Founders Row Targets Women’s Strength With LiftHer Studio Launch

The women’s-only lifting concept, co-founded by SculptHouse founder Katherine Mason and Nike trainer Betina Gozo Shimonek, will debut in Dallas in September

Founders Row is moving into women’s strength training with the launch of LiftHer, a women’s-only lifting studio designed around progressive programming, dedicated racks and a more personalized training environment.

The new concept, backed by Atlanta-based brand incubator and operating studio Founders Row, will open its first location in Dallas in September, with additional studios planned across the Southeast. LiftHer was co-founded by SculptHouse founder Katherine Mason and Nike Global Trainer Betina Gozo Shimonek, who will serve as head of programming.

The launch gives Founders Row creator Jamie Weeks another foothold in boutique fitness after building a large Orangetheory Fitness franchisee business, later founding SweatHouz and selling a majority stake in the recovery brand in 2022. Weeks departed SweatHouz in April 2025 to launch Founders Row, which backs and builds founder-led consumer concepts.

“I started Founders Row for this exact reason — an operating and creative firm partnering with founders at the earliest stage of their journey,” Weeks said. “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, and it led us down this path.”

LiftHer is built around a dedicated lifting-rack model, giving each member her own training station instead of a shared circuit format. Classes will be limited to 8 to 14 women, with trainer-led sessions structured around progressive strength training. The studio will also offer OpenRack sessions, allowing members to reserve a rack and train independently.

Complimentary Dexa scans will be included as part of the membership experience, giving members a way to track body composition and progress.

“When I launched SculptHouse I bet on a category, Lagree Fitness, before anyone knew what it was,” Mason said. “I’m making that bet again — only now it’s women’s strength, and it’s the most important bet I’ve made. Women have outgrown being an afterthought in the weight room. LiftHer is built entirely for them.”

The Dallas studio will be capped at roughly 250 to 300 members, according to the company, in an effort to preserve coaching quality and community. Long term, LiftHer is also expected to coexist with SculptHouse in a dual-studio format, with the first combined concept slated for Atlanta in early 2027.

“Strength isn’t built in one heroic session; it’s built by showing up, season after season,” Gozo Shimonek said. “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.”

Earlier this year, Tension opened in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood as a women’s-only strength studio focused on making weightlifting more educational and community-driven. Founded by certified strength and conditioning specialist Kristie Larson, Tension uses progressive, trainer-led programming to help women learn proper technique and build confidence in the weight room.