Last month, the Fish team traveled to Las Vegas for the 2019 IFA Annual Convention and to welcome entrepreneurs from around the globe to the fifth-annual NextGen in Franchising Competition. Other than battling various time zones, 6 a.m. wake up calls and late night presentation rehearsals, the 2019 group of winners persevered throughout the conference and truly made the most of their experience at #IFA2019.
I’ve been part of the NextGen team here at Fish since I started back in 2016, and always loved the concept and what it stands for. The competition was created to help recognize and guide the future of franchising, while connecting emerging leaders to seasoned experts in the industry.
Combing through thousands of exceptional applications for the past three competitions, this year was special for me because it was the first time I was able to see the competition come to fruition and assist with the behind-the-scenes on site at the IFA Convention. I had the pleasure of meeting winners from the Philippines, Australia, Kenya and other countries, and learn about their businesses. I was blown away by their dedication and passion.
Over the course of five days, the winners participated in workshops, networked with industry veterans and presented their concepts to judges with hopes of taking home the grand prize. Out of the 12 entrepreneurs who presented in the first round, the final three concepts and fourth social enterprise franchise were chosen to move forward and present in the final round of the competition at the closing general session. Below I’ve shared a snapshot of the incredible businesses that moved forward to the final round:
- Brooke Gagliano and Chris Ives, Frutta Bowls (United States) – After college, Brooke used her passion for athletic education to start her own business training sports teams and clients, which is where she was first introduced to acai. While on a trip out west, Brooke had her first acai bowl and the idea for Frutta Bowls was born. With the support of her friends and family, she opened her first store in May 2016 in Howell, New Jersey, at age 23 with co-founder, Chris Ives. The Frutta Bowls dream started as a local idea with two locations. It has since grown into a nationwide concept, continuing to positively affect many lives along the way. Frutta Bowls sets itself apart by not only its commitment to providing healthy and delicious food, but also by its involvement in the communities surrounding each location.
- Princess Diana Rosario, What’s Your Flan? (Philippines) – Princess is the founder of What’s Your Flan?, a company founded in 2016 and the product of her passion for cooking. What’s Your Flan? serves original mouthwatering desserts that are all freshly made, natural, and have no food coloring or preservatives. From humble beginnings and 14 failed businesses, she was shaped to be a better business owner, influencing the launch of her Philippines-based business designed to help fellow entrepreneurs have the opportunity to become their own boss. After two hardworking years of business, What’s Your Flan? has expanded from a single location to 70 franchisees nationwide, one international franchise in Dubai UAE, and hundreds of registered resellers.
- Jeremy Hassell and Tim Butters, City Cave (Australia) – Recognizing the need for a health and wellness center that focused on longevity and total well being, Jeremy Hassell launched City Cave in Australia with co-founder, Tim Butters. Since the opening of its first location in 2016, City Cave has grown to offer a combination of holistic and clinical services tailored to each guest’s needs and provides the ideal space for relaxation and meditation. From float therapy to infrared saunas and yoga, City Cave aims to deliver the perfect facility that adds years of quality life to those in the communities it serves. Today, City Cave has four locations across Australia, with plans to continue its expansion throughout the country and beyond.
- Venuste Kubimana, A Water Kiosk At School (Kenya) –Named amongst Africa’s Top 50 Innovators in 2018 and AIDF Global Innovator of the Year, Venuste Kubwimana is a youth activist and social entrepreneur based in Kenya. He is the Founder and Secretary General of the International Transformation Foundation, a parent organization of the franchising initiative A Water Kiosk at School launched by Venuste in 2014. He was inspired by personal experiences growing up in communities where students walk long distances to gather water for their families before and after going to school. As a result, many children in the area have a high tendency to drop out of school in order to meet their needs. A Water Kiosk at School is a school-based and student-managed business selling clean tap water to community residents at an affordable price. It is both an educational and profitable business teaching students business and entrepreneurial skills and generating much-needed income for schools.
Former Fortune 50 CEO and 2016 Presidential Candidate, Carly Fiorina led a panel of judges for the final round of the Global Competition. Prior to the closing session, Carly hosted a private meet and greet session with the NextGen in Franchising Winners and provided insight into her entrepreneurial journey. Carly shared her personal story and all of the hurdles she needed to overcome as a woman in the C-Suite. The extremely diverse group of winners from around the world were able to compare stories and take in valuable advice on perseverance, which was both very eye-opening and meaningful to hear. Wrapping up the Q&A, we headed to the final session where the finalists presented in front of 4,000+ attendees.
This year, Jeremy Hassell, founder of City Cave, took home first place, which included a $10,000 cash prize. Princess Diana Rosario, founder of What’s Your FLAN?, and Brooke Gagliano, founder of Frutta Bowls each received $5,000. The judges also awarded a $5,000 prize to Venuste Kubwimana, founder of A Water Kiosk at School, a social enterprise franchise.
All in all, I think the saying “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” does not ring true for this bunch of entrepreneurs! Being part of their experience was extremely rewarding in itself, and I’m proud to follow along in their successes as they apply all they have learned and will continue to learn from the connections that were formed at #IFA2019!
