Founders Row Announces Jess Yuan as Partner & Chief Operating Officer, Strengthening Founder-First Platform with Deep Consumer and Operator Experience

ATLANTA, Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Founders Row today announced that Jess Yuan has joined the firm as Partner and Chief Operating Officer, further strengthening Founders Row's mission to support early-stage founders with hands-on partnership, operational rigor, and long-term brand vision.

Yuan brings over a decade of experience with founder and family-owned businesses, most recently at Freeman Spogli, a long-standing consumer private equity firm. She has invested in and served on the boards of category-defining businesses, including V/O Med Spa, the largest pure-play med spa franchisor in the U.S., alongside other platforms across health and wellness, franchising, and consumer products and services.

Yuan's relationship with Jamie Weeks, Founder of Founders Row, dates back to 2017, when her prior firm, J.W. Childs, partnered with him during the early growth of his Orangetheory Fitness franchise platform. Yuan became a vocal internal advocate for the boutique fitness category, helping underwrite the opportunity by translating consumer behavior, unit economics, and brand loyalty into institutional conviction. As the business scaled, she spent significant time embedded with Weeks' lean operating team in Atlanta, going beyond traditional private equity involvement. Over time, the working relationship evolved into a long-standing partnership and mutual sounding board as Weeks went on to develop SweatHouz and additional concepts.

"I've spent the majority of my career working with founder- and family-led businesses, and I've seen firsthand where traditional private equity falls short," said Jess Yuan. "Capital alone isn't enough at the earliest stages. Founders need partners who have actually built businesses, who understand risk, and who are willing to get in the trenches. Jamie and I independently recognized the same opportunity years ago, and Founders Row is the alternative we're building for early-stage founders."

Jamie Weeks added, "Jess has been in the room with founders at their most critical moments, scaling, making tradeoffs, and building real businesses. What makes her exceptional is that she doesn't just see the numbers - she understands the operator behind them. That alignment is exactly what Founders Row is built on."

In her role, Yuan will work closely alongside Weeks to support a highly selective group of founders on brand positioning, operational strategy, and long-term growth. She will also take an active role with Founders Row's portfolio companies, starting with Baking Social, the firm's first incubation.

About Founders Row
Founded by entrepreneur and operator Jamie Weeks, Founders Row builds and backs founder-led consumer businesses. The firm operates through two complementary models: incubating new brands from the ground up and partnering with exceptional founders to provide platform-level support across strategy, operations, and growth. Founders Row is known for founder-first structures that preserve ownership while enabling disciplined expansion without sacrificing control, culture, or long-term value. Headquartered in Atlanta. For more information, visit foundersrow.co.

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SOURCE Founders Row