Speakers

Anne Behrendt is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Doran Companies, one of the leading commercial real estate companies in the upper Midwest and a trusted leader in development, architecture, construction and asset management.

Setting Doran Companies’ strategic direction and overseeing an executive leadership team of eight, Anne is responsible for ensuring the development-led company is well positioned to maintain its competitive edge and continue its strong growth trajectory. Since Anne joined the company almost 10 years ago, Doran has grown from 25 to approximately 300 employees, expanded to include an office in Denver, CO, developed, designed or built dozens of luxury multi-family and mixed-use projects, managed millions of square feet of commercial space and luxury residential communities in some of the most exclusive neighborhoods throughout the Midwest and secured $1 billion in business.

Named a “Business Titan and Top Person to Know in 2020” by Twin Cities Business Magazine, a “Twin Cities Power Woman” by BisNow, one of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s “40 under 40,” as well as one of the top “Women in Business,” and presented with a “Best Place to Work Leadership Award” by the Star Tribune, Anne is held in high esteem by Doran employees and industry peers and partners. A native Minnesotan, Anne received her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two children.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-buck-6a53b35a/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keia-isaacson-ba1b5133/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-pritchard-spiteri-91553212/

Stephanie is a certified integrative health practitioner and holistic health coach who empowers women to transform their health through nutrition, mindset, movement and lifestyle by creating sustainable habits for life. As a health and wellness coach, she is passionate about helping women make real changes so that they can thrive, feel their best and live their best life.

Prior to discovering her passion as a holistic health coach, Stephanie spent nearly 18 years in the corporate world and understands first-hand the challenges of maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle while juggling a successful career and family. Stephanie’s passion for wellness led her to become a health coach so that she could help other high-achieving and driven women prioritize their health to improve their energy, eat cleaner and integrate simple and sustainable healthy habits.

Stephanie recently co-launched The Art of Living Well Podcast, which she and her co-host created to empower you to live your happiest, healthiest and most authentic life. Each week they bring you inspiring and motivating conversations covering health & wellness topics including fitness, mindset, food, travel, product reviews and strategies from a variety of experts including our own bank of knowledge.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrawest/

Jennifer Zick is the CEO and Founder of Authentic Brand, a marketing consulting and leadership firm based in Minneapolis, specializing in Fractional CMO services for growing businesses. 

For over 20 years, Jennifer has built brands and businesses locally and globally, as a sales and marketing executive for companies including Magnet360, PwC, and Corporate Visions. 

She is the past-president of the Business Marketing Association of Minnesota (now part of ANA), an award-winning business leader, and the founder and organizer of a grassroots community service movement called Two Or More.

A seasoned business leader, Olsen began consulting with Great Clips, Inc. in 1984. These were the early days for this Minnesota-based brand, which opened its first location in 1982 and the first franchised Great Clips salon in 1983. During her time as a consultant, Olsen helped develop and deliver the brand’s inaugural franchisee orientation program and an operations manual.

Olsen joined the corporate team as vice president human resources and training in 1987, at which time she also became an owner. Over the years, she assumed additional responsibility for several other functional areas including marketing, communications, operations, and facilities and purchasing. She was named president in 1998 and transitioned to CEO in 2011.

In these roles, Olsen has grown Great Clips from 1,000 salons in 1998 to more than 4,100 salons across the United States and Canada in 2016. During that time, Great Clips also grew system revenues four-fold increasing from $200 million to well over a billion dollars. Today, Great Clips is the world’s largest salon brand with locations in more than 180 markets across North America. Great Clips, Inc. employees 250 corporate staff.

Olsen used her business acumen and passion to set Great Clips on the road to success evidenced by more than 49 straight quarters of growth. She is known for her analytical skills and her keen sense of what people need to be successful.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-challberg-boyd-6b446b17/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-nicoll/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/genapetrella/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gail-rosenblum-3b40525/

Sandy Bodeau is a partner with Lathrop GPM,* where she is a member of the firm’s global Franchise & Distribution group. Sandy practices in the areas of mergers and acquisitions of franchise brands across many industries, both as primary deal counsel and franchise special counsel.  She also frequently handles the  transfer of multi-unit franchise units in the restaurant and fitness spaces.  Her practice also includes assisting franchisors in the refranchising of company-owned locations by selling them to franchisees, and in purchasing franchisee units. In addition, Sandy routinely advises franchisors on all aspects of system development and ongoing franchise issues: the drafting of FDDs, franchise agreements, and area development agreements; compliance with federal and state registration and disclosure laws; the use of exemptions; franchisee defaults, terminations and transfers; and international program expansions.  

