The Franchise Expo - Atlanta 2026

Andrew Ritterling is an experienced franchise coach and business owner with a Master of Business Administration. With his zeal for entrepreneurship, he provides a personalized coaching experience in a no-cost, no-pressure environment that allows clients to freely explore future possibilities at their own pace. In his signature process and you-focused approach, Andrew gives top tier guidance and support to clients navigating their career transition. He pairs his expertise with a wealth of unique tools and resources to help clients achieve their income, life, wealth, and equity goals.

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.

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.

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.

Fred Webster is a 50 year son, 26 year husband, and 21 year father of two who has enjoyed over two decades of executive healthcare experience. He has had the pleasure of serving as a leader and mentor for successful sales and development teams at companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and HCA Healthcare. Fred brings a passion for innovation, process improvement and personal development to his career ownership coaching style.

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.

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.

Angelee Brown is the CEO of Altius Franchise Group and CXO of Franchise Grade, where she helps shape smarter, more transparent franchise growth across North America. A founder, executive leader, and speaker with more than 20 years of experience in franchising, hospitality, recruitment, and business development, she is known for combining strategic vision with practical execution. Her work focuses on franchise education, data-driven decision-making, brand growth, and operator success. Throughout her career, Brown has worked with major brands, advised hundreds of businesses, and built a reputation for helping organizations grow with greater clarity and long-term sustainability. She has led initiatives across franchise development, recruitment, consulting, and operational strategy, bringing both corporate leadership and hands-on business ownership experience to her work. Through Altius Franchise Group and its affiliated brands, Brown is focused on strengthening the relationship between franchisors and franchisees through better systems, stronger communication, and more disciplined growth strategies. She is widely recognized for her direct, no-nonsense approach and her ability to turn complex franchise challenges into clear, actionable solutions. As a speaker, Brown brings a rare combination of executive insight, real-world operating experience, and candid industry perspective. She speaks on franchise growth, franchisee-franchisor alignment, women in business, entrepreneurship, leadership resilience, and the future of franchising with a style that is practical, honest, and built for action.

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.

Doug Hoerster is a Vetrepreneur® Franchise Coach who helps aspiring entrepreneurs—especially veterans—find the right path to business ownership through franchising. A graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Doug began his career as a U.S. Navy pilot, flying the P-3 Orion and leading sailors across two deployments. Over his 10 years of service, he logged more than 2,000 flight hours and served as a Fleet Pilot Evaluator, helping set the standard for P-3 squadrons worldwide. After the military, Doug transitioned into business leadership with Giant Eagle, where he combined his operational expertise with a passion for supporting fellow veterans—founding the company’s first Veterans Business Resource Group and playing an active role in the Pittsburgh Veterans Employer Coalition. Doug later moved into real estate, helping veterans and their families achieve homeownership, before ultimately finding his calling in franchise coaching. Today, he guides individuals through the franchising journey—from understanding the fundamentals to navigating due diligence and ownership—helping them avoid common pitfalls and find the right fit.

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.