Matt Alden

Managing Partner, Kiekenapp & Associates

Since 1995, Matt Alden has worked with several hundred franchisors to improve franchise recruitment economics and grow healthy systems. He brings a unique skill set and experience to Kiekenapp & Associates, combining a solid working knowledge of franchising, a strong business leadership/operations background, and an applied knowledge of online marketing and lead generation.

Prior to joining K&A, Matt was President of Franchise Solutions, Inc., where he pioneered franchise opportunity marketing online in the mid-'90s and in 2001 launched FranchiseBuyer, a franchise sales referral network. Over the past 8 years, he took Franchise Solutions through two acquisitions, managing the sell-side process and being retained by each successive parent company to continue growing the company.

Matt is a member of the IFA's Supplier Forum Advisory Board and is a frequent speaker at franchise industry events. He has been published in Franchising World magazine, interviewed on Bloomberg Television about how prospective franchisees utilize the Internet to research franchise opportunities, and featured in several talk radio interviews as a franchise industry expert.

Matt enjoys spending time on the water fishing and cruising with family and friends, plays golf as time permits, and still plays drums with delusions of getting his band back together ...sometime. He lives with his wife and two boys on the New Hampshire seacoast.

Michael Arrowsmith

Senior Vice President of Development, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc.

Michael Arrowsmith is Senior Vice President of Development at Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. Appointed to this new position in January of 2008, Mr. Arrowsmith is responsible for the brand's strategic growth, including oversight of Company and franchise restaurant development; real estate, design and construction services; and franchise sales and finance.

Mr. Arrowsmith has extensive experience in the restaurant development industry, most recently serving as Vice President of Franchise Development at Gloria Jean's Gourmet Coffee. He also served as Vice President at National Franchise Sales - a franchise brokerage company - where he established and operated an East Coast division office focused on developing franchise resale business.

Previously, Mr. Arrowsmith led franchise development efforts for Shoney's, Inc. as Vice President of Franchise Sales. During his tenure with Shoney's, he developed and implemented an innovative corporate refranchising program for the brand. He also spent 16 years with Denny's Restaurants, serving in a variety of key finance and development positions.

Mr. Arrowsmith holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from California State University. He is a Certified Business Intermediary, a Certified Business Counselor, and is an active member of the International Business Brokers Association, the Institute of Management Accountants and the Institute of Certified Business Counselors.

Peter Baldine

Senior Vice President, Moran Industries, Inc.

Peter Baldine joined Moran Industries in July of 1999 as Senior Vice President and held that position from 1999 through 2007. In early 2008 Peter was promoted to Chief Development Officer at Moran Industries, Inc. As Chief Development Officer Peter is responsible for growth of all franchise brands, revenue generation, all resale activities, the National Fleet program and broker relationships, as well as lead generation. Peter has extensive experience in the automotive aftermarket, service industry and franchising in the areas of Franchise Operations as well as company owned Operations management. From 1993 to 1999 Peter served as Regional Vice President of Safelite Autoglass. While at Safelite, Peter was responsible for 120 company owned centers producing over $100 million in annual sales. During that tenure Peter was intimately involved in the mergers of Globe Glass and Mirror and Windshields America which later became Vistar Autoglass. Peter was also very involved in the merger of Vistar and Safelite 18 months later. Much of his involvement centered on Best Practices processes and field integration of the various companies. Peter was responsible for an analysis of the Parent company, Belron's European operations in Holland and England in an effort to benefit the US integration process of the merger. From 1989 to 1993, Peter was Vice President/General Manager of VVP America in Memphis, TN where he oversaw the Binswanger Glass Division, which specialized in auto glass and residential and commercial construction markets. From 1980 to 1989, Peter held a variety of positions with Jiffy Lube International through their rapid growth years. Peter began his career as a company store manager in one of the original stores in Salt Lake City Utah. He later ran multiple locations in Sioux City Iowa and Memphis TN. Peter was eventually promoted to Director of Operations for the Midwest Region and to Vice President of the Midwest & Western Regions. This region consisted of 550 franchised centers and $180 million in retail sales.

Boris Bugarski

President, mUrgent

Boris Bugarski is CEO and President of mUrgent, which provides email marketing and search engine marketing services to more than 550 brands serving thousands of locations nationwide. With more than 12 years of experience in integrating offline and online marketing into local store programs, he advises companies from small businesses to the Fortune 50. He has also been a contributing writer in trade publications such as Franchising World and Restaurant Hospitality and is recognized as a leading educator in marketing strategies. He is an Advisory Board member and frequent guest lecturer on marketing at the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics at California State University, Fullerton, and speaks nationally at restaurant, retail, coffee, and franchise trade shows and conferences.