In her franchise M&A practice, Sandy has recently represented: 

• A founder/seller as lead deal counsel in the sale of a 200+unit in-home care brand to a private equity buyer. 

• Numerous private equity firms as special franchise counsel in the purchase of franchise brands, including in the industries of disaster relief, personal fitness, QSR restaurants, home services, commercial cleaning, business services, furniture distribution, auto services, and home companion care. 

• Buyers and sellers in large scale, multi-unit transfers of leading brand franchises for multiple fitness and restaurant concepts. 

Sandy is admitted to the Minnesota and Texas bar associations and graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School, cum laude. She is a frequent presenter on M&A topics impacting franchising, including “Franchise-Related Mergers & Acquisitions” at the IFA’s 49th Annual Legal Symposium.  

Kristen Denzer is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Tierra Encantada. Tierra Encantada is the Leader in Spanish Immersion Early Education® and provides care for children ages 6 weeks through 6 years of age. The high-quality education program utilizes proprietary language-immersion curriculum focused on teaching a respect for diversity, and includes fresh-cooked, organic meals designed to expand children’s young palates.Kristen started her first entrepreneurial endeavor in 2008 –an event rental company. She grew that company from 20 events to 500 events annually in just 6 years. While operating the successful event rental company, she started a second business in 2010 with a childhood friend called The Woof Room –a dog daycare and boarding facility. She managed to grow both into profitable companies serving thousands of clients annually. In 2013, while searching for quality early education for her young child, she founded Tierra Encantada’s first location in Eagan, Minnesota. She continued to operate all three businesses until 2016 when she sold her event rental company and dog daycare facility to focus solely on Tierra Encantada’s growth. In Spring of 2019, she launched Tierra Encantada’s franchising expansion to provide access to language immersion education to families across the country. Today, Tierra Encantada is an Inc 5000 company with four corporate locations in Minnesota (5th opening in Spring 2020), almost a dozen franchise centers in site development, and over 100 full-time employees.

Cindi Nikituk is an experienced business owner, group fitness trainer, bodybuilder, and registered nurse. Driven by her passion for fitness, she takes pride in providing the best group fitness classes as possible. As an owner of 4 boutique kickboxing locations in the Twin Cities, her goals include providing a unique fitness experience to students of all ages, educate people on healthy lifestyles, and create healthier communities.

Her passion for fitness can be traced back to her nursing days. This is where she spent significant time working with patients who needed healthier lifestyles to reduce the effects of Diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. As a certified personal trainer and nurse, she specializes in nutritional guidance, healthy eating, and fitness wellness. Over the years she has transformed thousands of lives.

She has been an entrepreneur in the fitness industry for 6 ½ years gaining experience with each new location.  With a total of 5 boutique kickboxing clubs opened to date called Farrell’s Extreme Bodyshaping, she is a franchise leader and seasoned fitness expert. Within Farrell’s Franchise of 76 stores, she holds the #1 and #3 store in the nation for 5 years running. Cindi has also been recognized by WCCO as “Best Workout in the Twin Cities in 2019” for her extraordinary commitment to her students.

In addition to being a business owner, she has also been involved in natural bodybuilding. Cindi earned her Pro Physique card in her first competition and also placed 2^nd in her Pro Debut earning herself a seat at the World Bodybuilding Competition. Outside of the office, Cindi enjoys spending time with her husband, 4 children and grandchild.

Jennifer Gilhoi, founder of Sparktrack Consulting, curates and captures event and social experiences to move inspiration into action. With 20 years of marketing communications experience in the Twin Cities, she’s worked with clients to creatively tell their story, build their brand relationships and introduce innovative collaborations for business growth. Jennifer is a founding member of ModernWell, a women-centered co-working space in Minneapolis, where she hosts events and workshops that empower small business owners. In her work with professional service firms, universities, national movements, B-corps and start-ups, and in roles with the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Dissonance; she crafts stories through a balance of in-person and online communications, media relations, social media, thought leadership, event recaps, innovative collaborations and partnerships.