October 4-5, 2025: Atlanta - Gas South Convention Center  (Hall A)

Ms. Shelton has been counseling Franchise / Business Opp. clients for over 25 years. She especially enjoys working with small business owners assisting them to "Expand their Brand®". Since starting the law firm, she has been focused on providing the “Missing Piece” with legal services to small and emerging businesses. Her business savviness combined with her belief in mentorship is the backbone of the law firms slogan, “Your Outsourced In-house Counsel”. Ms. Shelton focuses on ensuring clients are offered individualized service while handling Franchise Disclosures, registrations, legal creation and vendor distributions within a clients business. Ms. Shelton has published many articles and has even written a book. She has been married for over 25 yrs. and has one son and a sponsored daughter from Haiti. In her spare time she teaches leadership development in third world countries to future colleagues and volunteers at her church.

Joe has over 35 years of experience in the corporate world. He has owned, operated and sold a franchise business. He is currently a franchise owner of the Entrepreneur Source. He has lived in many parts of the country and has traveled extensively overseas. He has been married for over 30 years with a son and daughter. He enjoys coaching encouraging and supporting others in achieving their goals.

As a Franchise Owner and Coach with The Entrepreneur’s Source I help people clarify their income and lifestyle goals and learn about alternatives outside of the world of corporations.
Our tools are Education, Coaching, and Knowledge of opportunities around the country. I prepare you to explore the possibilities and discover options you may have never considered!

Steve, a Texas native and Baylor graduate with a Business degree, brings 12 years of experience in the insurance industry, encompassing investments, sales, and claims. In 2011, he co-founded a business specializing in children's shoes. In 2014, Steve joined The Dwyer Group (now Neighborly), the world's largest parent company of 27 home service brands with 5000+ franchise owners across nine countries, as a consultant. There, he coached business owners in various aspects, including contracts, budgets, and marketing trends. After three years in financing, and assisting entrepreneurs with SBA loans, Steve joined Tenet Financial Group in September as a Senior Consultant, focusing on growing the SBA and vehicle/equipment lease program and enhancing the ROBS program. Outside of work, Steve is passionate about outdoor activities, construction, farming, and gardening. He also dedicates time to church, volunteering, and mission work, including providing medical services in Peru and participating in local prison ministry and aid efforts. Steve, married with two children, finds pride in his family and their achievements.

Widely accepted as one of the top franchise consultants in the United States, Britton helps you figure out how to do what most people only dream about. ​Britton has spent more than 25 years as a franchisee, entrepreneur, franchise executive, and franchise consultant working for and owning franchises such as Kiddie Academy® Childcare Learning Centers, Molly Maid®, Sylvan Learning(SM) Centers, and SYNERGY® HomeCare.
​Britton has captured her franchise expertise as author of a top-selling book on entrepreneurship titled, The Franchisee Workbook. Britton will teach you the tools and techniques to help you find your ideal match far beyond your expectations.

Chris Conner has spent the last twenty years working in the franchise development field working primarily with startup and emerging franchise systems. Mr. Conner's work covers a variety of franchise categories including strategic planning, franchise operations, franchise training system development, franchise marketing and franchise sales. In 2009, Mr. Conner founded Franchise Marketing Systems based out of Atlanta, Georgia which today has grown to a team of 34 team members located in markets across the United States and Canada. Franchise Marketing Systems has developed over 700 franchise brands and supported clients in selling over 8,000 franchise units in North and South America, Asia, the Middle East, Canada and Southeast Asia. Franchise Marketing Systems has worked with a variety of well known brands and significant franchise systems including Baxter Healthcare, Anytime Fitness, Costco, Ford Motor Company, Delta Airlines, UPS Stores, European Wax Center, Junk King and others.

Mr. Conner’s vision was to develop a model that allowed for efficient, effective and performance based franchise development work to be completed for new and emerging franchisors. The combination of providing consulting and franchise development support along with the franchise sales and marketing model for new brands created more opportunities to more brands to scale and grow through franchising. Chris Conner holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Miami of Ohio and an MBA in Finance from DePaul University in Chicago. He is married to an amazing wife, Dr. Alaina Conner and has two great kids, Ashton and Jameson.

Marisol Cruz, experienced in securing funding in the start-up and franchise industries, provides financing to businesses across the US.

With a Master of Business Administration degree, coupled with previous experience in the personal consumer loans and automotive financing fields, Marisol leverages her knowledge to customize the right lending solution and streamline the application process.

Marisol’s mission is to help small business owners find opportunities to fulfill their dreams of ownership.