BELOIT, Wis – Billionaire businesswoman Diane Hendricks, long recognized as America’s richest self-made woman, is returning to her roots — and betting big on a city once left behind.
Premiering on A&E, the new docuseries Betting on Beloit follows Hendricks and her daughter, Konya Hendricks Schuh, as they lead a bold residential revitalization effort in Beloit, Wisconsin — a city that was once ranked the “worst place to live” in the state.
The 12-episode series documents the Hendricks family’s ongoing mission to restore Beloit, the city where Diane and her late husband, Ken Hendricks, built their company, ABC Supply, and laid the foundation for a multibillion-dollar legacy.
“Beloit was really the city that gave my parents their start,” said Konya Hendricks Schuh. “When Beloit fell on hard times, when the biggest employer pulled out, you know, crime went up, there was unemployment was high, a lot of negative things were happening in Beloit, and my mom specifically just said, you know, we’re gonna fix this like we’re gonna make Beloit great again. It really has so much potential, and we’re not going to jump ship, we’re going to double down.”
The show chronicles Konya, a seasoned real estate broker and construction leader, as she teams up with a tight-knit crew — including her husband Matt, project manager Pete, nephew Connor, and designer duo Kristin and Mitch — to purchase, renovate, and reimagine some of the city’s most neglected historic homes.
“Most of the houses that we buy are not habitable, and they’re just kind of rotting away,” Schuh said. “They’re rodent-infested, the majority of them, and they’ve just kind of been left alone...You know, this is not a financially rewarding venture for us. It’s actually a bit philanthropic, as we lose money on these projects, but we just feel that we’re trying to make an impact and bring back a really fabulous old historic neighborhood.”
While Betting on Beloit captures the highs and lows of home renovation, it also shines a light on the Hendricks family’s broader vision: to help Beloit shed its negative reputation and emerge as one of the most desirable small cities in the Midwest.
Diane Hendricks, who has topped Forbes’ “Richest Self-Made Women” list for eight consecutive years, has already invested millions into Beloit’s economic growth — building hotels, restaurants, a stadium, and revamping the city’s riverfront and industrial core. Now, she’s entrusted Konya with the next chapter: restoring the soul of Beloit, one home at a time.
One of the most challenging projects, featured in the season finale, involved a historic home with no foundation beneath its rear half. After city inspectors deemed it unsalvageable, Schuh’s team rebuilt the structure from the ground up — replicating its original 19th-century look, down to the corbels and paint color.
“I really feel like we fulfilled what we set out to do there,” Schuh said. “And I think it’s a great way that we end, you know, the first series.”
Episodes are available on A&E.