JOHN MAYES, HARDEE’S FOOD SYSTEMS
John has over 12 years of experience in franchising and marketing within the fast food industry. He began his career with Hardees in 2002 as a Franchise Account Analyst. In 2006 he was recruited to their marketing department as a Sr. Product Marketing Manager. During his tenure in Product Marketing he oversaw the rollout of several noteworthy products including the Memphis BBQ Thickburger, Super Bacon Thickburger and the Fresh Baked Bun program. John was named Director of Domestic Franchise Development in February of 2014 and is now responsible for the recruitment and domestic growth for the Hardee’s franchise system in the northeast. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
MICHAEL LUBITZ, HURRICANE GRILL AND WINGS
Mr. Lubitz is a seasoned financial expert in the restaurant industry. Before joining Hurricane Grill and Wings as its Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Lubitz was Chief Financial Officer of the ADF Companies, one of the largest franchisee restaurant owner/operators in the United States with over 300 locations. Prior to joining ADF Companies, Mr. Lubitz was Vice President – Finance of New World Restaurant Group (BAGL), a publicly traded Company which franchised, owned and operated the Einstein Bros and Manhattan Bagel Brands. During his time at New World, Mr. Lubitz was responsible for integration of several acquisitions as well as oversight of the accounting function. Before New World, Mr. Lubitz was Corporate Controller for The Princeton Review (REVU), a company which provides standardized test preparation courses and related services. Mr. Lubitz is a frequent speaker and panelist on restaurant industry topics.
During the earlier years of his career, Mr. Lubitz was a partner of a CPA firm in public practice in the Washington DC metropolitan area. He received his bachelor of science degree in Accounting from Rider University and is a certified public accountant.
DAN HENRETTY, INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL GROUP
Dan Henretty is the Director of Development in the Mid-Atlantic States for IHG’s Midscale Brands. He has held this position for the past eight years. Prior to his current role, Dan was Regional Director of Hotel Performance Support in the Northeast region, responsible for ensuring that hotels were operating at peak performance through revenue and service management with a focus on high guest satisfaction.
Prior to joining IHG, Dan worked in operations for General Hotels and Servico and Mariner (which eventually became Lodgian and Ashford Hospitality Trust).
Dan received his Bachelor Degree in Liberal Arts from Pennsylvania State University.
DAN DIZIO, PHILLY PRETZEL
Dan DiZio is the co-founder of Philly Pretzel Factory and responsible for growing the company into the nation’s largest Philly-style pretzel bakery franchise. It is due to his vision and perseverance that Philly Pretzel Factory is where it is today, leading to national visibility with appearances on Undercover Boss and Bloomberg Television’s Taking Stock with Pimm Fox.
When he was 11, DiZio would ride his bike to the corner of Southampton and the Boulevard in Philadelphia to sell pretzels provided by his neighbor’s wholesale soft pretzel bakery. The young entrepreneur would sell 1,000 pretzels a day at five for $1, leaving his home at 6 a.m. and not returning until 6 p.m. After splitting the profits with the supplier, DiZio would pocket $100. This experience not only provided the inspiration for Philly Pretzel Factory but also helped build the drive and dedication in DiZio that would lead him to success in the future.
Those days are long behind him, as DiZio teamed up with college buddy Len Lehman in 1998 to create the first blueprint of the Philly Pretzel Factory. Today, the brand has grown from one location in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia to a 135-plus-unit franchise. With more than 29 stores currently in development, the brand is expanding their growth vision to include specialized build-out options and co-branded units. Now found in airports, zoos, amusement parks and Walmarts, Philly Pretzel Factory offers a kiosk-option to allow franchisees to take advantage of smaller spaces in non-traditional areas in addition to their traditional stand-alone store build out. More and more franchisees are additionally seeing the advantage of working with a complimentary frozen treat offering through a co-branding option with another successful Philadelphia franchise: Rita’s Italian Ice. With a variety of options for the franchisee to embrace the brand in addition to a quality and beloved product, Philly Pretzel Factory’s successful track record has kept them as a leader in the soft pretzel industry.
