October 3 & 4, 2026: Greater Philadelphia Expo Center – Hall C

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.

Tom Spadea is the founding partner of a boutique franchise and securities firm helping clients buy franchises, sell franchises and turn independent businesses into franchise systems.  Prior to earning his law degree and founding his firm, Tom was a corporate executive for a few different national franchise brands, a franchise and business broker, and an entrepreneur.  His business and entrepreneurial background give him a unique perspective as a business attorney with a deep understanding of the needs and challenges of business owners.  Go to www.spadealaw.com for more information.

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. ​Britt 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.

​Britt 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.

Franchising has been Robert Mitchell's world for nearly a quarter century. Across that time, he has worked with brands and prospective franchise owners spanning business-to-business (B2B) services, consumer-facing retail, food and beverage, professional services, and concepts operating both nationally and internationally. Few categories of the franchise landscape are unfamiliar territory.

Cliff is the CEO of Franocity and has spent the last 20 years as an Entrepreneur. He is considered a turnaround expert and established this reputation after buying several failing businesses and turning them into highly profitable companies within a very short period of time.

Early in his career, he was an investment banker with one of the largest financial institutions in the world, Smith Barney. He left his Wall Street job in 2003 to acquire a Master Franchise opportunity in the Northeast. Since then, he has been instrumental in the growth and development of Cartridge World, Four Seasons Sunrooms, Contours Express, Personal Training Institute, Games 2U, PuroClean and Maid Right.

Eric Stehle is a seasoned franchise professional and Career Ownership Coach with over 30 years of hands-on business ownership experience. Throughout his career, Eric has successfully owned and operated multiple franchise brands across both service and retail industries, giving him a rare, real-world perspective on what it truly takes to build, scale, and sustain a profitable franchise business. Having personally invested in, launched, and grown franchises in diverse sectors, Eric understands the operational realities franchise owners face.

Today, Eric leverages this deep franchise background as a Career Ownership Coach with The Entrepreneur’s Source. He works with professionals who are exploring business ownership as a path to greater control, income potential, and long-term equity. Eric’s approach is educational, objective, and client focused. There is no cost, no pressure, and no sales pitch. Instead, he helps individuals evaluate whether franchise ownership aligns with their goals around income, lifestyle, wealth, and legacy.

Because Eric has “been in the seat” himself many times over, clients value his ability to speak candidly about the opportunities and challenges of franchise ownership and to help them make informed decisions with confidence.

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.

Robert H. Cohen is a professional consultant with The Perfect Franchise, dedicating his expertise to helping professionals transition into business ownership. Robert’s insights are backed by over two decades of corporate executive leadership at global organizations like Siemens Medical Solutions and GE Healthcare, followed by a highly successful 12-year tenure as a PrideStaff franchise owner. A former U.S. Army Captain and Aviator, he combines operational discipline with real-world entrepreneurial experience, making him uniquely equipped to guide candidates through the psychological and practical steps of the franchise discovery process.

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.