October 17 & 18, 2026: Abbotsford - Tradex - Hall A

Shawn Saraga is the founder of the Franchise Academy, a mini-private equity firm that has holdings in various franchise brands. He also serves as Chief Development Officer of Tahini’s Restaurants and has held this position since October, 2023. Shawn has been in the franchise industry since 2005. He has opened over 950 franchised businesses, and finalized over 700 leases in his career. He has worked with brands like Burger King, barBURRITO Restaurants, Freshii, Foodtastic as well as many other non-food related brands. Shawn is also a registered real estate broker and conducts real estate transactions on behalf of the brands he works with and there franchisees. Some of his other business interests include a partnership in MEET College for Psychotherapists, Board seats on several AI start-ups. Shawn has also been a Board member of Leadership Sinai since 2005.

Darryl Sangster is a Canadian entrepreneur, former franchisor and founder of Sangster’s Franchise Group, with
more than 25 years of experience in franchising, business development and entrepreneurship. As the former owner and franchisor of Sangster’s Health Centres, Darryl helped grow the Canadian franchise system to more than 45 locations and received the prestigious 'Franchise Award of Excellence' in 2009. Today, through Sangster’s Franchise Group, he works with business owners and emerging franchise systems to develop scalable businesses, implement stronger operating systems and grow through franchising. Darryl brings a practical, real-world perspective to business ownership and is passionate about helping aspiring entrepreneurs understand what it takes to successfully make the transition into business ownership.

Ravi Sidhu has over 20 year’s experience in Marketing and Digital. Ravi has worked in various industries such as telecommunications, real estate, sports, food and automotive. Currently Ravi is the Director of Marketing with FSH Design. Along with his professional career Ravi sits as a past Director with the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce and also a past President of the Fraser Valley Indo-Canadian Business Association.

Ravi is always looking for new and creative Marketing initiatives to be part of and to bring those to the clients he represents. Ravi has lived in the Vancouver area for 35 years and is very involved in the business community.

Chris Skelton has been assisting clients with franchise growth, sales, and operations for the past couple of decades. With a wealth of experience in assisting investors and franchisors, Chris has come to quickly identify what business opportunity aligns best with the right candidate.

George Jecminek is a General Practice Partner at MNP LLP in Maple Ridge, BC. George works with many franchisees at various stages of their business career, from first buying in to successfully exiting via sale or transition to the next generation. Being a general practitioner, George has a wide breadth of knowledge in business and develops long lasting relationships with his clients. George allows his clients to focus on running their business by helping them navigate the inevitable tax and accounting complexities that arise when owning a business in Canada.