Linda Burzynski

President, President, VL Service Corp. and Franchise CEO Network

Linda Burzynski is the CEO of VL Service Corp, a franchise consulting service. Linda's passion is in working directly with CEO's and Presidents of emerging and established systems. Prior to launching VL Service Corp, she was CEO of Liberty Fitness from July of 2005 to December of 2007. She purchased the company and branded the concept from Liberty Fitness to Liberty Weight Loss combining a proven and comprehensive diet and exercise plans targeted to women ages 30 to 65. In December of 2007, Liberty Fitness and Weight Loss was purchased by Diversified Health and Fitness of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Prior to Liberty Weight Loss, she was the CEO of CM IT Solutions. In less than five years, she led CM IT Solutions expansion in 30 states, with over 120 franchises providing outsourced IT solutions to businesses. Linda also served as President and COO of Molly Maid, Inc. leading Molly Maid growth from 12 million in client revenues to over 86 million within a period of five years. Prior to this time she served for ten years as Senior Vice President of Operations for Interiors by Decorating Den. In 2007, Enterprising Women magazine inducted Linda into its Hall of Fame. The Women's Franchise Committee selected her to receive its 2007 Crystal Compass. In 2006 she was named chairperson of The Business Women's Network (BWN). Linda was the 1998 recipient of the distinguished Bonnie Levine Award. She is a trustee with the International Franchise Association Educational Foundation and past Chairperson to ICFE Board of Governors. In 2001, she received the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Minorities and Women Division of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and served on the Board of Advisors to the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship of Nova Southeastern University.

Amy Cheng

Founding Partner, Cheng Cohen LLC

Amy Cheng concentrates her practice in franchise, licensing and distribution, domestic and international commercial transactions, and general corporate law.
Amy has spoken at and moderated roundtables for conferences and seminars sponsored by the International Franchise Association and the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising. Amy is a member of the Illinois Attorney General's Franchise Advisory Board, a member of the IFA's Women's Franchise Committee, a Topic and Article Editor for the ABA Franchise Law Journal and is an instructor of the “Franchise Mini MBA" program offered by the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship. For her work in this area, Amy was named a " Legal Eagle" by the Franchise Times.

Amy has extensive experience in reviewing, structuring and drafting agreements for franchise, licensing and distribution relationships and in regulatory compliance. She represents start-up as well as seasoned franchisors, in a myriad of industries, during all phases of their development.

Amy's commercial transactional practice includes counseling clients on mergers and acquisitions, complex commercial relationships, and structuring and drafting contracts for business transactions. Amy's general corporate practice includes corporate formation, strategic business alliances and joint ventures. Amy combines her franchise and corporate experience to provide franchisors with comprehensive legal services to expand their franchise systems.

John Dring

President, Instant Imprints Franchising

John has been in franchising for over 25 years and is a Certified Franchise Executive (C.F.E.). Mr. Dring is the President of Instant Imprints, a retail imaging franchise. He has held executive level positions within franchising and has been instrumental in the start up and development of four franchise systems that have grown from their initial development to reach the top 100 franchise systems in the United States today. They include Mail Boxes Etc., Coverall North America, Postal Annex and Cartridge World. In addition he has been a member of the International Franchise Association (IFA) for the last 25 years and is an active member on the International Committee. He is also an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (I.C.S.C) for the last 20 years.

Kevin Drudge

Vice President Franchise Development, Valpak

Kevin Drudge, CFE, has been in franchising for over 12 years and currently heads franchise development for all of North America at Valpak, a 40 year old direct mail service brand based in Largo, FL with 200 franchises operating across North America. He also currently manages the training efforts for new franchisees and operational support for approximately half of the Valpak network focusing on the smaller market franchisees. Before joining Valpak Kevin spent 3 years in the retail sign business. He started as a Regional Vice President for Sign*A*Rama, a full service retail based franchise with over 900 franchises in over 40 countries, and was responsible for franchise development and operational support for a tri-state region in the mid-Atlantic. After learning the business from the franchisor perspective he left the corporate entity and became the primary operating partner of a Sign*A*Rama franchise in Myrtle Beach, SC. Before Sign*A*Rama for nearly 8 years Kevin managed franchise development for the western US with Meineke, a retail based automotive franchise with over 900 units, and also served as a Field Marketing & Media Manager. He began his career prior to franchising in advertising agencies as both a media planner and buyer and in account service working with clients in a number of different industries.

Steve Dunn

Vice President of Franchise Development, Denny's

Stephen Dunn, Vice President of Development for Denny's, the nation's largest full-service family dining restaurant chain, is responsible for overseeing all aspects of restaurant development for the company. Prior to joining Denny's, he was a principal with Brand Growth, a service provider to the restaurant and retail industries. Clients included Shell, Del Taco, and Gloria Jean's Coffees. In his more than 21 years of franchise and development experience in the restaurant and retail industry, he has held executive-level positions with Church's Chicken/AFC Enterprises, El Pollo Loco, Mr. Gatti's, and TCBY Systems. He is a sought-after public speaker and panelist on the topic of franchise recruiting and business development.