MARY JO LARSON, FRANCHISE TIMES
Mary Jo is vice president of Franchise Times Corp. and publisher of two of the company’s publications: Restaurant Finance Monitor and Franchise Times magazine. As publisher of these titles, she has overall responsibility for the advertising sales and editorial content of the publications.
Mary Jo has been with Franchise Times Corp. since 1990. In addition to her publishing duties, she also heads up the sales and planning efforts for the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference and the Franchise Finance & Growth Conference. She is quoted on the franchise community in general interest, news and business publications, and is a speaker at industry events.
Mary Jo has been active in various organizations related to franchising and restaurants, including working on the Executive Programs committee of the Women’s Foodservice Forum and as a member of the franchise advisory committee of Women Venture, a non-profit organization that helps women realize entrepreneurial goals. Mary Jo is also past president of the board of directors for the Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association. She holds a B.A. in journalism and mass communications from the University of Minnesota.
Since 1988, the Restaurant Finance Monitor has been circulated to senior executives in the restaurant finance, franchising and real estate industries, with an emphasis on topics such as public offerings, finance sources, analyst stock recommendations and taxes.
In 1998, the Restaurant Finance Monitor purchased Franchise Times magazine. The new Franchise Times premiered in January 1999, and targets the multi-unit franchise executive or owner. Franchise Times has grown to be the definitive source business executives and owners will look to for franchise news and business information. The publication takes a look at both the serious, and fun, side of the franchise sector. The magazine also released the Franchise Times Guide to Selecting, Buying and Owning a Franchise, which was published and distributed by the publishing arm of Barnes & Noble Booksellers.
KATE BARTOSIK, FRANdata
Kate Bartosik is the Senior Client Solutions Specialist, and the Team Lead for Bank Credit Reports at FRANdata. FRANdata is the primary source of objective research about franchising, providing information, analysis, benchmarking, due diligence and credit risk rating services to franchisors and companies serving the franchise industry.
Kate works with franchisors and lenders on capital access issues. In her years at FRANdata she has worked to facilitate thousands of franchise loans through the Franchise Registry, where franchise brands’ Bank Credit Reports and SBA Approvals are hosted for lenders. An expert on SBA and conventional lending, Kate helps franchisors improve their financing program by having a Bank Credit Report produced and available on the Franchise Registry. More than 5,000 franchise lenders access the Franchise Registry website to find the information they need to underwrite franchise loans.
Kate is a member of the Capital Area Franchise Association, and has participated in over 40 franchise trade shows and conferences. Kate lives in Washington, DC where she earned a master’s degree in International Communication from American University’s School of International Service. She also holds Bachelor of Arts degrees from Michigan State University in International Relations from James Madison College, and in Communication, with a specialization in Public Relations from the College of Communication Arts & Sciences.
BOB COLEMAN, THE COLEMAN REPORT
Bob Coleman is the Author of “Money Money Everywhere and Not a Drop for Main Street“. Coleman is the Editor of the Coleman Report, a trade newsletter for small business bankers. He is the nationally recognized expert on small business financing. He has appeared on Fox Business News and CNN and has been quoted by all major financial media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Bloomberg. He has spoken at numerous small business banking events across the United States, including international engagements in the U.K. and Germany. Coleman has a B.A. in Medieval History from the University of California Santa Barbara and a M.B.A. in Real Estate Finance from the University of Southern California.
MORGAN JOHNS, CONESTOGA BANK
Morgan has been Senior Vice President at Conestoga Bank since November 2009. Conestoga Bank is a privately owned community bank with 14 branches located in the Philadelphia area.
Morgan is responsible for developing the SBA Lending production primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region of Pennsylvania and its contiguous states but is also providing franchise financing outside of the Bank’s footprint. He brings over 20 years of commercial lending experience along with over 15 years of SBA lending experience utilizing the SBA’s 7a and 504 programs. Prior to joining Conestoga Bank he served as a consultant to the largest CDC in Pennsylvania. Morgan also previously managed SBA Lending for Sovereign Bank’s Mid-Atlantic region where he took SBA lending production from less than 10 loans annually to one of SBA’s top 25 lenders nationwide.
