Austin-based medical aesthetics practice becomes Aviva's 11th new partnership of 2026 after founder Sydney Sullivan changed course from the traditional private equity route
CHICAGO, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Aviva Aesthetics, the entrepreneur-owned national platform for medical aesthetics, today announced its partnership with Muse Med Spa, a leading Austin-based medical aesthetics practice founded by Sydney Sullivan. The partnership marks Aviva's 11th new partnership of 2026 and expands the platform's growing Texas presence with its second location in the state.
Located in Austin, Muse Med Spa has built a highly regarded practice around a philosophy that blends the art and science of aesthetics with personalized, relationship-driven care. The practice offers a comprehensive range of services spanning injectables, advanced laser and device treatments, facial services, body treatments and wellness, with an emphasis on natural-looking results, patient education and long-term skin health.
At the center of Muse is Sydney Sullivan, a veteran aesthetic nurse injector with more than two decades of experience in the field. Trained in medical aesthetics both in the United States and internationally, Sullivan has worked alongside leading plastic surgery and dermatology practices throughout her career. Her approach is rooted in clinical precision, continued education and individualized treatment plans built around trust and integrity.
Prior to joining Aviva, Sullivan had explored the traditional private equity route and came close to selling Muse before ultimately deciding she wanted a different path — one that would allow her to retain ownership of the business she built while continuing to participate in its future growth and value.
"Sydney's story represents exactly why we built Aviva," said Tyler Weinberg, CEO of Aviva Aesthetics. "For too long, successful founders have been led to believe that selling a majority stake to private equity is the only way to access the resources, scale and future enterprise value of a larger platform. Sydney had the opportunity to take that path and made a different decision. With Aviva, the upside stays with the entrepreneur, and we're excited to help her continue building on everything she has already created at Muse."
Unlike traditional private equity models that require founders to sell control of their businesses, Aviva allows practice owners to retain 100% ownership while gaining access to the resources, economies of scale and shared infrastructure of a national organization. Aviva is also governed by a med spa owner-majority Board of Directors, giving entrepreneurs a direct voice in the strategic direction and future of the platform.
For Sullivan, preserving that ownership and future upside was central to her decision to change course.
"I came very close to taking the traditional private equity route, but ultimately I wasn't ready to give up ownership or the future potential of what I had spent years building," said Sydney Sullivan, founder of Muse Med Spa. "Aviva gave me another option. I can remain an entrepreneur, keep what I've built and gain the support and scale of a larger organization while continuing to participate in the upside ahead. That alignment made all the difference for me."
Muse's addition represents another important step in Aviva's continued expansion across Texas and nationally. The Austin partnership follows Aviva's entrance into Texas earlier this year and brings the platform into one of the country's most dynamic aesthetics markets.
The Muse partnership continues a period of significant growth for Aviva Aesthetics, which has more than tripled in size over the past 12 months. With 11 new partnerships in 2026 alone, the company continues to expand its national network of independently owned aesthetic practices while offering founders an alternative to the traditional private equity consolidation model.
About Muse Med Spa
Muse Med Spa is an Austin, Texas-based medical aesthetics practice founded by aesthetic nurse injector Sydney Sullivan. Muse combines advanced aesthetic science with artistry and a personalized approach to care, offering treatments across injectables, facial services, lasers and devices, body treatments and wellness. The practice is committed to education, innovation and results that enhance each patient's natural features while supporting long-term confidence and skin health.
About Aviva Aesthetics
Aviva Aesthetics is a next-generation medical aesthetics platform built to empower owners through a partnership model that preserves ownership, control, and long-term financial upside. Unlike traditional private equity roll-ups, Aviva's Entrepreneur Equity™ structure enables founders to retain full equity in their businesses while unlocking economies of scale, purchasing power, and back-office support. Partner practices can optimize operations, accelerate growth, improve EBITDA, and build businesses that can command up to 2–3x the valuation of a traditional private equity exit. For more information, visit www.avivaaesthetics.com.
Media Contact
Audrey Neff, Aviva Aesthetics, 1 312-624-6931, [email protected], Aviva Aesthetics
SOURCE Aviva Aesthetics
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