Rocco Fiorentino

President, United Financial Services Group/Eagle Tax Services

Rocco Fiorentino joined the United Financial Services Group board in May 2002 and assumed the chair and CEO positions in February 2005. He also is chair and CEO of Eagle Tax Services Group. United and Eagle are franchisors of financial services and tax preparation services, with nearly 200 offices operating nationwide. Previously, he served as president and CEO of Freedom Rings LLC, an area developer and multiunit franchisee of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Before that he was president of Specialty Bakeries Inc. a subsidiary of New World Restaurant Group, franchisor of Manhattan Bagel, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Chesapeake Bagels, New World Coffee, and Willoughby's Coffee. He serves on the boards of Swiss Farm Stores, the IFA's Franchisor Forum, and has chaired the Multi-Unit Franchising National Development Conference & Expo sponsored by Franchise Update and Area Developer magazines. He is the founder and chair of The Little Rock Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving children and young adults who are visually impaired and blind, and is currently Pennsylvania District Governor of Unico National, a nonprofit organization dedicated to children with developmental disabilities.

Lane Fisher

FisherZucker LLC, Partner

Lane Fisher oversees a 10-attorney franchise practice group with offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Georgia. His firm, FisherZucker, represents franchisors in complex business transactions and litigation. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and serves on the Franchise Law Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Philadelphia Bar Association, and the American Bar Association's Forum Committee on Franchising. In addition to chairing the IFA's Membership Committee, he serves as a member of the IFA's Board of Directors; chairs the Legal Symposium Task Force; and serves on the FranPAC Advisory Board. He is a frequent speaker at franchise conferences and has written extensively on franchising earnings claims and multi-unit franchising. For the past four years, Philadelphia Magazine has identified him as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer. Franchise Times named him one of its Top 100 Franchise Attorneys, earning him its Legal Eagle designation, and as No. 2 in its 2007 "Top 20 to Watch" list.

Sean Fitzgerald

National VP of Franchise Development, Wireless Zone

Sean Fitzgerald is the National Vice President of Franchise development for Wireless Zone, a cellular retail chain that exclusively offers Verizon Wireless products and services. In 2007, Sean joined Wireless Zone to direct the development efforts of the company as it prepared for national expansion and to oversee the franchise development team. He is responsible for franchise marketing and recruiting, website development, PR, real-estate development and the franchise awarding recruiting process. In the past 2 years, the company has grown from 250 stores to nearly 400 stores and anticipates opening 100 franchise locations in 2009 as they expand in the Midwest and South. In 2008, Wireless Zone was the recipient of 2 Star Awards including 2nd Place "Overall Performance" and 3rd place "Telephone" best practices.

Sean has over 15 years of franchise executive experience and worked with companies of various scales from startup franchise concepts to large developed corporations in need of rebranding, giving him a unique insight and perspective in growing, operating, and building franchise brands. Prior to Wireless Zone, Sean was COO of a startup, women's fitness franchise that grew to over 100 franchisees and 250 locations in 3 years. Prior to that, he was co-founder and COO of an automotive accessory retail chain out of Cincinnati, OH which grew to a national franchise and eventual IPO trading on the NASDAQ-OTC.

Stan Friedman

President, ACI Franchising

Stan Friedman is the Co-Founder and President of ACI Franchising, LLC, the franchisor of RetroTax. RetroTax, a recently formed B2B concept, secures unclaimed Federal and State wage-based tax credits for business owners nationwide, on a contingent fee basis.

Friedman also chairs the board of the Atlanta Franchise Alliance, a networking community of Georgia-based franchisors, franchisees and suppliers; serves as first vice chair of the IFA's Diversity Institute; and is the immediate past chair of IFA's Minorities in Franchising Committee. A 21 year veteran of franchising, Friedman previously served in executive leadership roles at MaggieMoos International, Wing Zone Franchise Corp., Blimpie International, WSI Internet and ERA Franchise Systems. Friedman is a frequent speaker at business development conferences nationwide; is the publisher of his own blog; www.retrofacts.blogspot.com; and is a regular contributor to the IFA's Franchising World Magazine.

Rob Goggins

Vice President of Franchise Development, Great Clips

Rob joined Great Clips, Inc. in July of 2007 as Vice President of Franchise Development. In this role Rob leads a team of franchise development professionals responsible for recruiting high-quality franchisees to the Great Clips system. He is responsible for establishing franchisee marketing and recruitment plans in North America, strategic use of CRM systems, training and mentoring, refining resale processes and systems and enhancing franchise broker relationships. Great Clips has more than 1,000 franchisees and nearly 2,800 locations across North America. They award approximately 80 new franchises per year and open approximately 200 salons per year.

Prior to Great Clips Rob was Vice President of Franchise Development at a multi-concept service franchisor with more than 500 franchisees in North America. Rob has been a panelist at the International Institute for Franchise Education’s Emerging Franchisor Conference and a presenter at the International Franchise Association. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a B.A. in Business Administration. He and his wife have two children and live in Victoria, Minnesota. He can be reached at 952-746-6467 or rob.goggins@greatclips.com.

Steve Greenbaum

CEO / Director, PostNet International Franchise Corporation

Steven J. Greenbaum, CFE, has served as chief executive officer and director since he co-founded PostNet International Franchise Corporation in 1992. Steve is an accomplished retail professional and entrepreneur with over 25 years' experience in the postal and business services industry and is directly responsible for the strategic management and direction of the company.