BRIAN BURKE, COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT FUND, USA
Brian Burke is the National SBA Lending Director for Community Reinvestment Fund, USA, (CRF) a nationwide non-profit small business lender. At CRF, Burke combines his 25 years of small business lending experience with a passion for helping underserved small businesses access the capital they need to grow and create jobs.
Before joining CRF, Burke co-founded and operated his own SBA lending consultancy, sba Access. Prior to that, Brian led CIT Small Business Lending’s SBA 7(a) loan production office in Highlands Ranch, Colo. to record production nationally. Before that, Brian spearheaded the consolidation and specialization of SBA lending for Bank One, NA and Affiliates (now JPMorgan Chase).
Brian graduated from Regis University, Denver, CO and resides in the Denver area with his wife Jean.
DAVID NAYOR, BOEFLY
David Nayor manages all production of BoeFly’s marketplace, tools, and network from conception to implementation. In addition, David oversees the company operations including personnel and accounting.
Prior to joining BoeFly, David opened a New York production office for the Denver based United Western Bank (UWB) where he originated and closed commercial loan transactions. Before joining UWB, David was Vice President and National Accounts Manager for Business Loan Express, LLC in New York, a non-bank small business and real estate lender. He joined BLX in 2001 as a credit analyst and also served as Franchise Finance Manager. During his tenure at BLX he funded over $100 million in small business and commercial real estate loans.
David also was an associate trader at CIBC World Markets where he traded institutional equity derivatives. Prior to that, he held positions as a sales assistant in equity derivatives trading at Bankers Trust Alex Brown (BT Alex Brown) and in trading operations in the FX Derivatives division of Bankers Trust Company.
David holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Lehigh University.
MIKE ROZMAN, BOEFLY
Mike oversees business development, marketing, and external affairs. He drives best practice information in the credit industry overseeing BoeFly’s educational programs and outreach, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and events focused on small business lending, franchise finance and secondary markets.
Previously, Mike was the President and Co-Founder of Edgeware Analytics, Inc. the parent company to GovGex and Small Business Loan Exchange, the two online marketplaces that served as the founding platforms of BoeFly. Prior to co-founding Edgeware Analytics in 2003, Mike was a Vice President at JPMorgan Chase in their Global Bank.
Mike earned a dual-MBA from Columbia Business School and the London Business School as well as a bachelor’s degree from Boston College
STEPHEN JACKSON, DRIVEN BRANDS
Steve Jackson joined Driven Brands as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in October 2013. Prior to joining Driven Brands, Steve held a number of executive leadership positions including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy and Acquisition Officer at Remington Arms Company and Audit Partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Steve’s 23 years of financial leadership brings terrific acquisition and integration success along with great knowledge of the private equity landscape, having most recently worked with Cerberus Capital Management.
RYAN PALMER, MONROE MOXNESS BERG
Ryan Palmer is a shareholder at Monroe Moxness Berg, where he represents concept and brand owners in the development of franchise and other distribution systems for their products and services. His experience includes structuring and documenting domestic and international franchise programs and transactions in a variety of industries and advising clients on the creation and implementation of license and franchise programs for non-traditional venues. He is also active in the firm’s mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance practice groups and frequently advises clients in sale, purchase, license and finance transactions in the multi-unit retail and franchised industries.
Ryan is consistently identified as a Legal Eagle (one of franchising’s top 125 attorneys) by Franchise Times magazine. He graduated cum laude from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where he was the founding editor-in-chief of the school’s law review.
TOM SPADEA, SPADEA, LANARD & LIGNANA ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Tom Spadea is the founding partner of a boutique franchise and business law firm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has been lead counsel for more than a dozen new franchise launches and has assisted franchisors and franchisees in private equity transactions, litigation, trademarks, partnerships, real estate and the myriad of other legal issues faced by franchisors and franchisees.
Mr. Spadea is also a founding member of the Philadelphia Franchise Association and it’s current President and Chairman. The Philadelphia Franchise Association holds quarterly networking and educational meetings bringing together all the stakeholders of franchising including franchisors, franchisees and suppliers.
