the structured, progressive programming necessary for tangible strength gains. LiftHER is designed to surgically target this gap. It's a bet that millions of women want to lift heavy, track progress, and build functional strength, but lack a dedicated space where they feel empowered, educated, and supported in doing so.

"Women have outgrown being an afterthought in the weight room," states LiftHER Co-Founder Katherine Mason. "LiftHER is built entirely for them." This statement encapsulates the venture's thesis: the market for women-centric fitness, valued at over $6 billion in 2024, is ready for a new category leader that treats strength as a discipline, not an amenity.

Deconstructing the Anti-Gym Model

To address the shortcomings of the traditional gym, LiftHER has engineered its experience from the ground up. The studio's core feature is a dedicated lifting-rack model, providing each member her own fully-equipped station. This immediately dismantles the common gym experience of searching for equipment, waiting for a rack, or navigating a crowded, male-dominated free-weight area. It transforms the workout from a public scramble into a private, focused session.

Classes are intentionally capped at 8 to 14 women. This small-group format ensures personalized attention from expert trainers, a key differentiator from larger classes where form can be compromised and individual needs are overlooked. The programming, led by Gozo Shimonek, is built on structured, progressive strength-training principles, designed to deliver consistent results. For those who prefer to train independently, LiftHER will also offer "OpenRack" sessions, allowing members to reserve a station and follow their own regimen.

Perhaps the most innovative element is the integration of complimentary DEXA scans. By providing members with precise body composition data, LiftHER shifts the measure of success away from the bathroom scale and toward meaningful metrics like muscle mass and bone density. This data-driven approach not only validates the efficacy of the training but also reinforces a healthier, more empowering narrative around women's bodies—one focused on what they can do, not just how they look.

"Strength isn't built in one heroic session; it's built by showing up, season after season," says Betina Gozo Shimonek, Co-Founder & Head of Programming. "LiftHER is the room I always wished existed: real training, high-quality equipment, and the space for every woman to train like the athlete she is."

The Founder's Playbook: From Franchisee to Incubator

The strategic mind behind the operation is Jamie Weeks. His career is a roadmap of identifying and scaling opportunities in the boutique fitness space. After building the largest Orangetheory Fitness franchise network, he founded and successfully exited the recovery brand SweatHouz. His new venture, Founders Row, isn't a traditional investment firm but an "operating and creative firm" that partners with founders at the earliest stages.

"I started Founders Row for this exact reason," said Weeks. "As Katherine and I worked through the SculptHouse deal and built a relationship, we kept coming back to the future of women's health and wellness... When we reached out to Betina, she was in—and the three of us were off to the races." This model of incubation, rather than simple acquisition, allows Weeks to apply his operational expertise directly, de-risking the launch and preparing the brand for disciplined expansion.

This history provides critical context for LiftHER's launch. It is not an impulsive jump onto a trend but a calculated move by an operator with a deep understanding of unit economics, member experience, and brand scaling. The plan to limit the inaugural Dallas studio to 250-300 members underscores a focus on perfecting the community and experience before initiating a wider rollout across the Southeast. This disciplined approach, which includes a long-term vision for co-locating with Mason's SculptHouse brand, suggests a sustainable, ecosystem-based strategy for growth.

LiftHER is more than just a new gym; it's an argument that women's strength deserves its own category. By combining a purpose-built environment, expert-led programming, and a data-driven approach to progress, the founders are making a significant bet that they can not only capture an underserved market but also fundamentally reshape how women approach their strength and well-being.