January 31 - February 1, 2026: Winnipeg - RBC Convention Centre - Main Floor, Room 3-10

Melissa is a partner in the firm’s business group and head of the firm’s franchise practice group.  Melissa practices primarily in the areas of business, corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, business combinations, owner-operated enterprises, commercial leasing and commercial financing with a specialization in franchise law, ancillary regulatory matters and a focus on carrying on or operating a business in Manitoba.

Ahsan has been in his current role with as Regional Manager, Franchise Banking for 2 years at TD Bank, and with franchise industry for over 8 years.  As Regional Manager, Ahsan is one of TD's franchise industry experts and is responsible for growing TD's franchise banking portfolio while ensuring that franchisee customers are provided with legendary customer service.  Ahsan also brings to the table over 15 years of lending experience from Commercial and Small Business at TD. He enjoys collaborating with both franchisors and franchisees to assist them with all of their credit and Banking needs.

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.

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.