Prior to law school at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mr. Spadea spent more then fifteen years in corporate and entrepreneurial positions. His undergraduate degree is in Finance from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he graduated Cum Laude. Mr. Spadea is a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE), a designation he earned in 2008 from the International Franchise Association. As an active member of the International Franchise Association he has been an invited speaker and panelist on multiple business and legal issues in franchising.
Mr. Spadea and his firm represent franchisees and franchisors from negotiating the contracts pertinent to the various transactions such as leases, Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) and asset purchase agreements to representing clients looking to resolve disputes when relationships don’t turn out as expected. Mr. Spadea brings a history of not just being a lawyer, but being an entrepreneur and corporate executive. This perspective allows him to not only vigorously defend his client’s legal rights, but also to never lose sight of their business goals.
Mr. Spadea’s corporate experience includes senior executive positions for multiple franchise concepts including Saladworks, a 100 store quick casual restaurant chain; The Huntington Learning Centers, a franchised chain of over 400 supplemental education centers; and Rita’s Water Ice, a 500 unit retail chain of franchised frozen dessert restaurants.
He got his start in the franchising industry as a Franchise and Business Broker for Sunbelt of Philadelphia, acting as an advisor to clients looking to transition into the ownership of a franchise or the purchase of an existing small business. As a business intermediary, Mr. Spadea handled dozens of transactions a year from listing businesses for sale, recruiting buyers, to negotiating transactions that satisfied all the stakeholders. Prior to Sunbelt, Mr. Spadea was the co-owner and President of LPB Communications, where he co-founded a factory in Latin America, successfully created an international sales network in Asia and invented a product for which he was granted a US Patent.
KRISTY HALL, BANK OF AMERICA
Kristy Hall is the Programs Manager within the Small Business segment at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Kristy leads the development of the Programs strategy, primarily targeting franchise brands in need of financial solutions for their franchisees. She has worked at Bank of America for 19 years and has been part of Small Business Lending for the last 10 years.
DAVID NILSSEN, GUIDANT FINANCIAL
David Nilssen, CEO
David co-founded Guidant Financial and has been a featured speaker at over 350 national and international events, covering topics from entrepreneurship to small business financing. In addition, he and his company have been highlighted in such media sources such as CNBC, Fortune Magazine, Entrepreneur, CNN and The Wall Street Journal. In 2007, the Small Business Administration (SBA) named Nilssen the National Young Entrepreneur of the Year and his company reached the INC 5000 list four of the past six years. In both 2008 & 2009, Ernst and Young named him a finalist for their coveted Entrepreneur of the Year award. In 2011, David released a book called Making the Jump into Small Business Ownership and was named one of the Top 100 Small Business Influencers. Nilssen is currently an investor/advisor in seven local start-ups and together, with his wife as the operator, owns a massage franchise.
RACHEL VARN, ENDURANCE HOUSE
VP of Franchise Development
Dan Brashier, Liberty Tax
Dan Brashier, Director of Treasury, Liberty Tax
Mike Pearce, ServiceMaster
Mike Pearce, Chief Development Officer, ServiceMaster
Dale Goss, Jamba Juice
Dale Goss, Chief Development Officer, Jamba Juice
Ed Samane, PRO Martial Arts
Ed Samane, CEO and Grand Master, PRO Martial Arts
Grandmaster Ed Samane, successful entrepreneur and President and CEO of PRO Martial Arts Franchise Corp, a successful character education model that uses martial arts to build self confidence in children and young adults couples his extensive experience in franchising with a strong background in sales, marketing, customer service management, operations, and business development.
In addition to his role with PRO Martial Arts, Samane is recognized as an expert with a proven track record in planning, launching, and growing successful businesses and franchises, both nationally and internationally.
Coupled with exceptional relationship management skills, a solid background in core business functions including leadership, training and development, marketing / sales, customer service management and business operations and project management, Samane is a dynamic leader and mentor who builds team cohesion and inspires individuals to strive toward higher levels of achievement.
Grandmaster Samane is a self-confident, powerful strategist who is able to map creative business visions, transform and empower organizations with tools, technologies and training to achieve a company’s overall objectives.
John Flemming, SBA
John Flemming, SBA