On Friday, September 15, Tarji Carter, Founder and President of The Franchise Player (which was created to increase franchise ownership and wealth across the African-American community) spearheaded The Franchise Game, which is the U.S.’s first and only African-American Franchise Symposium and Trade Show.
Carter created the event alongside Marketing Expert, Dessie Brown, Jr. (Head of Digital Programming at Genius Entertainment, a Marsai Martin company) — and it was fueled/sponsored by JET Magazine.
The event took place in Plano, Texas at Yum! Restaurants International Corporate Campus and consisted of sessions from franchisees, lawyers, business development officers, and operation managers.
The symposium brought together experts and industry leaders to discuss the secrets to success, challenges, and opportunities in franchising. The theme for the inaugural event was: Doing The Work!
The day kicked off with a keynote address from Nicholas Perkins (CEO of Fuddruckers and the first African American to own a National Hamburger Franchise System), followed by an explosive lineup of panel discussions led by franchise subject matter experts including: Mike Quinn (Franchisee, Pizza Hut), Tim Williams (Director of Operations, Williams Chicken), Damon Dunn (Franchisee, Dunkin’ Brands), James Fripp (Chief Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Officer, Yum! Brands), Delmas Arthur (Operations Manager, Dunkin’ Brands, Starbucks, 5 Guys, McDonalds and Hardee’s), and Carter herself, on behalf of The Franchise Player.
Sessions included: A Day in the Life of a Franchisee (where attendees learned from some of the industry’s best multi-unit franchisees), Talk to My Attorney! (where attendees learned about the legal rights and responsibilities from franchise attorneys), Bag Secured (which was designed to address the bottleneck with business ownership), Operational Excellence (which was designed to show attendees how to grow from an Owner-Operator to owning a large enterprise), and How to Get Started and Approved (which was the official guide to franchise ownership).
“With this event, we attracted multi-unit franchisees, owner/operators, potential investors, athletes, entertainers, and industry influencers,” says Carter, who has worked with some of the world’s most delicious brands, including Cinnabon, Carvel, Baskin Robbins, Dunkin, Wingstop, Edible Arrangements, Fuddruckers, and Bojangles’. “Moving forward, we are looking to increase franchise ownership and wealth across the African-American community by providing education, resources, and opportunities to aspiring franchisees and small business owners.”
“We believe successful franchise ownership can serve as a low-risk vehicle for creating wealth for black and other marginalized groups in America,” says Carter.