Since the inception of PostNet's franchise program in July of 1993, the company has licensed more than 850 franchises in the United States and abroad including over 230 locations in Southern Africa. In 2008, PostNet also launched its brand in Australia and Panama.

Steve has been a Certified Franchise Executive since 1997 and was honored with the International Franchise Association's (IFA) Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2003 and the Gary Rockwell Award for Excellence in Franchise Development in 2004. In addition to serving on and chairing a variety of IFA committees over his 17 years with the association, Steve served as IFA's Chairman of the Board in 2008.

Steve also serves on the board of the HealthStore Foundation®, a non-profit organization that has developed 65 franchised Child and Family Wellness Shops (www.cfwshops.com) in rural Kenya and will soon be expanding into Rwanda.

Steve Hearon

Vice President of Franchise Development, CertaPro

Steve Hearon began his career in franchising his junior year at Bucknell Univerisity as a College Pro Painters Franchisee. After graduating Steve joined College Pro full time in 1992 as a General Manager and in 1996 moved to New York as Vice President of that division. In 1997 Steve joined AAMCO Transmissions and after two successfull years in Franchise Sales he moved to California and took over that 100 store region as Operations Manager. In 2002 Steve was promoted to Director of Operations for all 700 AAMCO Centers and he relocated "back home" to PA. In July 2005 Steve joined Certa Pro Painters as Vice President of Franchise Development. Since then Certa Pro has grown from 160 locations to 325(and counting). Steve resides in Downingtown, a western suburb of Philadelphia, with his wife Muriel, and their daughters: Chloe and Anabelle, ages 4 and 2.

Geoff Hill

President, Cinnabon

Geoff Hill joined Carvel as vice president of franchise & foodservice in March of 2002, and promoted to senior vice president in August 2003. He was then made Senior Vice President of Sales for FOCUS Brands, Inc. upon its inception in November 2004 after the acquisition of Cinnabon. Geoff oversaw sales and development for Carvel, Cinnabon, and Seattle's Best Coffee International with primary responsibilities for franchise sales, real estate, and the pre-opening development process. Throughout his tenure at Carvel and FOCUS Brands, Geoff took on more responsibilities beyond franchise sales, including real estate, design & construction, franchise administration, and operations. In October 2006, Geoff was named president of Cinnabon, which is the position he holds today. In addition to his role with Cinnabon, he continues to lead the development functions for all FOCUS Brands. Geoff received his CFE designation from the International Franchise Association as a Certified Franchise Executive in 2005 and currently serves on the Board of Governors for the ICFE program as its chairman. Prior to Carvel, Geoff was vice president of sales for Vital Link Business Systems. At Vital Link, Geoff managed the sales team and developed the strategic sales plan resulting in the sale of over 3,000 systems in 15 months. From 1995 to 2000, Geoff was Regional Vice President of US Franchise Systems, managing the franchise sales and development for Microtel Inns and Hawthorn Suites. He began his tenure at USFS as Director of Franchise Sales in the Midwest. Finally, Geoff started his career with the Bristol Hotel Company, one of the largest hotel owners and operators in the U.S. at one time. Becoming the youngest general manager in the history of the company, he also held the positions of director of sales & marketing and corporate sales manager. Geoff attended the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration where he graduated in 1992 with a major in Hospitality marketing and operations.

Theresa Huszka

Director of Franchise Sales Development, TSS Photography

Theresa is the Director of Franchise Sales Development for TSS Photography, the leader in youth sport, school and event photography. Prior to TSS, Theresa was Executive Vice President of Development for Cianci European Eatery, a joint partnership with MFV Expositions and joined MFV Expositions as Director of Development to head up the development and launch of its sales automation software, MyBruno.com

Theresa was also Vice President of Franchise Development for SmallBizPros, Inc., parent company of Padgett Business Services and PayTrak Payroll Services. She joined the SmallBizPros, Inc. team in 2002 to redevelop and re-energize their franchise development programs and began her career in franchising with ProForma, a leader in printing and promotional products, and worked for them for over 6 years.

Theresa is a graduate of the International Franchise Association's Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program and has been a guest speaker for the IFA on the topics of lead generation and technology in franchising and participated in Caliper Human Strategies study on sales excellence in Franchise Development.

Madison Jobe

Vice President of Development, Pizza Inn, Inc.

Madison Jobe is the Vice President of Development for Pizza Inn, Inc. an international restaurant company. Mr. Jobe is responsible for all aspects of franchise development. He has over 30 years experience in the restaurant and franchise industry. Prior to joining Pizza Inn Mr. Jobe’s franchise background includes Stockade Companies, Ruby’s Diner, Fatburger, Red Robin and Fuddruckers. He began his career in the restaurant industry as a franchisee and has extensive experience on both the franchisee and franchisor sides of the business. Jobe has been a panelist for the International Franchise Association, Franchise Update’s Leadership & Development Conference, the Southwest Foodservice Expo and often a reference source for franchise and restaurant trade media.

