Anne Mahlum

Anne is currently the Founder, Owner and CEO of a fast-growing boutique fitness company she founded in DC in 2013 called [solidcore] In just 7 years, Anne has grown her company to more than 70 locations across 19 different states (entirely corporately owned) with more than 100,000 clients, including Michelle Obama. Anne has raised more than $70M in private equity and most recently took an investment from VMG in February of 2021. She has received notable media attention for her success as a woman entrepreneur and business acumen, including features in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Business Journal and Runner’s World.

Prior to [solidcore], Anne was the CEO of Back on My Feet (BoMF), a non-profit organization she founded in Philadelphia in 2007 that uses the power of running to change the way those experiencing homelessness see themselves so they can make real change in their lives, which includes employment and independent housing. In addition to Philadelphia, the organization now has chapters in Baltimore, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Indianapolis, Atlanta, New York City, Austin and Los Angeles. Anne led BoMF to become a $6.5M privately-funded organization with staff of 48, thousands of volunteers and hundreds of members. Anne’s vision for Back on My Feet is simple, yet bold – to help as many people as possible, in the most efficient way as possible, redefine themselves so they can redefine their life and, just as important – to change the perception of homelessness on a global scale.

Anne’s work with Back on My Feet has been featured in countless times in both local and national media.  In 2012, Anne hosted a documentary for MTV called The Break on youth homelessness and she was recently featured in a book, called 50 Everyday Heroes. Anne has been named ABC world News Person of the Week, a CNN Hero, New Yorker of the Week, a top 40 under 40 individual by Philadelphia and Washington DC’s Business Journal, as well as Crain’s New York.

Anne is also a motivational speaker and regularly speaks at corporate events, academic institutions and conferences on numerous topics including, leadership, being bold, finding your happiness, the business behind starting a nonprofit, and social change.

She is originally from Bismarck, North Dakota and currently lives in Washington, DC. She has completed 12 marathons, one on every continent – most recently Antarctica!

Back on My Feet: Changing Perceptions, Changing Lives

Anne’s compelling personal story and work with Back on My Feet is a powerful and inspirational example of how change happens. In this engaging and inspiring program, Anne shows us that we all need the same things in life to grow and succeed… to be noticed, to be appreciated, to be valued and to be cared for. She teaches that changing the way we see ourselves and our circumstances is at the core of change and that only then can we begin to move out of our comfort zones and create real and lasting change in our lives. With raw vulnerability, grace and lots of humor, Anne takes audiences on an emotional journey that will leave them feeling motivated, purposeful, and empowered to create real change in their lives.

The Conscious Entrepreneur: How to Create and Build an Organization with Purpose

Many of us dream about starting a business at one point in our lives. Few of us ever follow through on that dream. Anne Mahlum is not one of those few. In 2007, Anne founded Back on My Feet (BoMF), a non-profit organization that uses the power of running to change the way those experiencing homelessness see themselves so they can make real change in their lives. Her vision for BoMF was simple, yet bold – to help as many people as possible and perhaps even change the perception of homelessness on a global scale. Today, BoMF is in 12 cities across the country and has helped thousands of people redefine and reclaim their lives. But being the entrepreneur she is, Anne had plans for another purposeful organization. She founded [solidcore], a boutique fitness studio, in D.C. in 2013. In a little under five years [solidcore] has expanded to more than 60 studios across the country and counts the former First Lady, Michelle Obama as one of its regular clients.

Fast Company: How to Lead a High-Growth Business

As the founder of two successful organizations, Anne knows what it takes to not only start both a non-profit and a for-profit, but she also knows how to run build them…and faster than most. Anne led Back on My Feet (BoMF) to become a $6.5M organization operating in 12 markets in just 6 years with 48 full-time staff members. BoMF has served more than 6,000 people in need helping them create self-sufficiency in their lives through employment and housing. Anne is also the founder and current CEO of [solidcore], one of the fast-growing boutique fitness companies in the country. Her record of growth for [solidcore] is even more impressive: -In just over 5 years, [solidcore] has expanded to more than 60 locations across the country with more than 100,000 clients, including the former First Lady, Michelle Obama.