Built to Exit

May 12, 10:30 PM – May 13, 1:30 AM (UTC)

Chicago

Fabrik Chicago, 440 North Wells Street, Chicago, 60654

Jillian Lorenz built The Barre Code into a national franchise. Then she sold it. On May 12, she’ll share what it actually takes to build a company worth exiting, and stay WHOLE while doing it.

In-person event
SGWomen

Get tickets

About this event

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.

Speaker

  • Jillian Lorenz

    Exit Quotient Ventures

    Venture Partner

When

When

May 12 – 13, 2026
10:30 PM – 1:30 AM (UTC)

Organizers

  • Rajiv Nathan

    Startup Grind & Startup Hypeman

    Director

  • Sid Khaitan

    Head of Community

  • Brittany Canty

Global sponsor

Carta logo

Carta

Partners

Startup Hypeman logo

Startup Hypeman

Big Star Cocktails logo

Big Star Cocktails

System Seltzers logo

System Seltzers

About Startup Grind

This is Startup Grind. We are the world’s largest startup community.

Our Mission

To give startups everywhere the education and opportunities they need to build, grow, and scale their companies.

Our Values

We believe in making friends, not contacts. We believe in giving first, not taking. We believe in helping others before helping yourself.

Tools & Discounts for Startups

Take advantage of resources and offers provided by organizations we know and love, designed to help you navigate the startup journey.

Global Conference

Our annual flagship event in Silicon Valley brings together thousands of startup teams, investors and organizations from all over the world.

Join the Startup Membership

This membership gives you free access to networking, events, mentorship, office hours, and other exclusive opportunities curated by Startup Grind HQ.