Darrell Johnson

President, FRANdata

Darrell Johnson, CFE, is President and CEO of FRANdata Corp., an independent research company supplying information and analysis for the franchising sector since 1989. His career spans information services, commercial banking, investment banking, and federal financial regulation. Before acquiring FRANdata in 2001, he was a commercial banking executive, where he started an SBA lending unit, developed small business lending teams for cooperative and franchise borrowers, established an equity investment program for cooperative businesses, built a leasing program, and managed a healthcare lending team. Before that he was a founder of the investment banking subsidiary of a regional commercial bank where he specialized in corporate finance advisory services, including mergers and acquisitions. Earlier in his career he was an economist and later the director of special examinations for a federal financial regulatory agency. He has a master's degree in economics from Montana State University and a master's in business from the Wharton School.

Lyndon Johnson

President, Reciprocity Restaurant Group

Lyndon S. Johnson is President of Reciprocity Restaurant Group, an area developer of 20 Churchs Chicken restaurants in Oklahoma and Texas. He has more than 25 years of general management experience with several national brands including KFC, Churchs Chicken, and Burger King. He has used his extensive brand management background as the foundation for building a solid relationship with his franchisor, advocating for his fellow franchise partners, and establishing the foundation for the operating principles for his emerging company. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Church's Independent Franchise Association as the President, a Board member of the Dallas Zoological Society and the Past Chair of Promise House which is a Non Profit agency that provides a multitude of services for at risk youth and their families.

Marc Kiekenapp

Principal, Kiekenapp & Associates

Marc Kiekenapp is the Princiipal of Kiekenapp & Associates, a national Franchise Development Company assisting franchisors in building effective sales processes, franchise development strategies, and franchise recruitment advertising. Marc is the founder of FranchiseBuyer, LLC, a national referral network that qualifies and profiles potential franchise candidates. Marc was co-founder and a principal of System Builders, LLC, a national franchise consulting company that helps franchisors increase their brand equity through the sale of new units. Prior to founding System Builders, Marc served as Vice President of development for Service Brands, Inc. whose brands include Molly Maid, Mr. Handyman, and 1-800 DryClean. His franchise background includes Decorating Den, and Sir Speedy, where he served as vice president of development. He has been a master licensee, owned and operated both a home furnishings and printing franchise. In the spring of 2000 Marc was recognized as one of the top three franchise sales executives by Franchise Update Magazine. With over twenty-five years of experience in franchising, Marc is requested as a frequent guest speaker on franchise development topics for the International Franchise Association, Franchise Update Magazine, The Restaurant Finance national convention, and franchisor national conventions.

Eric Little

Senior VP of Franchise Development, Right at Home, Inc.

Eric Little is Senior VP of Franchise Development for Right at Home, Inc. He leads the franchise sales team and is responsible for the overall growth of the Right at Home network of franchise owners. Eric has been a Certified Franchise Executive since 2005, and is a former 1st Place winner of the Franchise Update STAR Award mystery shopping competition. He is an active member of the franchise community and has shared his best practices with speaking engagements at the IFA's annual meeting, Franchise Update's development conference, and various other franchise events. He is known for his straightforward, systems oriented approach to franchise development. Previous to Right at Home, Eric has enjoyed the opportunity to work in similar positions both with established franchisors such as AlphaGraphics and Valvoline Instant Oil Change, and startups like BounceU. An Ohio native, Eric has a Finance degree from the University of Kentucky.

Gordon Logan

CEO, Sport Clips Haricuts

In the early '90s, Gordon Logan recognized the opportunity present in the relatively underserved men's hair care market. To take advantage of this, Logan developed the unique Sport Clips concept, which included groundbreaking haircutting systems, operating procedures and marketing programs.

Prior to founding Sport Clips in 1995, Gordon owned and operated salons throughout Texas, and served on the board of directors for Command Performance styling salons and as president of the franchisees' association.

Prior to becoming a salon owner, Gordon served as an Aircraft Commander in the US Air Force (1969-1976), after which he worked as a financial consultant with Price Waterhouse & Co (1976-1980). He is a graduate of MIT (BS, '68), and the Wharton School of Business (MBA with Honors, '76). He is also a CPA in the State of Texas and currently serves as Director and Vice President of the International Chain Salon Association.

