Earlier this year, Shelly Sun Berkowitz sold a majority stake in BrightStar Care and Care Homes to Peak Rock Capital for $750 million. What began as a personal mission in 2002 grew into a franchise system with more than 400 locations, employing over 20,000 professionals. As she remains a material shareholder and active board member, her focus has now shifted to supporting the next generation of founders, specifically female entrepreneurs.
Through Founder 2 Founder and her family office, Next Phase Capital, which offers patient, values-aligned capital to franchise businesses, she helps founders scale and prepare for exit. Having lived the founder journey from start-up to successful exit, Sun Berkowitz brings a rare combination of operational insight and emotional understanding to one of the most personal and high-stakes decisions a founder can make. She helps business owners clarify their goals, evaluate the right partner, and move forward with confidence across stages of building, scaling, and exiting a business—with both head and heart. Drawing on her own successful exit and two decades of experience leading and franchising a national brand, she offers objective, founder-aligned guidance to help business owners grow with purpose, steward their legacies, and prepare for the next phase of leadership. Through coaching, peer community, events, and strategic investments, Founder 2 Founder connects entrepreneurs with the mentorship, frameworks, and capital needed to scale sustainably. Sun Berkowitz’s mission is to pay it forward—empowering especially women founders to build values-driven, enduring companies and define success on their own terms.
“Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve been deeply committed to mentoring founders both formally and informally. This began during my 20 years building BrightStar Care, where mentoring was woven into my leadership approach. I also mentored emerging franchisors through my work with the International Franchise Association and more broadly through my book, Grow Smart, Risk Less, which provides a roadmap for founders navigating growth and scaling decisions,” she shared. “Since selling my majority stake in BrightStar Care, I’ve formalized this work through Founder 2 Founder. We currently have 69 members in our LinkedIn community, where we’re actively investing time in and supporting other female founders who may not yet be in a position to engage formal advisory services. In terms of formal F2F engagements, I currently work with three founders under contract, with three more finalizing agreements by year-end or early January. One significant engagement is with Kristen Denzer, Founder and CEO of Tierra Encantada, where I serve on her board, provide ongoing mentorship, and invested directly into her cap table alongside Susquehanna Growth Equity. Kristen captured the impact well.” Denzer touched upon the impact Founder 2 Founder has had on her business,
Post $750 Million Exit-Shelly Sun Berkowitz Is Betting On The Next Generation Of Founders
