Five individuals to be honored at 2026 IFA Annual Convention in February in Las Vegas

WASHINGTON – The International Franchise Association (IFA) today announced the 2025 recipients of the IFA Major Awards, the most prestigious awards in franchising. The IFA Major Awards are given annually at the IFA Annual Convention, taking place in Las Vegas, Feb. 23-25, 2026, and recognize individuals for their outstanding and enduring contributions to franchising.

“The IFA Major Awards are the pinnacle of achievement in franchising, given to those individuals whose vision and dedication will have a lasting impact on the business model,” said Matt Haller, IFA President and CEO. “These honorees have not only excelled in business, but they’ve also shown their commitment to supporting others and helping secure a brighter future for franchising that will benefit generations far into the future.”

The recipients of the 2025 IFA Major Awards include:

Hall of Fame Award: Greg Flynn – Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Flynn Group LP

The Hall of Fame Award is the oldest and most prestigious recognition conferred by IFA, recognizing a franchisor or franchisee who has contributed significantly to the advancement of the franchise business model and to the benefit of the IFA mission. The honoree has been a lifelong leader and is often viewed as a legend in franchising.

As Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Flynn Group, Greg Flynn is the largest franchise operator in the world, spanning more than 2,900 restaurants and fitness centers across Applebee’s^®, Taco Bell^®, Panera^®, Arby’s^®, Pizza Hut^®, Wendy’s^®, and Planet Fitness^®. He is also the franchise principal of approximately 100 Marriott- and Hilton-branded select service and extended stay hotels. Flynn’s pioneering approach — including championing a people-centric multi-brand, multi-state growth model — has reshaped modern franchising and demonstrated the unlimited growth potential for franchise operators. Since the company’s founding in 1999, Flynn Group has expanded to operate in 44 states and 3 international markets, employing more than 78,000 people and generating over $5 billion in annual sales. Flynn is also a respected national voice for franchise owners, advocating for policies that strengthen local businesses and dedicated to the betterment of the franchise business model.

Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Len Fischer – Founder and Chairman of the Board, Benetrends

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award honors a founder or franchising executive who has successfully built or grown a business in the franchise sector – exemplifying the “entrepreneurial spirit” that franchising represents. The honoree is a franchisor, franchisee, or supplier who is currently managing and building a successful business and demonstrates a willingness to undertake the risk associated with developing and growing a new franchise business. Their contributions have not only grown a successful business but also helped shape the future of franchising, inspiring other entrepreneurs in their endeavors.

Len Fischer, Founder and Chairman of the Board for Benetrends Financial, pioneered the Rollovers as Business Startups (ROBS) funding strategy, a groundbreaking financial structure that allows entrepreneurs to use their qualified retirement funds to start or purchase a business tax-deferred and penalty-free. This program challenged the financial norms of the time and has helped break down barriers to provide greater access to capital, opening the door for thousands of franchisees to build success for their families through franchising.

The IFA Women’s Leadership Award: Emma Dickison – CEO and President, Home Helpers Home Care

The IFA Women’s Leadership Award, in honor of Bonny LeVine, the first woman named to the IFA Board, recognizes the importance of mentorship in the franchising sector, designed to recognize women leaders who have placed an intentional focus on growing and mentoring future leaders. The honoree is a franchisor, franchisee, or supplier and a proven role model who gives back to the franchising community, builds pathways to opportunity for others, and effectively uses IFA and independent platforms and programs to connect and inspire others.

Emma Dickison has served as CEO and President of Home Helpers Home Care since 2007 and is widely recognized for her exceptional commitment to advancing women in and through franchising. Under her leadership, more than 62% of Home Helpers franchises are women-owned—an achievement that reflects her investment in mentorship and leadership development. Emma has personally mentored countless women across her brand and beyond, helping them build successful businesses and careers. She also led Home Helpers to become the first senior care franchise to partner with the Military Spouse Employment Program, expanding career and ownership opportunities for military families. Within the organization, Emma champions professional development, encouraging team members to earn IFA’s Certified Franchise Executive designation. Inspired by the impact of IFA’s Women’s Franchise Network (WFN), she also co-founded the Southwest Ohio WFN Chapter, which now includes more than 600 women.

Ronald E. Harrison Award: Omar and Raynya Simmons – Exaltare Capital Management

The Ronald E. Harrison Award recognizes an organization or individual with a demonstrated, tangible commitment to increasing diversity in franchising. The honoree is a franchisor, franchisee, or supplier with active programs to educate, engage, or recruit members of traditionally underserved communities into the franchising community. Their work has served the betterment of the franchise business model and will continue to impact future generations.

Inspired by their own success in franchising and wanting to pay it forward, Omar Simmons, Chairman of the UniK Wax brand and franchisee for Planet Fitness, the Good Feet Stores and Urban Air, and his wife Raynya Simmons, laid the groundwork to launch the IFA Foundation’s Franchise Ascension Initiative (FAI), a program built to “narrow the wealth gap by catalyzing diversity in ownership in franchising.” Established in 2024 through the IFA Foundation, the program helps individuals from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged communities gain the tools, resources and mentorship necessary to become successful franchisees. Omar and Raynya demonstrated their commitment to the initiative by putting in $250,000 of their own money as seed funding and raising more than $2 million to support the program. Now, they continue to serve as mentors for dozens of the program’s graduates and current students in the pipeline.

William Rosenberg Foundation Leadership Award: Jeffrey Kolton – Founder and Principal, Franchise Market Ventures, LLC

Named in honor of the man whose vision and leadership led to the founding of the International Franchise Association and its foundation, the William Rosenberg Foundation Leadership Award is presented each year to an individual who has made an impact on franchise education, outreach, and helping share the franchising story. This award is intended to identify and publicly recognize those individuals who have contributed the most to making franchising the acknowledged leader in distribution methods.

After leaving his legal career, Jeffrey Kolton founded FRANdata Corporation to increase the overall business acumen of the franchise sector, improve the level of reliable data on franchising, and raise awareness of the franchise business model on a national scale. Kolton’s efforts have been instrumental to the growth and quality of franchise education and research, helping pave the way for the efforts of the IFA Foundation as it is today. Kolton later founded Franchise Market Ventures, LLC, leveraging his expertise in franchising, private equity financing and strategic expansion.

These recipients join the ranks of decades of the greatest leaders in franchising and will be honored throughout the week at the IFA Convention, taking place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The full list of past recipients of the IFA Major Awards is available here.

# # #

About the International Franchise Association:

Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) 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 approximately 831,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.8 million direct jobs, $896.9 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 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.