Gregory Longe

Co-Founder / Managing Partner, AFS Group of Companies

Mr. Longe is the Managing Partner and Founder of AFS Group of Companies a franchisor headquartered in Warren, MI. AFS serves seven brands with 250 units including Dryer Vent Wizard, Collision On Wheels, Property Maintenance, Property Inspections, Auto Update Experts and Zoup! Fresh Soup Company, Rooster's Men's Grooming Center and HandyPro. Prior to AFS Mr. Longe served as the President and CEO of Molly Maid, Inc. and Mr. Handyman International, LLC both are Service Brands International (SBI), franchise companies. Prior to serving at SBI, Mr. Longe worked for Ziebart International where he rose to the rank of Vice President of World Wide development and an Officer of the company. At Ziebart, Longe is credited with diversifying the product line by co-branding it with both Rhino Linings (the company's current largest product line) and Speedy Auto Glass (Canada's #1 brand of glass). He has over 27 years of experience in franchising. It was at Ziebart where Greg first met and began working with his future business partner John Lynch.
In 2007 Greg and John Lynch purchased a 56,000 square foot home office with state of the art training facility that includes a 70 person auditorium. In 2008 AFS sold their AutoQual and Drive N Style brands to Driven Brands, Inc. AFS is currently preparing to add two new brands to its organization in 2009.

Paul Mangiamele

President/CEO, Salsarita's Fresh Cantina

Paul Mangiamele is President and CEO of Salsarita's Fresh Cantina, a fast-casual Mexican chain. His background includes operations, franchise development, and broker and distributor networks, as well as building and leading teams in start-up, growth, and Fortune 500 environments. Before taking the helm at Salsarita's, he was President and CEO of Dalts Classic American Grill; Chief Development Officer of Value Place Hotels; and Vice President of Business Development for Carlson Companies (franchisor of Radisson Hotels, Country Inns and Suites, and T.G.I. Friday's). He's also been a franchisee of Pizzeria Uno. Most recently, he spent four years with Austin, Tex.-based Sport Clips in senior management capacities, including Chief Operating Officer, where he led several growth initiatives that expanded the store count from 100-plus to more than 500 locations nationwide.

Joyce Mazero

Partner, Haynes and Boone

Joyce Mazero is a senior partner with Haynes and Boone and leads its International Franchise and Distribution and Restaurant and Foodservice Industries Practice Groups. She has substantial business experience as lead project partner assisting clients in developing strategy, structuring, negotiating, implementing, and resolving disputes for product and service-based domestic and international license, franchise, distribution, and shared services systems. This includes organizational and governance matters for purchasing groups, cooperatives, manufacturers, suppliers, joint ventures, and sales representative systems as well as the full gauntlet of relationship, competition, and enforcement issues associated with such systems. Among her various honors and awards, Joyce was named by Chambers USA as one of the nations leading franchise attorneys for 2007 and received the organizations Band 1 Franchising recognition in 2008 and 2009. She was named to 20 to Watch in 2007 by Franchise Times and was the 2006 recipient of the IFA's Bonny LeVine Award for leadership in franchising. She also received the IFA's WFC Crystal Compass in 2003. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for Nina McLemore, Inc. and is a member of the Hospitality Management Board of Governors for the School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management at the University of North Texas. She also serves on the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Advocacy Alliance Board and served on the Promise House Board of Directors (2000-2008), received recognition as Outstanding Board Member in 2006, and was Chair of the Board (2007-2008).

Lynette McKee

Chief Development Officer, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc.

Lynette McKee, CFE, has recently joined Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. as Chief Development Officer, located in Tampa, FL. She has also served in executive positions at Dunkin' Brands, Burger King and Metromedia Restaurant Group, parent company for Bennigan's Grill and Tavern, Steak and Ale, Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouse restaurant chains in Dallas, TX.

McKee is a frequent speaker on franchising, and in 2005 received the IFA's WFC Crystal Compass. Other awards include the 2007 Emerging Leader Award by the Women's Foodservice Forum; and finalist in the 2007 Stevie Awards for outstanding women in business. In 2008, she was named one of The Griffin Report's Women of Influence in the Food Service Industry. In addition to serving on the Women's Foodservice Forum Board, she serves as the WFF Industry Representative to the NRA Board of Directors. She was featured in Franchise Times' list of the "Top 25 Franchise Executives in the U.S.," and was listed in its "Top 20 to Watch" in 2005. She serves on the ICFE Board of Governors.

Bill McPherson

Vice President of International Development, BrightStar Franchising

A CFE, with nearly 20 years in Franchise Sales Management, Bill has successfully led franchise development, real estate, marketing, and franchise legal for 3 different brands. Most recently, Bill was Vice President of Development for FASTSIGNS International from 2001-2009. Under his leadership, FASTSIGNS strengthened its position in the quick sign industry, with nearly 600 franchises and a remarkable success rate at the franchisee level. Additionally, he led FASTSIGNS to First Place in Franchise Updates’ STAR awards (2008). Currently, Bill is Senior Vice President of Global Development for BrightStar, in Gurnee Illinois. In his current role, Bill will manage all domestic and international growth for this dynamic franchise concept. Bill is very happily married to his wife of 16 years, Karen. Together they are the proud parents of Brian and Michael.

