Emma Dickison, CFE, CEO & President, Home Helpers^® Home Care

The Women’s Leadership Award was created to recognize a woman who consistently demonstrates expertise and professionalism throughout her field, as depicted through the growth of her business, service to community and the mentorship she provides to other women in franchising. The 2025 honoree is Emma Dickison, CEO & President, Home Helpers Home Care.

For Emma Dickison, CEO & President of Home Helpers Home Care, leadership has never been about standing at the front of the room — it’s about standing alongside the people who make the work possible.

That’s why receiving the 2025 IFA Women’s Leadership Award feels less like a personal achievement and more like a shared celebration with the mentors who invested in her, the franchisees who trusted her vision, the caregivers who inspired her, and the team members who’ve shaped her journey throughout her 30+ years in franchising.

Emma’s connection to franchising started with a leap of faith as a single mom in 1990, when she joined Blockbuster Video at approximately 150 locations. Over 14 years, she was part of the growth into a global powerhouse with more than 8,800 locations and over $1 billion in annual sales.

When Emma joined Home Helpers in 2007, she brought close to two decades of franchise experience — and something deeper: personal caregiving experience. Having helped care for aging loved ones beginning in elementary school and continuing into adulthood, Emma knew firsthand the challenges families face.

“This work is personal for me,” she shares. “I’ve lived it.”

To continue to educate herself within the franchise industry, in 2009, Emma earned her Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) credential. A year later, she earned her Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation.

Over the last 18 years, Emma has guided Home Helpers through record-breaking growth to serve over 1,500 communities across 40 states and one province in Canada with more than 385 franchises. Through 2025 alone, the network awarded 41 new territories and opened 32 new offices.

But for Emma, the numbers tell only part of the story.

“What keeps me going isn’t the growth — it’s the people,” she says. “It’s hearing from a franchisee who just helped a family navigate one of the hardest seasons of their life. That’s what this is really about.”

Emma’s leadership is grounded in a simple belief: innovation should always serve people. That’s why she’s championed programs like Direct Link™, a 24-hour monitoring system that helps seniors stay safe at home, and Cared-4℠, a comprehensive care program that includes wellness checks, meal and nutrition planning, and 24-hour monitoring providing peace of mind for clients and families even when a caregiver is not in the home.

“Caregivers are everything,” Emma says. “If we’re not supporting them, we’re not doing our job.”

When COVID-19 hit, Emma had just stepped into leading the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) Board of Directors. The first priority was advocating policy changes to protect caregivers and clients. “We had to show up for our people,” Emma says simply. “That’s what leadership is.”

As a woman leading a franchise organization where more than 50 percent of franchisees are women, Emma serves on the Board of Directors for the International Franchise Association (IFA) and has been recognized with multiple awards, including The Crystal Compass Award from The IFA Women’s Franchise Committee (WFC), which recognizes individuals who exemplify leadership and have made significant contributions to franchising, and Home Health Care News Executives to Watch.

But when asked about her proudest accomplishment, Emma doesn’t mention the accolades.

“It’s the relationships,” she says. “It’s the franchisees who call to share good news. It’s the caregivers who feel valued. It’s the families who tell us we made a difference. That’s what I’m most proud of.”

For Emma, receiving the IFA Women’s Leadership Award is a reminder of the people who’ve made her journey possible. “This award is a tribute to them — and a reminder of a guiding principle I learned from my dad: ‘You must always work hard to do things right, and you must always do the right thing.'”