Foundation Wellness

Tom and Michele Lankford are the controlling principals and operators. The firm has not disclosed a separate investment committee or external CIO structure. Decisions appear to route through the Lankfords' operational leadership roles, with Tom as CEO and Michele as COO, per Crain's Cleveland Business reporting in 2023.

It is both. Foundation Wellness is an operating manufacturer generating revenue through branded and private-label orthotic sales, but the Lankford family owns the entity outright and runs it through an owner-operator model. There is no evidence of a separate family office entity allocating to third-party funds or external investments.

There is no public record of Foundation Wellness accepting outside limited partner capital or participating in co-investment structures alongside external GPs. The firm's asset base appears to be the wholly owned operating business and its associated brand portfolio.

The Lankford family's wealth originates from the cash flows of Foundation Wellness, a manufacturer and marketer of orthotic inserts and wellness products. Tom Lankford started the business as an extension of his chiropractic practice before scaling into mass production and national retail distribution.

The firm specializes in over-the-counter orthotic inserts, footbeds, and wellness products. Its flagship brand, PowerStep, is sold through podiatrists and specialty run stores, while the company also produces private-label inserts for national pharmacy and sporting goods chains. Production takes place at the firm's manufacturing plant in Wadsworth, Ohio.

No philanthropic foundation or donor-advised fund associated with the Lankford family or Foundation Wellness appears in public records. The firm's charitable posture, if any, is not disclosed.

Foundation Wellness does not operate as a traditional deal-flow-driven investor. Its growth strategy relies on internal brand development and selective acquisition of complementary consumer wellness brands, as demonstrated by the purchase of Aetrex. Sourcing appears to be founder-led and industry-relationship-based rather than intermediated by bankers or private equity processes.