Martin O'Dowd

President, Hurricane Grill & Wings

Steve Olson

Publisher, Franchise Update Media Group

Steve Olson became Publisher of Franchise Update Media Group in 2006 after an rich and varied career as a franchise executive. Prior to that, as Senior Vice President of It's a Grind Coffee House, he led the development team in making the company the country's fastest-growing coffee franchise. During his four-year tenure, It’s a Grind awarded more than 300 franchises. Previously, he owned a successful consulting practice that provided sales, marketing, and development strategies to more than 35 established and emerging franchise companies, including Sears, GNC, Friendly's Restaurants, Heavenly Ham, Play It Again Sports, Molly Maid, Martinizing Dry Cleaning, The Great Frame Up, AlphaGraphics, Mr. Handyman, Express Personnel, and Money Mailer. During the mid-1990s, he was Associate Publisher of Entrepreneur Media, heading the franchise sales efforts of the nation's largest publication for small business. During his nearly 30-year franchising career, he has led franchise development teams for several industry leaders and has conducted workshops for thousands of franchise executives on successful lead generation and high-performance selling.

Brian Schnell

Partner, Faegre & Benson

Brian Schnell is the leader of the franchise group at Faegre & Benson, a law firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Brian specializes in franchising, representing both emerging and mature franchisors in a variety of industries, and is a highly regarded speaker and writer on topics in his practice. He is included in An International Who's Who of Franchise Lawyers, is a member of The National Registry of Who's Who, and has been named a Legal Eagle by Franchise Times and a Minnesota Super Lawyer. He is a member of the International Franchise Association's Legal/Legislative, Awards and Membership Committees and a past chair of the IFA's Supplier Forum Advisory Board.

Michael Seid

Managing Partner, Michael H. Seid & Associates LLC

Michael H. Seid is the Founder and Managing Director of Michael H. Seid & Associates (MSA), a domestic and international franchise advisory firm. Together with the late Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's International, he co-authored "Franchising for Dummies," now in its second edition. MSA assists emerging franchisors in the development of their franchise system and works as strategic and tactical advisors to established franchisors. He is on the Executive Board of CFWclinics, an 87-unit franchisor in Kenya and Rwanda established to provide medical care and essential drugs to the poor through the use of business format franchising. CFWclinics is planning its expansion now into other sub-Saharan countries. He was appointed by Goldman Sachs to its Chambers Street Executive Network, a group of 15 executives from different industries, formed to provide advice to Goldman and its portfolio companies.

Nikki Sells

Vice President Franchise Development, Tasti D-Lite

Nikki Sells joined Tasti D-lite, in Nashville, Tennessee, in February 2008 as Vice President of Franchise Development overseeing domestic development for the company as they rolled out their initial franchise program. In the first 8 months of franchising, Tasti D-Lite awarded 2 Area Development agreements and 25 new units. Prior to joining Tasti D-Lite, Sells spent 25 years with the Express Services organization, most recently serving as Vice President of Franchising for Express Personnel Services in Oklahoma City, overseeing the sale of franchises in the U.S., Canada, and South Africa. Before joining the Express headquarters team, Nikki and her husband, Robert, were the franchise owners of the Springfield, MO, Express Personnel Services franchise for 14 years. In addition to her responsibilities as a franchisee, she served as the regional developer for Missouri, Kansas and northern Arkansas from 1994 through 2003. She and her husband were named International Franchise Association (IFA) Franchisees of the Year in 2001, and were Express franchisees of the year in 1995, 1997 and 2001. They received the Gordon Blair Heritage Award, Express's highest award for franchisees, in 2002. Active in the International Franchise Association since 1993, Sells was a founding member of IFA's Franchisee Advisory Council and served as chairperson in 1997. She has served on the IFA Board of Directors and as chair of the Marketing/PR Committee and the Women's Committee. Nikki was the recipient of the IFA's prestigious Bonny LeVine Award in 2005. She holds a BSE from the University of Arkansas and received her Certified Franchise Executive designation in 2005.

Brian Spindel

President / Chief Operating Officer, PostNet International Franchise Corporation

Brian Spindel co-founded PostNet International Franchise Corporation in 1992. As President and Chief Operating Officer of PostNet, Brian is currently directly responsible for the development and operation of domestic PostNet franchised locations including franchise support, communications programs and technology initiatives. Brian holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive (CFE); he is a frequently is a panelist at International Franchise Association conferences and conventions. Brian has served as the Chair of the IFA's Technology Committee, and is currently a member of the Research Committee and serves on the IFA Educational Foundation's Board of Trustees.

