Anne Mahlum – Founder of Solidcore & Philanthropist

Friday, September 11, 2026:

The beginning of Anne’s entrepreneurial journey is nothing short of extraordinary. In 2007, she found herself running by a homeless shelter in Philadelphia, and had the foresight to realize that running and community could be the catalyst to truly change lives. She engaged the shelter to start a running club, which she quickly transformed into a national non-profit called Back on My Feet.

Anne has been honored many times for her leadership and entrepreneurial spirit. Most recently, she was featured by CNBC for her continued success over the years. She has also been recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a ‘ Women Who Mean Business’ winner, and was named both an ABC World News Person of the Week and a CNN Hero for her work at Back on My Feet. She has given three TEDx talks about finding your passion, letting go of your complacency, and helping others.

She opened her first [solidcore] studio in November of 2013 with the $175,000 she had saved over the past six years. She had a clear vision to open as many studios as possible so as many people as possible could [create] the strongest version of themselves. In ten years, [solidcore] has become one of the fastest-growing concepts in the fitness industry, with more than 110 locations across the country and close to 2,000 employees.