Startup Grind Chicago

Most founders don’t think about the exit until it’s too late, or they push so hard to get there that they arrive depleted.

Jillian Lorenz did it differently. She co-founded The Barre Code, grew it into a national franchise that ranked in the Entrepreneur 500 for four consecutive years before getting acquired by Barre3, creating one of the largest women-owned boutique fitness brands in the world.

Now, as a Venture Partner at Exit Quotient Ventures and executive coach at SoulYou Coaching, she helps the next generation of founders do the same.

On May 12, we’ll sit down with Jillian to talk about balancing ambition with wellbeing. You’ll learn:

• How to scale without losing your soul

• When to start thinking about an exit strategy, and the playbook for doing so

• Negotiation advice when an acquisition is on the table

• Tips for keeping your physical and mental intact as you grow

• How Jillian and her team make investment decisions

Part of Startup Grind’s global commitment to Mental Health Month. If you want to build up without burning out, this is the room to be in.

Agenda

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Speaker

Jillian Lorenz - Exit Quotient Ventures (Venture Partner)

Jillian is a dedicated entrepreneur passionate about personal and professional growth. She co-founded, expanded, and successfully sold a national fitness franchise and now serves as a Venture Partner at Exit Quotient Ventures where she invests in the next generation of Entrepreneurs.

Hosted By

Rajiv Nathan, Director

Hey there! Great to meet you! I'm Rajiv Nathan aka RajNATION. I started attending Startup Grind Chicago events in 2019, became a co-director in 2020, and started leading the chapter in 2022. My goal for the chapter is to provide you with perspective, whether that's through our content, event formats, or trainings.

My main gig is running the firm Startup Hypeman, building startup pitches for both fundraising and customer growth so you don't just go to market, you become The GOAT to Market.

Sid Khaitan, Head of Community

Brittany Canty,

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Global Partner

Carta (http://www.carta.com/launch?utm_campaign=20240423-nam-general-smb-startup_grind_partnership&utm_medium=social&utm_source=startup_grind)
Carta helps people manage equity, build businesses, and invest in the companies of tomorrow. Carta Launch is the only free cap table product, helping new founders get started. The company is trusted by more than 40,000 companies, over 7,000 funds and SPVs, and over two million equity holders to manage cap tables, compensation, valuations, liquidity, and more. For more information, visit carta.com.

Partners

Startup Hypeman (https://www.startuphypeman.com)
Startup Hypeman develops fundraising and customer pitches so you don't just go to market, you become The GOAT to Market

Big Star Cocktails (https://www.instagram.com/bigstarcocktails/?hl=en)
Spicy margaritas, margaritas, and palomas from your favorite Chicago taco spot, ready-to-drink straight from the can!

System Seltzers (https://systemseltzers.com/)
System Seltzers is the World's First Inclusive Drinking System™

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Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities and 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind.

Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-chicago-presents-built-to-exit/.