Jim Squire

Director of Franchise Development, Honeybaked Ham

Jim Squire, Certified Franchise Executive, is franchise advisor for the HoneyBaked Ham Co. and Cafe, the original (and world's largest) specialty retailer of high quality spiral-sliced glazed hams, turkeys and other special occasion center-of-the-table products complemented by a full-service cafe. The HoneyBaked Ham Company and Cafe is a truly exciting franchise opportunity with over 50 years of experience building a premium brand. Jim also served as the director of franchise development for the company from 2005 to 2009. Prior to HoneyBaked he was President and CEO of Georgia Cheesesteak, Inc. area developer and franchisee for Philly Connection; President and CEO of Franchise Marketing, Inc., a broad based consulting practice to the franchise community; President and CEO of MO-JOE's, Inc., franchisor of authentic Buffalo chicken wings restaurants; Senior Vice President of Franchising for the Great American Cookie Company, franchisor of mall based cookie stores; group Vice President and Managing Director of Arby's International, responsible for all aspects of the fast-food chain's global operations; and group Vice President of the franchising division of Arby's overseeing the franchise sales, real estate and construction activity in North America. Jim is involved in the following national franchise industry boards and committees: member and past chairman of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives; member of the International Franchise Association's Franchisor Forum and the Convention, Franchise Relations and Membership Committees; and former member of the IFA Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees of the IFA Educational Foundation. On the local level, he serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Southeast Franchise Forum, and is a member of the Georgia Executive Franchisor Council. He is also Chairman Emeritus of the Georgia Restaurant Association and member of Georgia State University's School of Hospitality Industry Advisory Board. He is past president of the restaurant division of the Georgia Hospitality and Travel Association, which presented Jim with the prestigious Chairman's Award in 2003 and designated him Food Service Industry Leader of the Year in 1990.

Jeff Sturgis

Vice President of Franchise Sales & Development, Fantastic Sams

Jeff has 12 years of experience in the areas of franchise sales and development. At Fantastic Sams, Jeff oversees all franchise sales, store development and real estate functions. Working with both corporate owned regions and master franchisees, he is responsible for all growth related activities for the 1400 unit chain. Prior to his role with Fantastic Sams, Jeff spent 4 ½ years with FOCUS Brands, the franchisor of Carvel Ice Cream and Cinnabon. He was responsible for the launch of the Carvel brand into the Southern and Western US and was ultimately responsible for the entire US Domestic Franchise Sales activities of both the Carvel and Cinnabon brands. He has franchising experience in 5 segments of the industry; real estate, hotels, travel, food and hair care.

Shelly Sun

President, BrightStar Franchising

Shelly Sun is the president and co-founder of BrightStar Healthcare, a premium healthcare staffing company providing the full continuum of care, from homecare to supplemental staffing for corporate clients such as nursing homes and physicians. At BrightStar's inception, Shelly, along with her husband and co-founder JD Sun, risked everything to pioneer a company offering more to those in need. In 2005, BrightStar launched its franchising efforts, becoming the first and only franchising company in the country to specialize in both medical and non-medical care and health care staffing. In three short years, BrightStar grew from one corporate office to 130 locations nationwide, and is now on track to open 400 locations by the end of 2011. Shelly is a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) and participates on the IFA Membership and FranPAC committees. Shelly was selected as the Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) in 2006, was on the 50 fastest growing Woman Owned Companies Entrepreneur Magazine list in 2007 and 2008 and was honored as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist in 2008 and 2009. BrightStar has been featured in publications such as Entrepreneur Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and Franchise Times.

Ray Titus

President, United Franchise Group

As President of United Franchise Group, Ray Titus has built a $500 million dollar franchising company in 30 years, growing to 1,400 franchise locations in 50 countries. Employing more than 200 people in West Palm Beach Fl and worldwide, United Franchise Group brands include SIGNARAMA, EmbroidMe, Billboard Connection, FranchiseMart, and Plan Ahead Events.

Three UFG franchise brands have been awarded by Entrepreneur Magazine as the leaders in their industries. SIGNARAMA was recently honored by the President of the United States, with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Presidential “E” Award for Export Excellence, the first franchise to ever receive this recognition. Ray was also named Ernst & Young’s Florida Entrepreneur of the Year and the 2007 Counselor International Person of the Year.

Ray is committed to giving back to both the franchising community and world community with knowledge and resources.

Lisa Wehr

CEO, Oneupweb

Lisa Wehr is CEO and founder of Oneupweb, a digital marketing agency. She has been counseling clients on improving website ROI and search engine marketing since 1996. Oneupweb is an innovator in digital marketing, creating integrated online marketing plans that incorporate natural search engine optimization (SEO), paid search marketing (PPC), conversion improvement and analytics, podcast production, social media marketing, online media planning and placement and search marketing consultation for in-house marketing teams. Heralded by an independent research firm for their leadership team, Midwestern work ethic and solid experience in optimizing complicated sites, Oneupweb has been named a Top 20 Search Marketing Agency by Advertising Age for three consecutive years, and CEO Lisa Wehr is recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. To contact her, visit OneUpWeb.com, email info@oneupweb.com or send her a tweet @LisaWehr.

Duncan White

Director of Client Services, Oneupweb

Duncan White is Director of Client Services for Oneupweb, a digital marketing agency that provides search engine optimization, paid search marketing, analytics, and online media placement services. He guides the strategy behind each client's online marketing campaign, ensuring success for some of the nation's most-recognized brands. In his eight years at Oneupweb, he has served as the guiding hand for both the sales and project management teams, creating results-driven plans for the business-to-business and business-to-consumer sectors. As a company spokesperson and respected industry resource, he has been interviewed and quoted extensively in business media, and is often requested as a speaker. Before joining Oneupweb, he spent more than a decade in project management, managerial, and consultation roles in the web technologies department at two of the nation's leading universities.