Capital Revolution

Episoder

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  Scaling a Wellness Icon: Lessons From Merrithew®'s CEO 26.08.2026 30min

  What does it take to turn a boutique fitness modality into a global platform? Nate Pund, Managing Director in Houlihan Lokey’s Consumer Group, sits down with Jim Heidenreich, CEO of Merrithew®, a leader in mindful movement equipment, education, and content, to discuss the company's three-pillar business model and its recent acquisitions of Align-Pilates and GYROTONIC®. The conversation also touches on global partnerships, culture and hiring, and where the wellness equipment category is headed next.Key Insights:An integrated ecosystem is key. Merrithew® equipment, education, and content segments reinforce one another, as certified instructors become studio owners who buy equipment and subscribe to digital content, creating a recurring loyalty loop.Category tailwinds are global and accelerating. Pilates is moving from a boutique niche into mainstream fitness chains, hospitality, corporate wellness, and rehab, with new customer segments and fast-growing geographies including Europe and the Middle East.Community and partnerships drive scale. A network of roughly 350 education partners, 80 distributors, and 250 instructor trainers lets Merrithew® reach over 100 countries while adapting to local language, culture, and service needs.
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  The New Rules of Co-Investing 29.07.2026 28min

  Matt Swain, Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Equity Capital Solutions at Houlihan Lokey, sits down with Adam Spence, Partner and Head of Co-Investments at Partners Capital, to discuss what it takes to build an effective co-investment program. Adam shares how Partners Capital evaluates opportunities, why speed and transparency are critical in the co-investment market, and what sponsors can do to build stronger relationships before a live deal. The conversation also covers fee and carry expectations, governance rights, follow-on capital, and the growing role of co-investments in private equity.Key Insights:● Transparency builds trust. Adam emphasizes that sponsors should share the full storyearly, including the risks, rather than presenting an overly polished version of a deal.● Speed can be a major differentiator. Partners Capital is structured to move quicklywhile still maintaining a rigorous diligence and approval process.● Relationships matter before the deal. Sponsors who invest time in building trustbefore a live opportunity are better positioned when timelines are tight.
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  Value Creation, Culture, and the Future of Middle-Market PE 08.07.2026 36min

  What separates strong private equity firms from great ones? Justin Abelow, Managing Director at Houlihan Lokey, sits down with Eric Bommer, Co-Managing Partner at Sentinel Capital Partners, to discuss the business of better investing. Eric shares Sentinel’s perspective on investment committee discipline, revenue-driven value creation, strategic M&A, and the role that culture plays in building a durable firm. The conversation also touches on leadership, management-team partnerships, and the outlook for middle-market dealmaking.Key Insights:● Value creation matters more than financial engineering. In today’s market, returns are driven more by revenue growth and operational improvement than by leverage or expansion.● Better decisions come from open, collaborative debate. Sentinel’s process shows that stronger investment outcomes often come from cultures where ideas are challenged early and often.● A differentiated operating model can be a real competitive advantage. A firm’s approach to collaboration, talent development, and management-team support can directly strengthen execution and investment outcomes.
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  Welcome to Capital Revolution 22.06.2026

  In the world of finance, capital never stands still. It evolves, shifts, and redefines the world around us. Welcome to Capital Revolution, a podcast from Houlihan Lokey, where we take you inside the conversations shaping alternative capital. Each episode, you’ll hear from the people driving change: investors, founders, and advisors who are challenging convention and building what’s next.