April 11-12, 2026: Chicago - Donald E. Stephens Convention Center - Hall F

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.

Dave Woggon has been in the franchise industry since 1986 in both funding and franchise exploration roles. As the VP of Development for Tenet Financial Group, he oversees the consulting team and identifies strategic growth opportunities for the company.

Irving Chung is senior franchise consultant driven to help people take control of their lives and create freedom for themselves through business ownership. My goal is to help others discover More Passion, More Money, More Freedom and Control by becoming their own Boss. As a Professional Franchise Consultant, I help the people I work with understanding franchising, and determine if it might be a good fit for them. If it is, then I take them through a proven, and methodical process to develop a custom model, tailored to them based on their background, skill sets, financial and lifestyle goals, that we then use to match them up with the best franchise business that's a perfect fit for them!

I was born and raised in Chicago and I currently reside in the NW suburbs.  I graduated with a BS in Marketing from Northern Illinois University in 1989 and spent over 30 years in sales and marketing.  I have been married for 25+ years and have 2 wonderful kids.  I love to spend time with my family and I also enjoy playing golf, softball and most sports.  I have a special affinity for horse racing and was even a part owner of a few thoroughbreds until recently.  I am currently a Career Ownership Coach with The Entrepreneur's Source where I help people explore business ownership and specifically franchise opportunities.   I love to show people there are alternatives to life in corporate America and I give people a chance to transform their lives for the better.

Kim Boike is a business coach/educator. She loves to give people a safe space to learn and discover how to achieve their goals and expectations in ways they have never thought of before. She realizes that everyone is on a different path, and she can meet each client where they are at.

Prior to being a business coach/educator Kim worked as an elementary educator in Michigan and Arizona. She taught for over 27 years. Through her years of experience, she realized that it is her passion to give people the opportunity to learn no matter what stage of life they are in.

Kim lives in Gilbert, AZ but is originally from Detroit, Michigan. She has 3 adult sons who are active and pursuing their careers. Kim and her husband love to travel and experience new things and spend time with family and friends.

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.

With nearly 20 years of experience in SBA lending, Gabe brings a wealth of financial expertise and a strong passion for economic development. He is committed to helping small businesses discover growth opportunities and succeed, making a positive impact in the communities he serves.

Kristin has spent nearly a decade in SBA financing, focusing on helping small businesses secure the funding they need to thrive. She is committed to building strong, enduring client relationships and providing personalized support throughout the lending process.