Hispanic Franchisees and the America Dream Our seasoned expert tells us why the 2015 Franchise Summit was a success and why we should look forward to attend the next one Story by: Pablo Schneider
Laura Contreras, CEO of Siempre Tax, explains to the crowd how her company started and what she did to transform it into a franchise.
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Photos by: Jason Gilmore
Jesse Arnold, Senior Manager of Franchise Recruiting of Pizza Hut, addresses those who attended the 2015 Franchising Summit, October 1.
LL ACROSS AMERICA, thousands of Hispanic franchisees are living the American dream. The energy and drive of these entrepreneurs combined with world-class franchises is a recipe for success. The franchisees have the opportunity to own their own businesses and to partner with iconic brands. The franchisors are able to expand and diversify their franchisee base. Diverse markets and consumers are better served. Everybody wins. The 2015 Latino Leaders Franchising Summit, which was hosted at Pizza Hut Center of Restaurant Excellence, brought together current and prospective Hispanic franchisees with major franchisors and providers of professional support services. This day-long Summit began with welcome remarks by Jorge Ferraez, Publisher of Latino Leaders; James Fripp, Senior Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion of Pizza Hut; Jesse Arnold, Senior Manager of Franchise Recruiting of Pizza Hut; and Miriam Brewer, Senior Director of Education and Diversity of the International Franchise Association. These experienced leaders shared insights on the robust franchising landscape, the critical importance of diversity among franchisees, and the need for more Hispanic franchisees nationally. The morning keynote speaker, Eduardo Díaz, President & CEO of the EYM Group, shared his inspirational story of starting with one McDonalds, becoming a very successful McDonalds franchisee,
Eduardo Diaz, CEO of the EYM group, talks about why the franchising world could be the best option for Latino entrepreneurs.
selling his company, and starting a new building a second successful company as a franchisee of Denny’s and of Burger King. The Summit featured three substantive panels focusing franchisee success, professional support services, and the consumer and Latino market. Panel 1: “Lessons & Experiences of Successful Franchises in the Latino Market” • Luis Veras, Pizza Hut Franchisee • Travis Edmonson Director of Business Development, Pollo Campero • Laura Contreras, CEO, Siempre Tax Panel 2: “Foundation for a Successful Franchise in the Latino Market” • Earsa Jackson, Esq., Partner, Strasburger & Price, LLP and Chair of the International Franchise Association Diversity Board • Jesus Araiza, Managing Director, De Leon Group • David French, Senior Vice President of Business Banking - Franchise Lending, Regions Bank Panel 3: “Understanding the Consumer and the Latino Market” • Ralph Wiegandt, Multiple Store Owner, 7-Eleven • Isaac Padilla, Franchise Marketing Manager, 7-Eleven The afternoon session featured a live interview with Guillermo Perales, President and CEO of Sun Holdings. Perales is one of the most successful Hispanic franchisees in America. In the interview, he shared the story of his company, Sun Holdings, which owns and operates over 550 franchised units including Burger King, Popeye’s, Arby’s, Cici’s Pizza, Golden Corral, Krispy Kreme, and T-Mobile. Perales founded Sun Holdings in 1997 and today he has over 12,000 employees in six states. The 2015 Latino Leaders Franchising Summit was a great opportunity for franchisors, franchisees, prospective franchisees, and service providers to come together to help more Hispanics achieve the American dream. Look forward to seeing at the Summit in 2016! latinoleaders.com