Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina Joins 2019 NextGen in Franchising Global Competition's Judging Panel

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Franchise Association (IFA) Foundation announced today that former Fortune 50 CEO and 2016 Presidential Candidate Carly Fiorina will serve as a judge for the 2019 NextGen in Franchising Global Competition during the IFA's 59^th Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Feb. 23-27. Fiorina will join leaders in the franchising industry on stage during the closing general session as the top three NextGen winners pitch their franchise business plans for the chance to win a $10,000 investment.

Founded by David McKinnon, CFE, and sponsored by the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation and Subway International, the NextGen in Franchising Global Competition is a worldwide program that engages millennial entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses through the franchise business model, and the only start-up business accelerator in the world focused on franchising.

Fiorina, who was the first woman to lead a Fortune 50 company, ran for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Today, she leads Carly Fiorina Enterprises and the UP Foundation, focusing on leadership consulting for both the private and non-profit sectors.

"Throughout my career I've continued to align my passion for business leadership by sharing my experiences with the next generation of leaders, and I'm thrilled to be part of the 2019 NextGen in Franchising Competition," said Carly. "The IFA Annual Convention annually attracts some of the most prestigious leaders in franchising and the opportunity for these young entrepreneurs to learn the most strategic ways to grow their business is truly unparalleled and it's an honor to be part of that."

This year's 12 NextGen winners were selected from hundreds of applications from around the world. Since the program's inception in 2015, over 2,500 millennial entrepreneurs from more than 75 countries have applied. Many NextGen winners have been featured in top business publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc., and Fast Company, among others.

"The NextGen in Franchising Global Competition continues to get more competitive every year as we raise the bar for the caliber of entrepreneur we invite to the IFA Annual Convention. This year's winners hail from eight countries worldwide and represent some of the best emerging franchisors," said David McKinnon, CFE, founding sponsor of the NextGen in Franchising Program. "We are thrilled to have Carly Fiorina join the NextGen in Franchising Global Competition as a judge. She is a true leader, problem-solver, and advocate for entrepreneurship, and will provide valuable advice for our NextGen winners."

The 2019 NextGen in Franchising winners are: Abedalrahman Alzghoul, Bread for Education (Jordan); Brooke Gagliano, Frutta Bowls Franchising, LLC (United States); Gamal Albinsaid, Garbage Clinical Insurance (Indonesia); Jason Dolan, Core9 Fitness (Australia); Jeremy Hassell, City Cave (Australia); Princess Diana Rosario, What's Your FLAN? (Philippines); Reka Oszlanczi, Creppy Franchise System (Hungary); Rihab Hasanain, Blooming B's (Saudi Arabia); Ruth Agbaji, Code Wiz (United States); Samuel Munguti, Farmers Pride (Kenya); Timea Vas, Don't Panic English (Hungary); and Venuste Kubwimana, A Water Kiosk at School (Kenya).

The NextGen in Franchising program is made possible due to the generosity of its donors and sponsors, which include David McKinnon, the founding sponsor; the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation/Subway; the Stewart & Jane Bainum Fund; Lawrence "Doc" Cohen, Doc & Associates; J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation; Tariq Farid, Edible Arrangements; Charlie Chase, FirstService Brands; Aziz Hashim, NRD Holdings; Joe Bourdow, Valpak;  Tony Valle, ELM Perform; Dave Mortensen, Anytime Fitness; and Melanie Bergeron, Two Men & A Truck Intl.

For more information about the NextGen in Franchising Global Competition, please contact Chelsea Bear at [email protected] or call (954) 893-9150.

About the IFA Foundation
Celebrating 36 years of education, research and excellence, the International Franchise Association (IFA) Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and supported through the generous contributions of IFA members and others. The Foundation's mission is to advance franchising and the free enterprise system by increasing the knowledge and professional standards of all members of the franchising community; educating the next generation of franchise practitioners; increasing recognition of franchising's key role in the free enterprise system; and providing comprehensive information and research about important developments and trends in franchising.

About the International Franchise Association
Celebrating 58 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the more than 733,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 7.6 million direct jobs, $674.3 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy and 2.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology and business development.

Contact:
Chelsea Bear
Fish Consulting
[email protected] 
954-893-9150

Gionne Jones
IFA Foundation
[email protected] 
202-662-0772

SOURCE International Franchise Association Foundation